SWALLOW. 135 



of the river," But space will not permit more on 

 this interesting subject. 



It is said that the Swallow has been kept in captivity 

 two or three years, and has become very tame. It 

 feeds entirely upon insects, caught on the wing ; 

 indeed this active little bird scarcely ever rests during 

 the daytime. Its flight is very rapid, being as much 

 as ninety miles an hour, or a mile and a half a minute. 

 Swallows may often be observed chasing birds of prey 

 — Hawks or Cuckoos — their quickness on the wing 

 ensuring their perfect safety.* 



The Swallow has the forehead and throat rich 

 chestnut, the upper parts are steel blue, wings and 

 tail brown, and the general colour of the under parts 

 nearly white. Its song, which may be heard very early 

 in the morning, as the bird perches on some chimney- 

 pot close at hand, is more correctly an incessant chatter, 

 but soft and not un melodious. 



Swallows pair for life, and often return year after 

 year to the same spot, building a new nest beside the 

 old one. This is usually placed in an old barn or 

 hovel on one of the joists supporting the roof, or in 

 a chimney, or beneath the eaves of a house. It is 

 built of numerous pellets of moist earth, kept together 

 with bits of straw, and lined with feathers. It is 

 saucer-shaped in form, but when placed against a 

 vertical wall, it resembles a quarter of a sphere. 

 Unlike the House Martin's nest, the Swallow never 

 continues its nest right up to the roof, but the top is 

 left completely open. It has been found in many 



* It is a common saying that if the Swallows fly high, we 

 shall have fine weather, and if low, it will be wet. This is 

 because in the damp weather, when the atmosphere becomes 

 heavy, the insects and flies keep low, 



