"Come, summer visitant, attach
To my reedroof thy nest of clay,
And let my ear thy music catch,
Low twitting underneath the thatch,
At the gray dawn of day."
Sure harbingers of spring are the Swallows. They are very common birds,
and frequent, as a rule, the cultivated lands in the neighborhood of
water, showing a decided preference for the habitations of man. "How
gracefully the swallows fly! See them coursing over the daisy-bespangled
grass fields; now they skim just over the blades of grass, and then with
a rapid stroke of their long wings mount into the air and come hovering
above your head, displaying their rich white and chestnut plumage to
perfection. Now they chase each other for very joyfulness, uttering
their sharp twittering notes; then they hover with expanded wings
like miniature Kestrels, or dart downwards with the velocity of
the sparrowhawk; anon they flit rapidly over the neighboring pool,
occasionally dipping themselves in its calm and placid waters, and
leaving a long train of rings marking their varied course. How easily
they turn, or glide over the surrounding hedges, never resting, never
weary, and defying the eye to trace them in the infinite turnings and
twistings of their rapid shooting flight. You frequently see them glide
rapidly near the ground, and then with a sidelong motion mount aloft, to
dart downwards like an animated meteor, their plumage glowing in the
light with metallic splendor, and the row of white spots on the tail
contrasting beautifully with the darker plumage."
The Swallow is considered a life-paired species, and returns to its
nesting site of the previous season, building a new nest close to the
old one. His nest is found in barns and outhouses, upon the beams of
wood which support the roof, or in any place which assures protection to
the young birds. It is cup-shaped and artfully moulded of bits of mud.
Grass and feathers are used for the lining. "The nest completed, five or
six eggs are deposited. They are of a pure white color, with deep rich
brown blotches and spots, notably at the larger end, round which they
often form a zone or belt." The sitting bird is fed by her mate.
The young Swallow is distinguished from the mature birds by the absence
of the elongated tail feathers, which are a mark of maturity alone. His
food is composed entirely of insects. Swallows are on the wing fully
sixteen hours, and the greater part of the time making terrible havoc
amongst the millions of insects which infest the air. It is said that
when the Swallow is seen flying high in the heavens, it is a never
failing indication of fine weather.
A pair of Swallows on arriving at their nesting place of the preceding
Summer found their nest occupied by a Sparrow, who kept the poor birds
at a distance by pecking at them with his strong beak whenever they
attempted to dislodge him. Wearied and hopeless of regaining possession
of their property, they at last hit upon a plan which effectually
punished the intruder. One morning they appeared with a few more
Swallows--their mouths filled with a supply of tempered clay--and, by
their joint efforts in a short time actually plastered up the entrance
to the hole, thus barring the Sparrow from the home which he had stolen
from the Swallows.
[Illustration: BARN SWALLOW.]