SWALLOWS 105 



annually to their old haunts, see Field, Sept. 30, 

 1876 ; June 4, 1881 ; Dec. 10, 1887 ; Jan. 30, 1892 ; 

 and July 1, 1893 ; also Zool, 1895, p. 449. 



As to the speed of Swallows, see Zool., 1886, 

 p. 299, 1888, p. 308, and 1895, p. 379. Trained as 

 letter-carriers, Zool, 1899, pp. 397-398. One killed 

 by a golf-ball. Field, Sept. 12, 1891 ; another struck 

 by a cricket-ball. Field, Aug. 25, 1894. Mr. Barrett 

 of Wintershall, near Godalming, has a stuffed speci- 

 men which was killed by a cricket-ball bowled by 

 F. Caesar, a well-known professional, during a match 

 played at Godalming in 1849 or 1850. 



Anglers have repeatedly reported Swallows perch- 

 ing on their rods [Zool., 1886, p. 417), and have cap- 

 tured them with artificial trout-fiies (" Our Summer 

 Migrants," p. 192), and occasionally Swifts {Field, 

 June 3, 1899). Izaak Walton alludes to the pastime 

 of angling from lofty towers for Swallows in Italy, 

 and Washington Irving, in " Tales of the Alhambra," 

 has a similar reference to Spain. 



Why unlucky to kill a Swallow ? Probably a 

 pagan relique. ^lian states that these birds were 

 sacred to the Penates, or household gods of the 

 ancients, and so w^ere protected. They were hon- 

 oured as the nuncios of the Spring. 



As to tame Swallows, and the rearing of young 

 ones by hand, feeding on raw meat and egg, and 

 crushed bees, see Field, Feb. 18 and Oct. 21, 1893, 

 and Jan. 26, 1895. See also Zool, 1887, pp. 347 

 and 372. 



For the folklore concerning the Swallow's herb 



