142 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



ter sunrise : They rushed oiit like a stream, as^ 

 big as the hole in the tree would admit, and as- 

 cended in a perpendicular line, until they were 

 above the height of the adjacent trees ; then as- 

 sumed a circular motion, performing their rev- 

 olutions two or three times, but always in a lar- 

 ger circle, and then dispersed in every direc- 

 tion. A little before sundown, they returned 

 in immense numbers, forming several circular 

 motions, and then descended like a stream iu" 

 to the hole, from whence thev came out in the 

 morning. About the middle of September, 

 they were seen entering the tree, for the last 

 time. These birds v/ere ail of the species 

 called the house or chimney swallow. The 

 tree was a large hollow elm, the hole at which 

 fh^y entered was about forty feet above the 

 ground, and about nine inches diameter. The 

 swallows made their fu'st appearance in the 

 spring, and their last appearance in the fall, in 

 the vicinity of this tree ; and the neighboring 

 inhabitants had no doubt, but that the swallow's 

 continued in it during the winter. A few years 

 ago, a hole "was cut at the bottom of the 

 tree : From that time,- the swallows have been 

 gradually forsaking the tree, and have now al- 

 most deserted it. The followine; account from 

 JVathan Rumscij, Esq. of Hubbardton is more 

 circumstantial and conclusive. " Sometime in 

 the month of March, A. D. 1786, when the 

 snow was deep on the ground, I was making 

 sugar in the town of Hubbardton^ \^4th the as- 

 sistane^e of some boys. The boys info]'med me 

 that. they had discovered a large number of 

 lairds flying out from ;i tt;ee. I went myself to* 



