The Tree Swallow 103^ 



THE TREE SWALLOW 

 Called also: White-breasted Swallow 



Probably this is the most abundant swallow 

 that we have; certainly countless numbers 

 assemble every year in the Long Island and 

 Jersey marshes, perch on the telegraph wires 

 and skim, with much circling, above the mead- 

 ows and streams in a perfect ecstasy of flight. 

 At a little distance the bird appears to be black 

 above and white below, but as he suddenly 

 wheels past, you see that his coat is a lustrous 

 dark steel green. Immature birds are brownish 

 gray. All have white breasts. 



As the tree swallows are the only members 

 t>f their family who spend the winter in the 

 Southeastern United States, they can easily 

 arrive at the North some time before their rela- 

 tives from the tropics overtake them. And they 

 are the last to leave. Myriads remain in the 

 vicinity of New York until the middle of Octo- 

 ber. There is plenty of time to rear two broods, 

 which accounts for the great size of the flocks. 

 By the Fourth of July the young of the first 

 broods are off hunting for little gauzy-winged 

 insects over the low lands ; and about a month 

 later the parents join their flock, bringing with 

 them more youngsters than you could count. 

 They sleep every night in the marshes, cling- 

 ing to the reeds. 



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