HISTORY OF VERMONT. i41 



for several years, lived within twenty rods of 

 it, I procured this information : He always 

 thought the swallows tarried in the tree through 

 the winter, and avoided cutting it down, on that 

 account. About the first of May, the swallows 

 came out of it, in large numbers, about the 

 middle of the day ; and soon returned. As the 

 weather grew warmer, they came out in the 

 morning with a loud noise, or roar, and were 

 soon dispersed : About half an hour before sun 

 down, they returned in millions, circulating two 

 or three times round the tree, and then descen- 

 ding like a stream, into a hole about sixty feet 

 from the ground. It was customary for persons 

 in the vicinity, to visit this tree, to observe the 

 motions of these birds : And when any persons 

 disturbed their operations, by striking violent- 

 ly against the tree, with their axes, the swallows 

 would rush out in millions, and with a great 

 noise. In November, 1791, the top of this tree, 

 was blown down, twenty feet below where 

 the swallows entered. There has been no 

 appearance of the swallows since. Upon 

 cutting down the remainder, an immense quan- 

 tity of excrements, quills and feathers were 

 found ; but no appearance or relicks of any 

 nests. 



Another of these swallow trees, was at JBrid^ 

 port. The man who lived nearest to it, gave 

 this account : The swallows were first obser- 

 ved to come out of the tree, in the spring ; a- 

 bout the time, that the leaves first began to ap- 

 pear on the trees. From that season, they 

 came out in the morning, about half an hour af- 



VOL. I. S 



