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Tree Swallows in a Bird-box
By RiCHARD M. HUNT. Winchester. Mun.
Illustrated in the author
ARLY in the spring of [902, before any migrants had ventured north, E I placed a bird-box in a maple tree not far from my window. hoping to get a pair of Bluebirds to stay, a little later on. A pair of Blue— birds came, indeed, but they paid no attention to the snug home in the maple tree—until it was too late: for, about the first of May, a pair of Tree Swallows were seen circling about the box. and plainly announcing their intention to take possession, by giving continual utterance to their joyful, gurgling twitters. Just now, however, the Bluebirds began to dis- pute the Swallows' right to the box, to their sorrow, for the Swallows trouHCed them soundly.
Now the Swallows began to build, but soon began to encounter difli- culties in the shape of English Sparrows. These little scoundrels would seize the opportunity, when the Swallows were away, to pull the carefully made nest from the box and scatter it in all directions. One day a Sparrow was caught in the act. He had just entered the Swallows' house, when he was seen by one of the real owners. The Swallow went inside also, and I could hear a loud squawking there. Finally the Swallow appeared, tail first, dragging the Sparrow by the nape of the neck. When outside, the Swala low shook that Sparrow as a dog shakes a rat, and dropped him at the foot of the tree! The defeated tramp limped away, and, I have good reason to believe, never troubled the Swallows again. In fact, the Swallows were never troubled seriously again by any bird. They were the true owners of their home, and deserved to be,
Now the Tree Swallows settled down seriously, raised their brood, and departed before July.
Early on the morning of March 27, I903. l was returning from my usual beiore~breakfast bird-walk. As I approached my house, I thought I heard a familiar sound—a joyful, gurgling twitter. I glanced at the long- deserted bird—box, and there were apparently my Tree Swallows. They had safely sustained the long migration, and here they were, the undisputed masters of the box.
For about three weeks after their arrival they could be seen perching near the box, or flying about it, although, for some reason. they would never enter it.
On April 17, they were seen to enter their box several times. and also
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