290 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



brilliant colors. Her gown is dingy green or brown above, 

 somewhat resembling the colors of the female grackle, 

 and the white of her under parts is less pure and showy. 



It is always a pleasant experience to me — accustomed 

 to see only the birds of the dry regions, and to ramble 

 chiefly over the meadows and through the upland woods — 

 to sit in a skiif anchored out in one of the larger swamp- 

 lakes and watch the restless flight of the tree swallows. 

 Persons who have observed the chimney swifts fluttering 

 over the meadows, at times skimming low above the weeds 

 to snap down the insects hovering about the blossoms of 

 the vervains, sometimes turning abruptly upward, and 

 then circling higher with their half-fluttering wings, can 

 form a clear idea of the movements of the tree swallows 

 over the lakes and rivers. Sometimes they appear to be 

 flying all in one direction — hundreds of them — at about 

 the same height above the surface. Soon the flight may 

 apparently cease for a short time, to be renewed by their 

 appearance in similar movements. At other times they 

 fly higher and with less uniformity of direction, doubling 

 about the lake or a particular portion of it time and 

 again, guided uj) or down, high or low, right or left, by 

 the presence of their insect food. In my opinion, they do 

 not fly with the velocity of the chimney swifts, especially 

 when the latter almost graze our heads as they manifest 

 their apparent delight in flying as close to us as possible 

 without touching us, and then sweep away with the ease 

 and grace of flutter which is characteristic of them alone. 

 Nor do the tree swallows fly as swiftly as the barn swal- 

 lows, in their flashing progress over the fields or the 

 pond in the farmer's meadow. The flight of the tree swal- 

 lows is suggestive of greater strength and ease of motion 

 than that of the other species referred to, and, like them, 

 the swallows spend most of their time in tireless and con- 

 tinued movements. They skim above the water hour after 

 hour, frequently uttering a faint squeak, which doubtless 

 expresses their gratification at the capture of a choice 

 morsel, or their disappointment at a failure. 



The localities especially frequented by the tree swallows 

 are wooded areas which have been so regularly over- 

 flowed that the growth has become dead and bare, and 



