SAND DUNES AND SALT MARSHES 



the whirring of many wings, and betake them- 

 selves to the roofs of neighboring barns, where 

 they sun themselves, preen their feathers and 

 gossip with one another. These roosts among 

 the orchards may be frequented for many days 

 or weeks before all the birds disappear for 

 the south. 



The sand dunes and beaches, however, are 

 the most popular resort of this interesting 

 group of birds. Here they alight on the beach 

 itself, on the smooth expanses in the dunes, 

 or among the bayberry bushes, where the tree 

 swallows gorge themselves with the waxy ber- 

 ries. I once found forty-one of these large 

 berries in the small alimentary tract of a tree 

 swallow. As far as I know this is the only 

 species of swallow that enjoys such an un- 

 usual diet, for insects are, of course, the swal- 

 low's favorite prey. 



** The swalow, mortrer of the flyes smale, 

 That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe." 



In a thicket of birches among the dunes just 

 to the south of my camp a multitude of swal- 

 lows spend the nights in the latter part of the 

 summer, and they are interesting neighbors. 

 On one August evening I watched them from 



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