fortunate in the quality of their materials. The straw was all right enough; but alas! for the earth which should have formed the walls in combination therewith. The season was particularly dry, and the earthen walls, instead of adhering as they ought to have done, crumbled and fell once and again, to the great dismay of the little builders, who were anxiously endeavouring to prepare for the advent of an anticipated family.

I suppose, by this time, my readers will have guessed that I do not tell of unfeathered bipeds, but of a couple of newly-wedded swallows commencing housekeeping for the first time. The place they had chosen as the scene of their matrimonial cares and pleasures was an outhouse, formerly used as a stable, with a door, of which the upper half was generally open. This outbuilding is now my coal-house, and, being rather spacious, serves also as a receptacle for my gardening tools and various odds and ends. On a shelf which runs along the side are deposited my empty flowerpots and sundry invalided dishes, such as a housekeeper in town would cast aside as useless; for they would not be fit to place on a table, even were the leaks stopped with white cement, as is sometimes the custom with us thrifty country folk. Well, two years ago, amongst other matters, a cracked willow-pattern pie-dish was resting from its culinary services, and awaiting some more humble sphere of usefulness, on the shelf in the old stable. As I said. before, my young builders were unlucky as regarded materials. In vain did they bring earth; in vain did they work and knead it with their dainty little beak-trowels. Their tiny mouths did not furnish sufficient moisture to supply the deficiency which the hot sun had caused. The walls would not stick, and I was filled with pity when I saw them suspend their labours and watch the crumbling ruin fall for the second time to the ground. They had found me out before this happened, and used to twist their pretty necks and peer curiously out of their bright eyes, to see if I were mani

festing hostile intentions.

But they soon became convinced of my pacific disposition so far as they were concerned, and never ceased their labours on my account after the first three days.

When a third time their attempts to form a habitation proved abortive, I thought I should lose my new tenants, and that they would betake themselves to some locality where the clay was of a more suitable temper for their purpose. To my delight, however, I found they were too well satisfied with their landlady's treatment to leave her unceremoniously. They accordingly gave up all thoughts of building on the rafters, and took possession of my cracked pie-dish as a more suitable and convenient place.

But it must not be supposed they were satisfied to make not display of their architectural powers. Following the promptings of instinct, they brought pellets of earth, with which they duly plastered the bottom and sides of the dish-as a cook prepares hers for the reception of birds by lining it with dough. Then a beautifully-woven circlet of hay was placed upon the earth foundation, a lining of feathers added, and the habitation was ready for its tenants. Have any of my readers ever seen such little architects at work? I dare say there are but few who have never handled a bird's nest, and wondered at the amazing skill and beauty displayed in the work of these heaven-taught builders. But in the great towns and cities, people have neither leisure nor opportunity to mark the way in which the wondrous structures are put together. I wished that every lover of nature, and of nature's God, could have seen my little tenants choosing their place of abode, then coming with their tiny bills full, the one of clay the other of straw. How rapid was the motion of the beak as it worked the clay, reminding one of the builder preparing the mortar with his trowel. My swallows deposited their clay in roundish lumps about the size of a pea, then stuck a straw or two upon that, and again brought more pellets to make it adhere.

All the while the pie-dish nest was in preparation, the young couple roosted side by side upon the shelf; but as soon as it was completed, the lady took possession, and during the process of incubation her lord reposed upon a long nail, which was in the wall at the opposite side of the stable. I used to peep into the dish every morning, and I saw five eggs deposited there one after another such dainty little eggs, of a warmish creamy colour, with light brown spots; so fragile looking, too, that they seemed too delicate to be touched. But no profaning finger of marauding boy was ever allowed to poke itself into my pie, though doubtless many would have liked to have one there.

While the lady was diligently engaged in hatching her little family, the gentleman was apt to take advantage of her pre-occupation, and to stay out rather late at nights, reminding one of the human husband under similar circumstances. Even as the unfeathered male biped is apt to stay an hour or two later at his club when the house mother is away, so did my master swallow stay twittering on the roofs, and gossiping with his neighbours until I was compelled to threaten that I would lock him out. I remonstrated with him by dint of rattling the stable door, and I thus managed to inform him that, being in the habit of going to bed early myself, I expected all dwellers under my roof to be in by half-past nine P.M. at the latest.

After clattering the door, I used to retire into the house for a minute or two, and on my return was pretty sure to find that my obedient gentleman had taken up his station on the nail, when I shut the pair in for the night. To his credit be it spoken, I never found it necessary to do more than remonstrate with my tenant, though I must own, until I saw for myself, I thought that swallows went to bed at an earlier hour than half after nine.

In about twenty days, five little gaping mouths might have been seen over the rim of the dish. The father and mother had a

busy time of it then. It required all their industry and diligence to keep up such a continuous supply of food as would satisfy the little clamourers in the pie-dish. My motherly sympathies were stirred at sight of the hard-working pair, and I thought I would help them. So I began fly-catching, and went with the poor fluttering insects to tender them to the baby swallows in the piedish. But, no thank you. My bribes and blandishments were of no avail. However widely the little beaks might be distended, they were always instantly and firmly closed against every dainty that I could offer. They would be fed only by their natural caterers.

It was curious to see how these five pairs of little legs were twisted and interlaced like a very piece of network; and the beautiful little heads were placed one over another when they slept, till we saw but a mass of young life rather than so many distinct creatures. As they grew, the dish became literally filled to overflowingwanting only an upper crust, as I used to say, to complete the pie.

One afternoon, having a young friend with me who had, like myself, taken great interest in my tenants, I lifted down the dish, to take a better view of its contents. I had often done so before, without giving offence; but on this occasion I ventured further. I introduced my hand amongst the network of legs, and disentangled them, when, to my dismay, out scrambled the whole party, and fluttered off in various directions. What a clatter there was; doubled in an instant by the voices of the old birds, who indignantly remonstrated against this breach of contract.

My friend and I set to work, and with due penitence and apologies, though not without much chasing and fluttering, succeeded in restoring four of the youngsters to their disconsolate parents. The fifth rather came to grief, and had his temper and feathers a good deal ruffled while scrambling in and out amongst the firewood in the corner of the stable. I should say that, though

the most friendly relations and perfectly neighbourly feelings existed between my tenants and myself, they never would feed their young in my presence. They would come with their bills full of insects, and wheel round and round, in and out; but I was always compelled to retire ere they would administer the rations to the impatient brood. It appears, that if I were not sufficiently well informed to abstain from intruding upon them at meal times, they were by no means disposed to permit such a breach of good manners. But when able to stand on the roof, I have often seen the young ones fed, always equitably in turn.

Soon after our unfortunate escapade with the youngsters, the parent couple began to teach their young to fly. Then we had a clamour indeed! Such twittering, such examples of aërial swallow gracefulness for ambitious juveniles to follow, until at last the whole party flew out in search of food together. I have been told by a friend of mine-a great lover of natural history-that after the young ones are able to fly, the parent birds continue to feed them. thus: The old one, with laden bill, meets its offspring in the air, and, without checking the flight of either, the food is rapidly transferred to the beak of the young swallow; but I never until to-day was fortunate enough to see this pretty and graceful feat performed.

After my little feathered friends were able to fly, they did not return to the dish, but for a short time used to roost, with their heads nestling lovingly one over another, on the prongs of a rake which lay upon the rafters in the old stable. But I soon lost sight of them; for the old birds drove them out of the stable one evening, with a prodigious noise, and I never saw the brood there again. The cause of this ejectment was manifested on the following day. My tenants resolved to be house proprietors, had commenced building again, and their labours were crowned with success this time. I regret to state that they were not very honest;