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The house martin makes his nest against the sides of houses, as you must often have seen.
你肯定經常會留意到家燕會在房子的墻壁上筑巢。
It is formed of mud taken from the ruts in the lanes and the edges of ponds.
它們的巢是用池塘邊和道路上的泥土筑成的。
The eggs are of a beautiful clear white. He is a cunning as well as a clever little workman;
燕子蛋是透明的，很漂亮。燕子是個聰明靈巧的小工人；
so he only builds a small bit of his house-wall every day, and that early in the morning,
所以，它們筑巢時每天只在大清早時做一小部分，
that the heat of the sun may dry it well before he goes on.
這樣它們出去后，白天陽光的溫度就能將泥土曬干。
Last summer, I watched a pair of martins at their work,
去年夏天，我觀察了一對家燕的筑巢工作，
and it took them five days, from the time that they stuck the first dab of mud against the house, till the outside was finished.
從它們把叼來第一口泥土粘到屋子上，到筑好鳥巢的外形，花了五天時間。
After that, they had to put the inside to rights, and make it snug and comfortable, which took several days more.
接下來，它們要把里面弄好，讓窩溫暖舒適，這一項工作要多花幾天時間。
They almost always avoid a south aspect,
它們通常避免在南面筑巢，
as they know that the heat of the mid-day sun would crack their mud-built house.
因為它們知道正午的太陽會將泥土做成的巢曬裂。
Next year, the same pair will come back again; and, if possible, they will put the old nest in repair, instead of making a new one.
第二年，同一對燕子還會回來；如果可能的話，它們會翻修舊巢，而不會重新筑巢。
The swallows are the first to return to us; the martins follow: and they always keep the same order.
雨燕最先飛回來；隨后是家燕：它們總是以這樣的順序回來。
They all go away together; but when they come back we only see them as stragglers—first one, then another, and at last numbers.
它們一起飛走；但是回來時卻像是散兵游勇——第一只，隨后又來一只，最后飛來了一群。
