218 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



planks ; and robins, yellow birds, sparrows, and 

 orioles are frequently seen bathing in the same 

 pool near by. It is amusing to see the swal- 

 lows come and dip their straws in the water and 

 then fly away to their nests. Some birds have 

 suflicient saliva to moisten the gathered materials, 

 but the barn swallows dip many of the sticks and 

 straws in water before arrangino; them in the outer 

 parts of their nests. The chimney swalloAVS do not 

 pick up the material for their houses, but snap the dry 

 twigs from the trees. These* swallows gather all their 

 building materials on the wing, generally snapping the 

 dry twigs from the branches of the locust tree. My at- 

 tention was first called to this curious fact in the old 

 cemetery on North Street, in company wdth Mr. 

 Cowell. We were watching the aerial movements of 

 these birds, when one of them apparently tried to light 

 on the leafless top of a tree. She hovered a minute, 

 balancing herself, then snapped a twig and flew away. 

 In two or three minutes she returned in company with 

 her mate, and during an hour that we watched them 

 they repeated the operation a score or more of times. 



Sometnnes they failed to break the stick at the first 

 trial, and after a short circle in the air they renewed 

 their efforts, always ending in success. Since then 

 I have seen many pairs engaged in the same labor. 



From Geneseo, five or six miles up the river, brings 

 one in sight of the beautiful village of Mount Morris. 

 The flats here are about two miles wide, and the richest in 

 the State. Although the French statesman Talleyrand 



