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assembling of these birds is a well-known sight — how closely they crowd 

 on the house-tops, trees, and railway wires, sometimes roosting together 

 amongst the long reeds fringing some lake or stream. I once saw some 

 hundreds among the tall reeds, near to Lodore beck foot. Three of us 

 were in a boat "looking for Snipe," on a very fine clear evening, early 

 in the month of October, when all at once our attention was aroused by 

 something like a strong breeze in front of us ; daylight had partly gone, 

 so we could not see very distinctly ; our boat was sailing along partially 

 amongst the reeds, which were so numerous we could not see far througli 

 them, and in a few minutes another strong breeze seemed to be blowing. 

 We were all quite puzzled, and could not account for it, when all at 

 once, on rounding a corner of the reeds, we got close to the Swallows, 

 which were just rising from amongst the reeds and flapping their wings 

 amongst the reed stems. There seemed to be three or four Swallows on 

 each stem, and the reeds moving and rattling against each other, produced 

 the sound we previously had heard. 



The attachment of Swallows to the neighbourhood of water at 

 roosting-time — which formerly led to the supposition that they actually 

 retired under water for the winter — may be easily accounted for 

 by the circumstance that the willow branches and reeds not only 

 afford them most convenient perches, but enable the birds to crowd 

 closely together, and so secure greater warmth to individuals than they 

 could possibly enjoy if each roosted upon a separate twig in trees or 

 shrubs of different growths. 



The greater number depart in a body ; and the retreat which was 

 one night enlivened by their evolutions and sprightly twitter, is the next 

 solitary, or rendered to all appearance more deserted by the presence of 

 the few who have been unable to accompany the main body. I may 

 here mention one or two instances in which Swallows have been seen 

 long after the usual time of migration. ]\Ir. Dickinson of Corkickle 

 informed me, that "in 1875 ^^ Martinmas week, whilst in the hayloft 

 getting hay for my cattle, I was surprised to see a Swallow flying about 

 in a rather slow, uncertain way, yet still quickly enough to keep out of 

 harm. I can only account for its presence then at that late period, by 



