236 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



one-fourth of the former ; that on the morning of the twenty-third of 

 June he particularly observed their reascension, which took place at a 

 quarter past four, or twenty minutes before sunrise, and that they passed 

 out in less than three minutes. That at my request the chimney had 

 been examined from above ; but that as far down at least as nine feet, 

 it contained no nests ; though at a former period it is certain that their 

 nests were very numerous there, so that the chimney was almost choked, 

 and a sweep could with difficulty get up it. But then it was observed 

 that their place of nocturnal retirement was in another quarter of the 

 town. " On the whole," continues Mr. Churchman, "I am of opinion, 

 that those who continue to roost at the court-house are male birds, or 

 such as are not engaged in the business of incubation, as that operation 

 is going on in almost every unoccupied chimney in town. It is reason- 

 able to suppose if they made use of that at the court-house for this 

 purpose, at least some of their nests would appear towards the top, as 

 we find such is the case where but few nests are in a place." 



In a subsequent letter Mr. Churchman writes as follows : — " After 

 the young brood produced in the different chimneys in Easton had taken 

 wing, and a week or ten days previous to their total disappearance, 

 they entirely forsook the court-house chimney, and rendezvoused in 

 accumulated numbers in the southernmost chimney of John Ross's 

 mansion, situated perhaps one hundred feet northeastward of the court- 

 house. In this last retreat I several times counted more than two hun- 

 dred go in of an evening, when I could not perceive a single bird enter 

 the court-house chimney. I was much diverted one evening on seeing 

 a cat, which came upon the roof of the house, and placed herself near 

 the chimney, where she strove to arrest the birds as they entered, with- 

 out success ; she at length ascended to the chimney top and took her 

 station, and the birds descended in gyrations without seeming to regard 

 grimalkin, who made frequent attempts to grab them. I was pleased 

 to see that they all escaped her fangs. About the first week in the 

 ninth month [September] the birds quite disappeared ; since which I 

 have not observed a single individual. Though I was not so fortunate 

 as to be present at their general assembly and council when they con- 

 cluded to take their departure, nor did I see them commence their 

 lligiit ; yet I am fully persuaded that none of them remain in any of 

 our chimneys here. I have had access to Ross's chimney where they 

 last resorted, and could see the lights out from bottom to top, without 

 the least vestige or appearance of any birds. Mary Ross also informed 

 me, that they have had their cliinineys swept previous to their making 

 fires, and though late in autumn no birds have been found there. 

 Chimneys also wiiieh have not been used have been ascended by sweeps 

 in the winter without discovering any. Indeed all of them are swept 

 every fall and winter, and I liave never heard of the Swallows being 



