SWALLOW. 251 



chimney top, or on the roof of the house, and are there 

 fed by their parents. Their next essay is to reach some 

 leafless bough, where they sit in rows, and receive their 

 food. Soon after they take to the wing, but still want 

 skill to seize their own prey. They hover near the place 

 where their parents are in chase of flies, attend their mo- 

 tions, meet them, and receive from their mouths the offered 

 sustenance." 



When the young broods have entirely left their nests 

 they roost by hundreds among willows and osiers near 

 water till the time for their departure from this country 

 arrives, when they leave us in large flocks to seek a more 

 southern latitude, there to enjoy a continuance of that 

 temperature and means of subsistence which these islands 

 from geographical position can no longer afford them. 

 They generally leave by the end of October, but strag- 

 glers are sometimes seen as late as the middle of No- 

 vember. 



In confinement these birds become exceedingly tame, 

 and in this state it has been ascertained by naturalists in 

 this, as well as in other countries, that these birds moult in 

 January and February. An account of the mode pursued 

 will be found in Bewick's History of British Birds ; and 

 the Rev. W. F. Cornish, of Totness, who is known to be 

 very skilful in his management of birds in confinement, 

 sent me word, that of two Swallows given him, one lived 

 a year and a half, and the other two years. It has been 

 observed by the Rev. Walter Trevelyan that these birds, 

 like other feeders on insects, bring up the indigestible parts 

 of their food in small pellets, called castings. 



The Swallow is common in summer throughout all the 

 British Isles, and visits Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. 

 M. Nilsson says it arrives in Sweden early in May, and 

 retires in September. It does not go so far north as our 



