192 SM.VLL ANIMALS AND INSECTS. [Chap. II. 



old farmer, lias kept bees ten years, and always encouraged birds to make 

 their homes upon his preinisi.s. One season, observing two kingbirds ul)out 

 his hives, he was curious to know what they were after, aud ascertained to 

 his satisfaction that they caught bees on their return to the hire, not to eat 

 tliem bodily, but to disembowel them and despoil them of t!ie " honcy-saek." 



He attributed the non-swaraiing of the bees to tliis pair of kingbirds, but 

 says his bees have never been molested since. 



That the kingbirds caught Mr. Tobey's bees we have no doubt, since he 

 says lie saw tlie disemboweled carcasses under the trees where they alighted, 

 but that one single one of them was a worker we do doubt, and that a single 

 pair of kingbirds were the cause of the non-swarming of several liives of 

 bees, wc have no doubt upon the subject — we know it was not the case — it 

 would be a preposterous absurdity to believe such a wild tale. We do not 

 believe that all the kingbirds in the world ever destroyed a hive of working- 

 bees, and a man who will kill the innocent birds without better proof of 

 their guilt, than all that we have heard, is at heart a — bird murderer. 



Other persons declared that they had often seen kingbirds catch bees, on 

 the wing, near the hive. This we do not doubt, because others have seen 

 the same thing, and have killed and dissected them and found bees in their 

 craws. But in every case where they were examined by persons competent 

 to decide, they have declared that none but drones were ever found. Upon 

 this point the instinct or observation of the bird is perfect ; and this may 

 have been one of nature's provisions, that these birds should bo assistants 

 of the workers, and not their destroyers. Certainly, until we have some 

 better evidence against the birds, we shall advocate their protection. Surely, 

 if they eat bees, they also eat other Hies, and if permitted to live and multi- 

 ply around our dwellings, might keep us free of a great many pestiferous 

 insects. If a bird can eat a stinging-bee with impunity, it can also eat a 

 wasp or hornet, and so destroy that family. 



237. Swallows, Swills, an«l Martins. — In oiir boyhood, swallows were looked 

 upon as pests of the farm, or rather the barn, and war was often waged upon 

 them by the boys, with the countenance of those who should have been well 

 enough informed to teach them better. We hope the day is past when any 

 one would wantonly destroy these beautiful l)irds. 



Iliritndo is the generic term applied to the class of birds comprised in the 

 several species of barn swallows, bank swallows, chimney swallows, and a 

 large, strong sort known as swifts, and the common martin, for which many 

 New England people are careful to provide boxes, which are often attached 

 to the dwellings. Their first appearance in spring is hailed with delight, 

 and the time of their coming often noted, so as to compare one year with 

 another. Although " one swallow does not make it spring," people have 

 learned to think that many never come until spring is fairly opened. 



The Ilirundo family are all birds of passage. They go far south to win- 

 ter, and return with great regularity to their old haunts, to build their nests, 

 rear tlieir young, and catch flies, till autumn approaches, and then they are 



