The Swallow 



THIS familiar bird is frequently referred 

 to as the Barn or Chimney Swallow, 

 on account of its habit of building inside 

 barns and the chimneys of old houses. You 

 will have no difficulty in distinguishing it 

 from either the swift, house martin, or sand 

 martin if you remember that it has a much 

 longer tail than any of these birds, and that 

 it is divided in the middle, like the prongs 

 of a fork. 



The Swallow is a migratory bird, arriving 

 from its winter abode in Africa, towards the 

 end of March or beginning of April, if the 

 weather should be mild and sunny, and 

 departing again in September. 



It feeds upon flies which are caught upon 

 the wing, and if you are near enough you 

 can sometimes hear the snap of the bird's 

 bill as it closes upon an insect. 



All bird-lovers delight in watching the 

 Swallow's graceful flight, as it circles high in 



Q 121 



