SWALLOW SWAN. 



471 



species of swallows which migrate to Europe are 

 common to America. In the new world, however, 

 there are several species in great abundance, which 

 are unknown here. 



The barn swallow, (H. rvfa) is so called, from 

 its frequently attaching its nest to the rafters in 

 barns, &c. The upper parts are steel blue, the 

 lower light chestnut, and the wings and tail brown- 

 ish-black ; the tail is greatly forked, and each 

 feather, except the two middle ones, is marked on 

 the inner vane with a white spot. 



The white-bellied swallow (H. viridis) is less 

 abundant than the preceding. The upper parts are 

 light, glossy, greenish-blue ; the wings brownish- 

 black, with slight green reflections, and the whole 

 lower parts pure white : the tail is forked, but 

 slightly, in comparison with the barn swallow, from 

 which it may also be distinguished by its sailing 

 more in its flight. 



The purple martin (H. purpurea) inhabits all 

 parts of the United States, and Canada to Hudson's 

 bay. It is a general favourite, and every where 

 takes up its abode among the habitations of men. 

 The Indians and Negroes hang up gourds, properly 

 hollowed, for its convenience ; and, in the more 

 settled parts of the Union, considerable expense is 

 sometimes incurred in preparing for it a suitable 

 residence. In the country, it renders essential ser- 

 vices, by attacking and driving away crows, hawks, 

 eagles, and other large birds. Its note is loud and 

 musical. The colour of the male is a rich and 

 deep purplish blue, with the wings and tail*brown- 

 ish-black ; the female is more plainly attired, and 

 has the under parts whitish, with dusky and yel 

 Jewish stains. 



The bank swallow (H. riparia) has no partiality 

 for the society of man, but dwells in communities 

 along steep gravelly banks, in which it scratches 

 out horizontal holes for breeding places. It is par- 

 ticularly fond of the shores of rivers, and is found 

 in immense multitudes in several places along the 

 Ohio. The colour is brown above, and beneath 

 white, with a brown band across the breast. 



The cliff swallow (H. fulva) is easily distin- 

 guished by its even tail. The upper parts of 

 the body are black, glossed with violaceous; the 

 under parts whitish, tinged with ferruginous 

 brown ; the throat and cheeks dark ferruginous ; 

 and the front pale rufous. The note is very singu- 

 lar, and may be imitated by rubbing moistened cork 

 round the neck of a bottle. It lives in communi- 

 ties, building in unsettled places, under projecting 

 ledges of rocks. The nests are formed of mud, are 

 very friable, and somewhat resemble, in form, a 

 chemist's retort. 



The chimney swallow (H. pelasgia~) differs widely 

 from the others, in its form and manners. The 

 colour is entirely deep sooty brown ; the tail is 

 short and rounded, having the shafts extending 

 beyond the vanes, sharp pointed, strong and elastic, 

 by means of which structure the bird is enabled to 

 rest against perpendicular walls. It is easily dis- 

 tinguished in the air by its short body and long 

 wings, their quick and slight vibration, and its wide, 

 unexpected, diving rapidity of flight. In the settled 

 jiarts of the country, it builds only in vacant chim- 

 leys, and in passing up and down produces a noise 

 somewhat resembling distant thunder. The nest 

 is small and shallow, attached by one side, and 

 composed of very small twigs glued together 

 with a strong adhesive gum. Sometimes chim- 

 npy swallows congregate in immense numbers to 



roost in certain hollow trees; and such are gene- 

 rally noted in the country as " swallow trees." 

 While roosting, the thorny extremities of the tail 

 are thrown in for support. The birds' nests of 

 China, so celebrated as an article of food, are the 

 fabric of a small species of swallow, found in the 

 Indian archipelago. 



SWAMMERDAM, JOHN, a very distinguished 

 naturalist, was born at Amsterdam, in 1637. His 

 father, who was an apothecary, designed him for 

 the church ; but, as he preferred physic, he was 

 allowed to pursue his studies in that profession. 

 He was sent to Leyden, where he quickly distin- 

 guished himself by his anatomical skill, and the art 

 of making preparations. After visiting Paris for 

 improvement, he returned to Leyden, and took the 

 degree of M. D., in 1667, and about the same time 

 began to practise his invention of injecting the ves- 

 sels with a ceraceous matter, which kept them dis- 

 tended when cold a method from which anatomy 

 has derived very important advantages. Entomo- 

 logy, however, became his great pursuit; and, in 

 1669, he published, in the Dutch language, a Gene- 

 ral History of Insects. In 1672 appeared his Mir- 

 aculum Naturce, sen Uteri muliebris Fabrica, to 

 which was added an account of bis new method of 

 waxen injection. Rendered hypochondriacal by in- 

 tensity of study and other causes, he became totally 

 unfit for society, in which state he received impres- 

 sions from the mysticism of Antoinette Bourignon, 

 whom he followed to Holstein. He afterwards re- 

 turned to Amsterdam, where he died, in 1680. 

 Previously to his death, in a paroxysm of enthusiasm, 

 he burnt all his remaining papers, but, under the 

 pressure of indigence, had already sold the greater 

 part of his writings and drawings to Thevenot. 

 These, half a century afterwards, came into posses- 

 sion of Boerhaave. who caused them to be published 

 in Latin and Dutch, under the title of Biblia Na- 

 turcE, sive Historia Insectorum in Classes certas rc- 

 ducta, &c. (2 vols., folio, Leyden, 1737). This 

 publication, which has been translated into English 

 by Sir John Hill, abounds with the most curious 

 discoveries. Besides the works before mentioned, 

 he is author of Tractatus Physico-Anatomico Medi- 

 cus de Respiratione (Leyden, 1679, 8vo., and 1738, 

 4to.). 



SWAN (cy<7Ms). The swans are so closely al- 

 lied to the duck and goose, in their anatomical 

 structure, that it is difficult to point out distinctive 

 characters ; although most of the species are readily 

 recognised by their external form. The colour of 

 the plumage is, in general, pure white ; a black 

 species, however, has been lately discovered in New 

 Holland. In northern climates, the swans are the 

 ornament of the rivers and lakes, over which they 

 seem to preside, from the majesty, ease and grace 

 of their movements. They swim rapidly, and their 

 flight is powerful and long continued ; they live in 

 society, and feed chiefly on the seeds, roots, and 

 other parts of aquatic plants, but eat frogs, insects, 

 and worms. They make their nests near the mar- 

 gin of the water, upon the ground, and attain a 

 great age. The flesh is coarse, dark-coloured, and 

 in general not much esteemed. The tame swan is 

 distinguished by its red bill, having a protuberance 

 on the front. In its wild state, it inhabits the 

 great interior seas of Eastern Europe, but is now 

 domesticated in all parts of this continent. It 

 often measures eight feet, when the wings are ex- 

 tended, and weighs twenty or twenty-five pounds. 

 It* strength is such, that it has no formidable 



