272 M. Necker on the Birds of Geneva. 



the foot of the mountains, probably from Italy, Spain, or the 

 south of France. They stop here but till the snows on the 

 higher grounds are dissipated, and quit the low grounds in 

 April to build their nests in colder and more elevated regions. 

 During the night they feed in the open and humid meadows, 

 and return by the dawn of day to the protection of the woods. 

 The fowlers, aware of this, intercept them in the evening 

 and morning twilight, and kill them in numbers. Wild 

 pigeons also arrive at the same period, on their flight to the 

 north, or to the mountains. 



Towards the middle of March, flocks of starlings and larks 

 come from the south ; and some days after, about the 25th of 

 March, the house-swallow (Hirundo rustica) appears, at first 

 in small numbers, but afterwards in large troops, which spread 

 themselves over the neighbouring country. Many remain, 

 while others continue their flight towards the north. The ar- 

 rival of this bird is hailed with joy by the husbandman, as 

 announcing the commencement of the most interesting of the 

 seasons, and the return of heat. It sometimes happens, how- 

 ever, that, after the arrival of these swallows, unexpected 

 cold kills the insects on which they feed, and then, as wit- 

 nessed in 1812, these unfortunate birds assembled in numbers 

 upon the shores of the lake, the Arve, and the Rhone, in 

 the hope of discovering food. Many fell into the water, or, 

 placed on the shore, allowed themselves to be taken by the 

 hand ; others flew about the houses seeking insects on the 

 walls ; and many were found dead from hunger in the streets 

 and highways. It may be noticed here, that this remark 

 of M. Necker, regarding swallows falling into the water, 

 when exhausted, and in search of food, goes far to explain 

 the circumstance, so often related, of their being found in 

 winter at the bottom of lakes and ditches. It is very proba- 

 ble, that those individuals which have not taken flight with 

 the main body in their annual migration, deprived of their 

 usi-il supply by premature cold, may have been seeking their 

 food on the surface of the water, and have dropped exhausted 

 into the lakes, or sheltered themselves in crevices of walls 

 from which they were to depart no more. 



The house-swallow (H. urbica) arrives about fifteen days 



