SWALLOWS. 243 



food is more particularly precarious, owing to the large masses 

 of ice which hang upon the northern sides of the bay until 

 the beginning of August, every breeze from which sweeps over 

 the land, chilling the insects, and driving them to shelter; 

 and, when this happens, the Swallows suffer severely, and 

 many of their young perish. "Whereas, in the interior of the 

 same country, beyond the reach of these iceblasts, they run 

 no risks, and rear their broods without difficulty. 



The quantity of insects devoured by Swallows is far greater 

 than most people imagine. On picking up a Swift that had 

 been shot, a number of minute flies or beetles, some mutilated, 

 and others scarcely injured, were observed crawling out of the 

 bird's mouth ; the throat and pouch seemed absolutely stuffed 

 with them, and as many were collected as, when pressed close, 

 could conveniently be contained in the bowl of an ordinary 

 tablespoon. If nearly examined, a great proportion of these 

 minute insects will be found of one particular sort ; and it is 

 a curious fact that by far the greater part, indeed we may say, 

 from repeated examinations, all of those which suddenly fly 

 into our eyes when walking or riding, are of the same genus, 

 if not the same species (Staphylinus brachypterus), devoured 

 by Swallows. Most persons may have noticed, in the summer 

 season, a disagreeable-looking insect, running rather briskly 

 across a sand or gravel walk, which, if touched or disturbed, 

 immediately throws up its tail, from whence project two 

 formidable-looking spines ; it appears to have no wings, but it 

 is provided, nevertheless, with a pair, most beautifully folded 

 up beneath two little short wing-cases; still, however, these 

 wings are disproportioned to the size of the insect, and we 

 may, therefore, reasonably conclude, that it is by no means so 

 active on the wing as others with a larger expansion, and 

 consequently unable so adroitly to guide itself, and avoid 

 danger; which may account, at the same time, for its being 

 more readily seized by the Swallows, and also for its being 

 carried headlong into the eye, if the eye happens to be in the 

 line of its accidental course. Those who have experienced 

 the annoyance of these minute intruders will well remember 

 the extreme pain felt as soon as the eye closes upon its 



