Notes on the Tree Swallow 



135 



After the nesting-season is over, the Tree Swallows, with hundreds of Barn, 

 Cliff, and Rough-winged Swallows, gather in the evenings over the waters of 

 the lake and creek, where they skim lightly over the surface of the water or 

 fly high in the air, gathering their suppers from the hosts of insects flying there. 

 At night they roost in the cat-tails, many of them close to the water's edge. A 

 few alight at a time, those already there welcoming the others with soft twitter- 

 ings as they come ; then there are constantly some flying up to take a few more 

 turns in the air, and one too many will alight on the same leaf, causing it to 

 bend to the water, when all fly up and ahght in another place. So it is really 

 quite dark before all get settled for the night. 



The fishermen here use an acetylene light with reflector, and we sometimes 

 get one of these and row down the creek, and, by going carefully and throwing 

 the light on the cat-tails, the Swallows can be seen, with heads tucked under 

 their wings, asleep. Rowing carefully along, we were able to pick them from 

 the flags with our hands. 



The Tree Swallow is very fond of the water and will be found most abundant 

 about a lake or stream where there are many dead trees, with their old Wood- 

 pecker holes, and, as I have shown, they can be easily induced to use boxes 

 put up by man. 



:^^ 



FEMALE LOOKING OUT IROM NEST 



