THE AUTUMNAL FLIGHT 119 



swifts are another curious clan. They will suddenly 

 arrive in a great loose flock in the same locality year 

 after year. Flying about actively till after sundown, 

 they suddenly begin to pour in a stream down a cer- 

 tain wide chimney, their chosen roost, to which they 

 resort at each return. Sometimes they continue to 

 pour in for half an hour, until there are thousands 

 inside clinging like bats to the bricks, in which restful 

 attitude they pass the night. It is a great sight, at 

 its best resembling the revolving funnel-cloud of a 

 tornado. But there are people and we cannot 

 blame them who dislike the dirt and noise and 

 put a wire screen over the chimney-top to keep them 

 out. 



Most of the swallows forsake us in September, the 

 purple martins usually leaving first, but the white- 

 bellied or tree swallows remain late. They are often 

 still quite common about the middle of October, and 

 I have seen them up to the very last of the month. 

 Those who have watched a flock of these swallows 

 drink in unison have seen a very pretty sight in bird- 

 life. A large flock of them are flitting about irreg- 

 ularly over a large body of water. Suddenly, as 

 though at a signal, every member of the flock darts 

 for the surface of the water, and all dip their bills at 

 the same instant, making a noise like the first dash of 

 the rain in a violent squall. Then they all dart up- 

 wards and turn, their wings causing a roaring sound 

 as of the wind in the tree-tops. 



In early autumn various small fruits and berries 



