skvmour] OBSERVATIONS ON BARN-SWALLOWS 267 



the day. Almost without exception the birdlings were fed 

 alternately, although we poor human beings were unable to 

 discover how the parents knew whose turn came next. They 

 even strenuously refused food to the stronger, who clamored 

 most loudly and persistently "out of turn." Both parents 

 shared the feeding and also the flying lessons which were given 

 occasionally from 6:18 a.m. — 2:43 p.m. By flying lesson I mean 

 the following pretty little drama: one or both parents flew 

 into the shed with the grace, swiftness and sound peculiar to 

 swallows' flight, fed the young and circled about under the nest, 

 then one perched on a beam and chirped coaxingly to the young, 

 sometimes flying up to the nest and perching upon its edge while 

 scolding and coaxing. The stronger of the nestlings invariably 

 chirped and fluttered its wings during the process, but did not 

 venture away from the nest. 



During the hot, quiet hours of the afternoon, when the inter- 

 vals between feeding were longest, the birdlings sometimes 

 appeared to pant, keeping the bill slightly open; at other times 

 they appeared to sleep, but sleeping or waking they imme- 

 diately opened their bills wide and clamored for food upon the 

 approach of the parent. 



The swallows' nest had been an object of great interest to the 

 temporary residents of the deserted farm-house from the day 

 the wood-shed was chosen as a building site by the pair of swallows, 

 but for the idea of a whole day's careful note taking I am in- 

 debted to the report by pupils of Dr. C. F. Hodge in the Decem- 

 ber, 1906, number of The Nature Study Review. In noting 

 observations I was assisted by Marjorie S. Watts of Spring- 

 field, Massachusetts. 



