80 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



Bam Swallows. The Barn Swallow, in pose 

 and flight, is a very graceful bird, and its plu- 

 mage, w^hile not brilliant, is beautiful. There is 

 little difference between the male and female in 

 coloring, and there is slight change during the 

 season, except, perhaps, for added sheen on his 

 coat during the mating and nesting season. 

 The upper parts are steel-blue, the forehead, 

 throat and breast a fine chestnut. The outer 

 feathers of the tail are dark, spotted with 

 white. The tail is deeply forked, giving rise to 

 the expression, "swallow-tail." 



In and out among the rafters and beams of 

 the barn they flit many times a day, their busy 

 twitterings, very pleasant sounds, not worthy 

 perhaps to be dignified with the name of song, 

 but suggestive of happy, peaceful lives, con- 

 tent with simple ways, rather than aspiring to 

 places of prominence in the bird opera. Gentle 

 and peaceful as they are under ordinary condi- 

 tions, when you climb to their nests on the 

 rafters or beams, they fly about in great distress, 

 even darting at your head, voicing in very 

 emphatic tones their disapproval of your 

 intrusion. 



I often think the Barn Swallow is blessed with 

 a strong sense of humor. When the feeding for 

 a time is over, if they sight puss prowling about 

 the dooryard, a rallying cry will bring a goodly 

 number of these skillful navigators of the air, and 

 the sport is on. Straight at her they dart almost 

 within striking distance of her cruel paw, then 

 sheer off with a chuckle at her disappointment. 

 Again and again the operation is repeated. 



