SWALLOWS. 63 



their way back in spring. In crossing the sea, they usually fly 

 singly or in small parties of two or three, and it is remarkable that 

 they arrive on the farther side in a state of exhaustion apparently 

 as great as that of other birds of passage whose power of wing is 

 far inferior. The Channel fishermen state, that in hazy weather 

 the swallows very frequently alight in their boats, when they are 

 a little way out at sea, so completely fatigued, that it is with 

 some difficulty that they muster strength to fly from one end of 

 the boat to the other when an attempt is made to seize them. 

 In fine calm weather they are often seen to descend upon the 

 smooth surface of the water with their wings widely extended, 

 rising again after a short time, seemingly much refreshed by their 

 partial bath. 



The type of the race — 



The Chimney Swallow {Hirundo * rusticd) is one of the British species. 

 It is very abundant in all parts of Europe during the summer, and in some 

 parts of the Mediterranean district a few individuals remain during the winter. 

 They arrive in this country early in April. On reaching its summer quarters, 

 the swallow usually selects a spot for its place of abode where the habitations 

 of man lie in the vicinity of water, for, in common with a considerable ma- 

 jority of the members of this family, it has a great fondness for skimming 

 over the surface of large ponds, lakes, and streams. The partiality exhibited 

 for human habitations by this bird is very remarkable, and it is a no less 

 curious circumstance that the two familiar British species, one, the Swal- 

 low, frequents detached country places, villages, and farm-houses, whilst the 

 other, the Martin, takes up its abode in towns, so that Linnaeus denominated 

 the two species H. rtistica and H, U7-I?ica. 



Although the chimney swallow has received its most general name from 

 the somewhat peculiar position in which it generally builds its nest, it by no 

 means confines itself to chimneys, but builds readily in almost any suitable 

 sheltered position. Thus the disused shafts of mines and the sides of old wells 

 are sometimes resorted to. Occasionally it will build in the roof of a barn or 

 shed, attaching its nest to the rafters, or in a garret or passage, to which it 

 may find easy access. In almost all cases it selects a point where some pro- 

 jection from the wall, " some coigne of vantage," forms a resting-place on 

 which its nest may be supported. The nest is constructed principally of mud 

 or soft earth, collected in small pellets from the edges of ponds and other wet 

 places. These are carried home in the bird's bill, and plastered on to the 

 spot selected for the nest. Fresh pellets are then brought and added, toge- 

 ther with numerous straws and leaves of grasses, until the whole is gradually 

 moulded into the form of an open saucer, attached by one side to the wall of 

 the chimney or other place of retreat. A lining of feathers is then put into 

 the nest, and upon these the eggs are laid. The eggs vary from four to six in 

 number, and are of a white colour, speckled with ash-grey and dark red. Two 

 broods are reared in the course of the summer : of these the first is usually 

 ready to ily by the end of June, and the second by the end of August. 



* Hirundo, a swallow. 



