THE SWALLOW. 267 



That Swallows are of vast use in keeping down an undue 

 proportion of insects, there can be no doubt ; and the follow- 

 ing, which I received from an amiable and observant clergy- 

 man, will prove it. He informed me, that while he held the 

 living of Tedstone Delamere, in Herefordshire, he was fond of 

 encouraging Swallows to build about his residence ; in the 

 first instance this arose from no other motive than a desire to 

 see them unmolested ; but he afterwards found his advantage 

 in it. The beautiful parish of Tedstone contains many hop- 

 gardens, one of which was attached to the rectory, and ren- 

 dered unusually picturesque and pleasing, by having winding 

 walks formed amidst the plantation. These walks were of 

 great beauty while the festoons of amber blossoms were over- 

 hanging them on every side. To some of the detached 

 houses in the parish, martins and Swallows seemed as partial 

 as they did to the rectory, but the birds were shot at by the 

 farmers, 4o " keep their hands in for the first of September," 

 while their nests were demolished as fast as they were built. 

 The consequence was, that the colony at the rectory was con- 

 siderably increased by the persecuted birds resorting to it, and 

 the advantage derived from them was this : one season when 

 there was a general failure of crops in the hop-gardens 

 throughout the parish, the one belonging to the rectory blos- 

 somed in abundant beauty. This was attributed to the 

 numerous little willing laborers, who from morning to night 

 were winging their way among the poles, devouring myriads 

 of flies, and conveying still greater numbers to their young. 

 So convinced were the. farmers of the error they had commit- 

 ted in destroying these birds, that they ceased to persecute 

 them any longer. It has, however, always been accounted 

 unlucky to destroy Swallows. We read in JElian, that these 

 birds were sacred to the penates, or household gods. They 

 were honored anciently as the nuncios of the spring, and the 

 Rhodians are said to have had a solemn anniversary song to 

 welcome in these charming heralds of summer. 



Anacreon, however, does not always appear to be in such 

 good humor with them, though his very threats seem to shew 



