o62 HIRUNDO RUSTICA. 



cold breeze, especially if it be accompanied with moisture ; but 

 this circumstance is not an indication of the continuance of rain 

 or cold. I have seen the Swallows flying very low, in the 

 shelter of trees, during rainy and rather cold weather, and yet, 

 on the following day, none could be seen, the weather being 

 clear. I have also observed them flying high in warm wea- 

 ther, amidst the clouds that were pouring down rain, accom- 

 panied with thunder. Yet people usually say that when 

 Swallows fly high, fine weather may be expected. Once, how- 

 ever, I had the pleasure of observing a very marked instance 

 of an indication of a change of weather aflbrded by the flight of 

 birds. It had been raining for several hours, when sudden 

 gusts of wind swept the trees, and a very heavy shower began 

 to fall. At this moment a flock of rooks, which had taken 

 shelter in some large trees, rose and swept across the direction 

 of the wind, and soon after several swallows w'ere observed 

 beating up against it. At first I thought that the violence of 

 the blasts had disturbed the rooks ; but not judging such a 

 cause sufficient to drive the swallow\s abroad, I supposed that 

 these birds, pining at home all day with hunger and inaction, 

 had become sensible of a change indicative to them of fair 

 weather, and in their impatience had come out in the very 

 midst of the heaviest but last fall of rain. I intimated to those 

 near me that such was my opinion, and waited for the issue. 

 In half an hour, we had a clear sky, with a steady westerly 

 wind, and abundance of birds abroad at their avocations. 



It is very pleasant to watch the Swallows flying with their 

 young over some meadow, sheltered by trees, among which 

 multitudes of small insects are sporting. The young are easily 

 distinguished from the old birds by the comparative shortness 

 of their tail, and by a less decided mode of flight. You see 

 them mingled together, and following with your eye an old bird, 

 as it meanders through the air, you perceive that it has caught 

 several insects in succession, when immediately it calls, by a 

 rapid enunciation of soft cheeps, to the young, which presently 

 comes up, and on wing receives the morsel from its mother, the 

 two birds rising a little when they meet, and fluttering to poise 

 themselves. They then separate, each to renew its pleasant 



