The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-09-21
PLUCKY SWALLOWS.
How They Defend Themselves Against
the SparrOws.

Cne DpdrToWs'
There was fourishing family Of
young barn-swallows just Matched out
in stanch mud-nest that clings to the
inside ledge of jutting post on wide
balcony of certain pretty Long Island
house-quite an ordinary little swal-
lows nest and very commonplace hun
CRY birdlings in it, but the family that
lives in the Long Island house regard
the parent birds as the pluckiest pair
of housekeepers they ever knew. For
three seasons in succession the swal-
lows, a handsome, lively pair of birds,
have come back to bill and coo and
hatch their little brood in a mud-nest
stuck to pillar at the west end of the
balcony.
Some warm spring day they come
back, apparently just from long trip
in the south, and, perching on the
nests edge, in loud, cheerful chirps
discuss the necessary renovatlons and
improvements. They then set prompt
ly to work, toss out all the old lining
of the year before and down along the
ponds edge or in the public highway
are seen industriously getting mud for
needed repairs. The work goes on for
week usually before Mrs. Swallow
begins to lay her eggs, and this year
the swallow family came back to the
old nest in due season aud began to
work on it. From their own pretty
downy coats they pulled feathers for
lining, and one egg was laid, when
little gray chipping sparrow undertook
| L !. L Ill nf thn1
old home. She deliberately tossed the
new laid egg and down lining out and
began to lay in such twigs as she
thought best
The swallows seemed indignant and
grief-stricken, but satisfied themselves
by giving the sparrow sound scold-
ing, turning out her twigs and begin
ming to refine the nest. Another egg
was laid, and again in their absence
the sparrow repeated her cruel trick.
This time the swallows punished the
destroyer of their home severely. They
met her on the gravel path by the
balcony steps and Mr.. Swallow struck
her such a blow with his stout, short
bill that she fiuttered, reeled, and fell
over on the gravel as though dead.
Then the swallows disappeared for
week. At the end of that time they
came back, selected ledge of pillar
on the east end of the balcony
and began to build a new home.
Knowing they were full two weeks be-
hind all the other birds, they worked
| like beavers until in the space of four
DAYS a new nest, bigger and stronger
than the old one, was built and lined,
, and Mrs. Swallow had begun to lay
again.
From that day until the brood was
Matched one of the swallows always sat
, on or near the new nest watching the
sparrow, who did make one attempt to
: destroy it, but was prevented by
member of the family who owns the
Long Island house, and who determined
to protect the patient builders. AL
though few days late, Mrs. Swallow
Matched out as fine a family of young
ones as one would care to see and
was very little behind her neighbors in
getting her babies on the wing Every
night her good husband spent perched
on a hook driven into one of the bal
conv beams, from which canary's cage
, hung, and in July the swallows dlsap'
t peared
Not until the season arrives for mi
!. grating to the south do the Long Is
: land family see their bird-neighbors
, again. Some day in the latter part OF
: September the swallows come back, sit
a on the nests edge, apparently talk over
plans for the next spring, see to it that
the nest is in good order, and then, no
doubt, begin their long fight and So
iourn to warmer chimes.