Bit 



imprison paralyzed spiders within to serve as food 

 for their young. The paper wasps, too, found 

 lodgment for their many-celled structures. Crick- 

 ets crawled and creaked among the loose boards, 

 and huge night-flying moths sought refuge here 

 by day, pressed so closely to the time-stained wood 

 that only the sharpest eyes could spy them out. 

 I have never seen better instances of protective 

 coloring. 



Two forms of active winged life were here, and 

 what could more fittingly typify day and night 

 than the beautiful barn-swallows and the dull, 

 leathery bat ? Nesting time was long over, but 

 the curious mud structures, skillfully fastened to 

 the rafters, were yet there, and still the birds, both 

 old and young, continually came and went through 

 many of the many exits in the dilapidated weather 

 boards. On entering the barn they invariably 

 circled about for a few moments before resting 

 upon or near the empty nests, and often left the 

 building without alighting anywhere. While on 

 the wing the birds were comparatively silent, but 

 chattered incessantly when at rest. At this time 

 I could not positively distinguish between young 

 and old birds, but saw no individuals feeding 

 others. These swallows evidently retained a fond- 

 ness for the nests, that were not really abandoned, 

 for at night they roosted in and about them. 

 They were homes as well as nests. 



At one time the less abundant cliff- swallow 



