THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
the streets all day long, and in its winter home in Africa 
it is a common dweller in the towns. The Swallow 
arrives in the London area towards the middle of April, 
and leaves it again in late September or early October, 
although it is not very unusual to see odd birds passing 
over even in November. I have seen Swallows at Rich- 
mond as late as the middle of that month. ‘The bird 
spends most of its waking moments in the air, in tireless 
quest of food, flying hither and thither on rapid wing, 
now in the higher atmosphere, anon just above the ground, 
wherever its insect prey chances to be most abundant. 
It is social during summer, and in autumn, as the time of 
its departure draws near, it assembles in large companies, 
which often roost amongst rushes or in osier-beds. Its 
ordinary call-note is a shrill whet, often repeated as a 
twitter, and throughout its stay the male, in the breeding 
season especially, has a delightfully pleasing song, uttered 
not only on the wing, when it sounds particularly joyous, 
but whilst the bird is at rest on some building, bare 
branch, or telegraph wire. In autumn the young males 
make their first attempt at song. The food of the 
Swallow is entirely composed of insects. Some of these 
are picked up on the ground, others secured whilst they 
are resting on the surface of water. ‘The Swallow pairs 
for life, and annually returns to its accustomed nesting- 
place. ‘The eggs for the first broods are laid in May, for 
the second in July. In the London district the nest is 
usually made in a shed or out-building of some kind, in a 
church tower or a disused chimney, or some convenient 
ledge, beam, or projection. It is a shallow, saucer-shaped 
structure, made of pellets of mud mixed with bits of 
straw, and lined with dry grass and feathers. ‘The five 
or six eggs are pure white, freckled, spotted, and blotched 
with various shades of coffee-brown ‘and violet-grey. 
The young are tended for some time after leaving the 
nest, and are fed whilst in the air or whilst sitting on some 
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