28 C. H. Merriam Birds of Connecticut. 



Mr. Erwin I. Shores writes me that he killed one at Suffield, Conn, 

 (in the Connecticut Valley) July 21st, 1876. Does it not sometimes 

 breed here ? 



Family, HIRUNDINIDJE. 



61. HimndO horreomm (Barton.) Barn Swallow. 



A common summer resident, breeding abundantly under the roofs 

 of barns. Arrives during the latter part of April (April 21, 1877), 

 remaining till September. Under the head of this species, Peter 

 Kalm wrote, from Raccoon, New Jersey, in 1750 : " I observed them 

 for the first time on the 10th of April [new style) ; the next day in 

 the morning, I saw great numbers of them sitting on posts and planks, 

 and they were as wet as if they had been just come out of the sea," 

 and the translator of his " Travels," John Reinhold Forster, F.A.S., 

 puts in a foot-note, saying : " It has been a subject of contest among 



naturalists, to determine the winter-retreat of Swallows The 



question must therefore be decided by facts ; nor are they wanting 

 here: Dr. Wallerius, the celebrated Swedish Chemist, wrote in 1748, 

 September the 6th, O. S., to the late Mr. Klein, Secretary of the City 

 of Dantzick : ' That he has seen more than once Swallows assembling 

 on a reed, till they were all immersed and went to the bottom ; this 

 being preceded by a dirge of a quarter of an hour's length. He 

 attests likewise, that he had seen a Swallow caught during winter 

 out of a lake with a net, drawn, as is common in northern countries, 

 under the ice : this bird was brought into a warm room, revived, 

 fluttered about, and soon after died. Mr. Klein applied to many 

 Fermiers generaux of the King of Prussia's domains, who had great 

 lakes in their districts All the people questioned made affi- 

 davits upon oath before the magistrates." 



" First, The mother of the Countess Lehndorf said, that she had 

 seen a bundle of Swallows brought from the Fritli-Haff (a lake com- 

 municating with the Baltic at Pillait) which when brought into a 

 moderately w r arm room, revived and fluttered about. Secondly, 

 Count Schlieben gave an instrument on stamped paper, importing, 

 that by fishing on the lake belonging to his estate of Gerdauen in 

 winter, he saw several Swallows caught in the ret, one of which he 

 took up with his hand, brought it into a warm room, where it lay 

 about an hour, when it began to stir, and half an hour after it flew 

 about in the room. Thirdly, Fermier general (Amtman] Witkowski 

 made affidavit, that in the year 1740, three Swallows were brought 



