THE CHIMNEY SWIFT 187 



playing ball when suddenly the chimney swifts began to 

 fly around the house. In and out of the chimney they 

 chased each other, evidently in the greatest glee to find 

 themselves at home again. Pretty soon we discovered 

 more passing overhead, and when I got home that evening 

 the first sight that greeted my eyes was the chimney swifts 

 darting in and out of our chimney. The next morning 

 every boy in the school reported the same thing at his 

 home, and all agreed that they must have arrived at every 

 house in the district within a few minutes. Whatever 

 you may do with other birds, allow no one to kill the chim- 

 ney swift, for he feeds entirely on insects such as mos- 

 quitoes, gnats, flies, and ants, and he catches most of them 

 near the house, just the place where they do the greatest 

 harm. 



