" Within my coileeting-grounds is a locality wheve numbers of these birds have
nested for many years. This is a shed, open only on one side, whcro the birds have
attached their nests to the sleepers of the loft. In the spring of 1878. they returned
about the usual time, and soon began repairing old nests or constructing uow ones. One
day while watolung them, I noticed one bird remained in her half-flnished nest, and did
not appear to be much engaged. Soon a neighbour, owning a nest a few feet away,
arrived with a fresh pellet of clay, and adjusting it in a satisfactory manner, flew away
for more. No sooner was she out of sight than the quiet bird repaired to the neighbour’s
nest, appropriated the fresh clay and moulded it to her own n e st! When tho plundered
bird returned, uo notice was taken of the theft, wliich was repeated as soon as she was
again out of siglit. I saw tliese movements repeated numerous times, hut was called
away, and when I again returned both nests were completed.
“ In the same place a nest remained undisturbed, and was oooiipiod hy probalily the
same pair of hirds for several seasons. This spring they returned to tllo old nest, and all
appeared prosperous, until one day I noticed a number of Swallows engaged in walling
up the entrance of this old nest. This, and the outline of a new nest over the old, wa°
soon completed. I then broke open tlie closed nest and found witliin the dead body of
a Swallow. This bird had probably died a natural death, and the friends, being unable
to remove the body, and knowing it would soon become offensive, adopted this method
of scaling it up.”
The descriptions are taken from the British Museum ‘ Catalogue;' and the figures
are drawn from specimens sent to ns hy Dr. A. K. Fisher, of Sing Sing, N. Y.