HISTORY OF VERMONT. 139 



mud ; they are covered or arched over the tops, 

 and the aperture is on one side. These swal- 

 lows appear the earliest of nny, in the spring : 

 And a few days before their departure in the 

 fall, they associate on the tops of buildings, dry 

 trees, and bushes, as if about to depart in com- 

 panies. 2. The barn swallow. The size of 

 this, is rather less than that of the other ; and 

 the tail is not forked so much. These swallows 

 build their nests in barns and out houses ; and 

 they are formed of grass straw, and feathers. 

 Their eggs are speckled, of a dai'k bro\vn and 

 white. It is called the barn swallow from the 

 place in which it generally builds its nest. 3. 

 The ground swallow. This is the smallest of the 

 whole species. These swallows form a hole 

 in sandy banks, and on the sides Of rivers, of 

 eighteen or twenty four inches in length. 

 Their nests ar§ made at the e:;tremity of these 

 holes, of straw and feathers, laid together in a 

 loose and careless mann'jr. Their ees's are 

 perfectly white. The h'oles in Vv'hich they are 

 laid, are designed only for their nests : None of 

 the swallows ever reniain in them, during the 

 winter. 4. The black martin. This is the i^ar- 

 gest of all our sv/aliows. They build their 

 nests under the eaves of houses, in the secret 

 or retired places of out houses, and old build- 

 ings. Tlicir nes'cs are made of straw and feath- 

 ers. They arrive the latest, and disappear the 

 soones;t of anv of the swallows, which visit us. 



The usual times of the appearance and disap- 

 pearance of these birds, serve to m:drk the tem- 

 pei-ature of the climate, with as much precision, 

 as any of the phenomena of nature. But they 



