Sivallows at the Front.



79



the old church and ruined houses. Towards nightfall the rain came

down in torrents, and the horses turned their hacks to the storm as

usual and hung down their heads. The House Martins and Swallows

flew backwards and forwards, round and round, now over, now under

the horses, then out over the river and back again, sometimes in the

trees, but generally skimming just over the horses’ backs. It

resembled nothing so much as a swarm of huge bees buzzing about

in swarming time in an old-fashioned cottage garden. September 4th

was another day when I noticed an even larger number of Swallows

and House Martins. It was equally wet, and the birds were just as

busy, but in addition they were hanging thick as beads on the

telephone wires along the communication trenches. I did not see

the final act of the migration, for as usual we were moved on, and

our next position did not happen to be near a river, which, I think,

is always the Swallows’ gathering place when collecting for their

flight.


The Swifts appear to have a mortal antipathy to both Swallows

and House Martins. At one of our positions we saw nothing but

Swifts. They built in the ruins of a tall factory and other tall

structures more or less ruined, and in the evening their weird screams

sounded strangely appropriate when accompanied by the moan of a

shell. The House Martins had built some nests under the eaves ef

a ruined house, and were enjoying their simple lives when the Swifts

arrived. The latter gave them no peace. Morning, noon, and night

they harried the unfortunate Martins, whirling, circling, and shrieking

fiendishly close to their nests. Eventually the little Martins deserted

their nests and departed for another place where Swifts were fewer,

and their lives could be lived free from sudden wild alarms and

screeching enemies.


The next gun position we took up had no Swifts, consequently

the Swallows and Martins were very numerous ; yet on the evening

of August 26th, just as it grew dusk, I saw thousands of Swifts

going over, evidently migrating. They were flying leisurely, as if

taking their time about it, and not in the least disturbed by the

sound of battle all around and below them. I could not help

wondering whether they had come from England ; if so, they must

have occupied some days in travelling the distance, as the Swifts-



