The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-13
PLUCkY SWALLOWS.
How They Defend Themselves Against
the SparrOws.

the SparrOws.
There was a fiourishing family Of
| young barn-swallows just Matched out
in stanch, mud-nest that clings to the
| inside ledge of jutting post on a wide
| balcony of a certain pretty Long Island
bouse-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 pluekiest pair
/ of housekeepers they ever knew For
| three seasons in succession the Swal-
/ lows, handsome, lively pair of birds,
have come back to bill and coo and
hatch their little brood in mud-nest
stuck to a pillar at the west end of the
balcony.
Some warm spring day they come
back apparently just from a 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
~ 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 industriOusiy getting mud for
needed repairs. The work goes on for
a 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
dovvny coats they pulled feathers for
lining, and one egg was laid, when a
little gray chipping sparrow undertook
- 4 l.. 81 IL
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-stricl(en. but satisfied themselves
by giving the sparrow a sound scold-
ing, turning ont 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.. Swa low struck /
her such blow with his stout. short /
bill that she fiuttered. reeled and fell (
over on the gravel as though dead. |
Then the swallows disappeared for a
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 q
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 outas fine a family Of Young
ones as one would care 10 see and
was very little behind her neighbors IN
getting her ba iJies on the wing. Every
nj ght her good husband spent rerched
on a hook driven into one Of the bal
cony beams. from whieh.a canary cage
hung. and IL July the swallows disaP-
peared-
Not until the season arrives for MI
grating 10 the south do the Long Is
land family see their bird-neigh bors
again Some day in the latter part 81 /,
the swallows come back. SIT
on the nests edge. apparently talk over
plans for the next spring. see 20 II that
the nest Is IN good order. and then. M
doubt. begin their long fight and so
jouru TO warmer clineS.