134 A SWALLOW-WOOING 



party of swallows, but they had never been 

 in the habit of coming under the piazza roof. 

 The ends of the rafters divided the support- 

 ing beam into spaces of fifteen to eighteen 

 inches. These cozy nooks seemed to strike 

 the two birds as very attractive, and here 

 they came for their love-making early in 

 June, for it was a late season in that cool 

 island off the coast of Maine. 



The courtship of the barn-swallow appears 

 to be conducted in the " good old-fashioned 

 way." The little swain goes down on his 

 knees, as it were, certainly as nearly as 

 possible with his anatomy. This bird took 

 the most humble position in the presence of 

 the " beloved object," often with his head 

 thrust into the corner like a " naughty boy " 

 under punishment. He held head and tail 

 depressed, and altogether looked as if he 

 were trying to sink through the floor. In 

 this attitude he sometimes uttered his song, 

 but more frequently a sort of " b-r-r," loud 

 and long continued. Sometimes he moved 

 about, turning round and round like a top, 

 or running with mincing steps across his 

 narrow floor between the rafters. 



