School: Ferbane (Convent)

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1. Bird-Lore (continued)

   

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   The skylark builds its nest in the corn or meadow. It is built of dry grass and lined with finer grass. It lays from three to five eggs with brown spots.
   The swallow builds its nest under the eaves of houses. It is made from mud and lined with grass and feathers. Swallows often return year after year to the same nest, and patch up the old ones. The swallow lays from four to six white eggs speckled with brown.
   Tall trees are selected by the magpie to build its nest which is made from sticks stuck together with clay, and lined with fine roots. It lays from five to eight eggs and sometimes ten eggs.
   A superstition about the magpie is :-
   "One for sorrow, two for joy,
   Three to get married and four to die,
   Five for silver, six for gold,
   Seven for a secret never to be told".
   The cuckoo neither builds her own nest nor rears her young ones. She lays her egg in another bird's nest , generally a hedge-sparrow's. The

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. animal-lore (~1,185)
         1. bird-lore (~2,478)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Josephine Kenny

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ferbane, Co. Offaly