The Birds’ Calendar 
flocks than during the summer, and are leading 
a tramp’s life as they roam about in search of 
food. One of the most striking instances of 
such an assembling of great numbers preparatory 
to migration, is that of the white-breasted swal- 
low, in speaking of which Mr. Maynard says 
that they gather ‘‘ upon the salt marshes dur- 
ing-the latter part of August and first of Sep- 
tember, literally by millions: the air is so 
completely filled with them that it is almost im- 
possible to discharge a gun without killing 
some.’’ Anyone in the country can hardly 
fail to notice also the large flocks of red-winged 
blackbirds flying about at this time, and in 
August also, conspicuous objects both on ac- 
count of size and their chattering noise. 
As a general thing (with some exceptions, of 
course) the earliest migrants in spring are the 
latest in autumn, and the latest in spring the 
earliest in autumn, and a little reflection will 
show the reason of this. Grackles, robins, blue- 
birds, song sparrows, fox sparrows, and hermit 
thrushes are among the first to come, and the 
last to disappear, while the less hardy species, 
and those whose food-supply is conditioned upon 
much warmer weather, arrive late and depart 
early, such as many of the finches and warblers. 
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