THE PERCHING BIRDS. 8I 
a humming-bird. Like all the others of its race, 
these birds come in early spring and remain until 
some time in September; but, whimsical creatures 
that they are, they have been known to debate 
the matter in August, and deciding affirmatively, 
leave then. Perhaps this early move was not strictly 
a migratory one, for sometimes it happens, many 
days after the swallows are gone,—that is, deserted 
their nesting-places,—they, or others, reappear and 
people the air, but not the old-time roosts. These, 
I take it, are swallows from some more northern 
locality. 
As in all cases where birds of a kind keep to- 
gether and live in so-called colonies, it is necessary 
that some method shall be pursued by which con- 
certed action without confusion can be obtained, so 
among the swallows we find instead of an acknowl- 
edged leader, an open congress without a chairman, 
but where parliamentary rules are as well obeyed, if 
not better, than, we will say, in our legislatures. It 
is one of the most interesting of the annual occur- 
rences among our birds to witness the congregating 
of the barn-swallows of a neighborhood in August, 
and see them, while perched in line on a telegraph-wire, 
discuss the pros and cons of departure. It is fairly 
safe to assume that this is their business at such a 
time, for they never disperse, go home, and reassem- 
ble. At least, I have never known them to do so; 
but then, if they always end by going, why discuss 
the matter for a whole day? As it may be, the 
whole procedure is a token of summer's ending, and 
though there may be, and surely will be, weeks of 
if 
