BARN SWALLOW. 227 



were the countries to the south of the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south 

 as the great river Maranon, visited and explored by a competent na- 

 turalist, these regions would be found to be the winter rendezvous of 

 the very birds now before us, and most of our other migratory tribes. 



In a small volume which I have lately met with, entitled " An Ac- 

 count of the British settlement of Honduras," by Captain George Hen- 

 derson, of the 5th West India regiment, published in London in 1809, 

 the writer, in treating of that part of its natural history which relates 

 to birds, gives the following particulars. "Myriads of Swallows," says 

 he, " are also the occasional inhabitants of Honduras. The time of 

 their residence is generally confined to the period of the rains [that is 

 from October to February], after which they totally disappear. There 

 is something remarkably curious and deserving of notice in the ascent 

 of these birds. As soon as the dawn appears they quit their place of 

 rest, which is usually chosen amid the rushes of some watery savanna ; 

 and invariably rise to a certain height, in a compact spiral form, and 

 which at a distance often occasions them to be taken for an immense 

 column of smoke. This attained, they are then seen separately to dis- 

 perse in search of food, the occupation of their day. To those who 

 may have had the opportunity of observing the phenomenon of a water 

 spout, the similarity of evolution, in the ascent of these birds, will be 

 thought surprisingly striking. The descent, which regularly takes 

 place at sunset, is conducted much in the same way ; but with incon- 

 ceivable rapidity : and the noise which accompanies this can only be 

 compared to the falling of an immense torrent ; or the rushing of a vio- 

 lent gust of wind. Indeed, to an observer it seems wonderful, that 

 thousands of these birds are not destroyed, in being thus propelled to 

 the earth with such irresistible force."* 



How devoutly it is to be wished that the natural history of those regions 

 were more precisely known ! So absolutely necessary as it is to the 

 perfect understanding of this department of our own ! 



The Barn Swallow is seven inches long, and thirteen inches in extent ; 

 bill black ; upper part of the head, neck, back, rump and tail coverts, 

 steel blue, which descends rounding on the breast ; front and chin deep 

 chestnut ; belly, vent, and lining of the wing, light chestnut ; wings and 

 tail brown black, slightly glossed with reflections of green ; tail greatly 

 forked, the exterior feather on each side an inch and a half longer than 

 the next, and tapering towards the extremity, each feathei', except the 

 two middle ones, marked on its inner vane with an oblong spot of white ; 

 lores black ; eye dark hazel ; sides of the mouth yellow ; legs dark 

 purple. 



The female differs from the male in having the belly and vent rufous 



* Henderson's Honduras, p. 119. 



