Chimney Swaixow 269 



THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW (HIRUNDO 

 RUSTICA). 



THIS favourite bird is perhaps the most common 

 and most equally distributed of our native 

 species. Its arrival in April is watched and 

 hailed as the precursor of summer, and as the period 

 when the piercing blasts of winter and spring shall have 

 ceased for a time. In this country, and indeed in 

 Europe, it is the constant attendant on cultivation, and 

 makes use of the artificial structures of man as retreats 

 for shelter and breeding. As far as the writings of 

 naturalists go there is not any natural breeding station 

 for this bird. Its most common and favourite place here 

 is in the interior of out-houses, open barns, or sheds, 

 where the nest, composed of clay, and strengthened 

 with straws or slender roots, lined with feathers, and open 

 at the top, is placed against some of the rafters or wood- 

 work of the roof ; the insides of chimneys, (whence its 

 common name) the eaves of houses, and the forsaken 

 shafts of mines and coal-pits, are all resorts during the 

 season of incubation, so that in a natural state, or rather 

 in a country wanting these structures, its breeding places 

 may be supposed to be the rents in rocks and caves or 

 fissures. Two or three pairs often frequent the same 

 out-house, and are known to have returned from year to 

 year to the same nest. They hunt in small parties ; 

 as the time of their departure arrives, the young are col- 

 lected together, and many of those in the vicinity as- 

 semble ; at times during the day they may be seen con- 

 gregated on the roof of some building, or a wall or railing, 

 or on some bare tree, pluming themselves, and resting 

 from the incessant activity, and hunting after food, 

 which characterises them in the previous part of the year. 

 At this time they also roost together and select for this 

 place willow beds, or brushwood fringing some lake or 

 stream, occasionally among the tall reeds, and this has 

 given rise to the idea that they retired during winter under 



