98 The Scottish Naturalist. 



atmospheric changes. The swallow, especially, has been known 

 to prognosticate in a wonderful manner the coming storm, in 

 anticipation of which they have suddenly taken their departure 

 " en masse " before their appointed time, and I am sorry to say 

 sometimes in doing so leave their unfledged nestlings behind 

 them to starve ; it may sometimes be that, inveigled by a fine 

 autumn, they may attempt the rearing of another brood, which 

 they have not time to do. But be this as it may, this bad trait 

 in their character extends to most of the swallow kind ; the 

 Swift has been known to come back to its old nest the follow- 

 ing year, and coolly chuck out the skeletons of its deserted 

 children to make room for a fresh brood ; some even do not 

 take this trouble, but merely put a few fresh feathers in as a 

 lining, allowing the new generations contentedly to sit on the 

 top of their dead brothers and sisters. 



M. Micheletf mentions a very remarkable instance of this 

 presentiment of coming danger, and sudden departure : " When 

 living at Nantes, in October 185 1, the season being. still excep- 

 tionally fine, the insects numerous, and the feeding ground of 

 the swallows plentifully provided, it was our happy chance 

 to catch sight of the sage republic convoked in one immense 

 and noisy assembly, deliberating on the roof of the Church of 

 St. Felix. Why was the meeting held on this particular day, 

 at this hour, more than at any other ? We did not know ; but 

 soon after we were able to understand it. Bright was the morn- 

 ing sky, but the wind blew from La Vendee. Gradually the 

 weather grew cloudy. The sky assumed a dull leaden grey, 

 the wind sank, all was death-like. It was then, at about four 

 o'clock, that simultaneously arrived from all points, from the 

 wood, from the Erdre, from the city, from the Loire, from the 

 Score, infinite legions, darkening the day, which settled on the 

 church roof, with a myriad voices, a myriad cries, debates, dis- 

 cussions. Though ignorant of their language, it was not 

 difficult for us to perceive that they differed among themselves. 

 It may be that the youngest, beguiled by the warm breath of 

 autumn, would fain have lingered longer. But the wiser and 

 more experienced travellers insisted upon departure. They 

 prevailed, the black masses moving all at once, like a huge 

 cloud, winged their flight towards the south-east, probably 

 towards Italy. They had scarcely accomplished three hundred 



t L'Oiseau. 



