INVADED BY SWALLOWS. 49 



me keep the birds, which soon recovered in the 

 dry room. 



One poor little thing I found suspended in a 

 large spider's web, aud although the wings of a 

 swallow seem so powerful, it was quite unable 

 to extricate itself. They continued to come in 

 all day, and before five o'clock more than a 

 hundred had taken shelter, and the twittering 

 and fuss that went on was most amusing. 



When it began to grow dark they packed 

 themselves up for the night on the partitions as 

 close as they could possibly crowd together, two 

 and three deep. Most of them went to roost 

 with their tails spread out, perhaps in order to 

 dry them thoroughly, and the round white spot 

 on the tip of each feather had a very curious 

 appearance when they were all asleep and quiet. 

 I fully expected to find the bottom row dead 

 from suffocation the next morning, but only 

 three had fallen victims, and these I imme- 

 diately skinned. They stayed with me till about 

 noon, one or two occasionally flying out and 

 returning, apparently to report on the state of 



