432 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



tering their peculiar note with great sprightliness, kept a regu- 

 lar circuitous sweep around the top of the court-house, and about 

 fourteen or fifteen feet above it, revolving with great rapidity 

 for the space of at least ten minutes. There could not be less 

 than four or five hundred of them. They now gradually varied 

 their line of motion until one part of its circumference passed 

 immediately over the chimney and about five or six feet above 

 it. Some as they passed made a slight feint of entering, which 

 was repeated by those immediately after, and by the whole cir- 

 cling multitude in succession; in this feint they approached 

 nearer and nearer at every revolution, dropping perpendicu- 

 larly, but still passing over; the circle meantime becoming more 

 and more contracted, and the rapidity of its revolution greater as 

 the dusk of evening increased, until at length one, and then ano- 

 ther, dropped in, another and another followed, the circle still 

 revolving until the whole multitude had descended except one 

 or two. These flew off as if to collect the stragglers, and in a 

 few seconds returned with six or eight more, which, after one 

 or two rounds, dropped in one by one, and all was silence for 

 the night. It seemed to me hardly possible that the internal sur- 

 face of the vent could accommodate them all, without clustering 

 on one another, which I am informed they never do; and I was 

 very desirous of observing their ascension in the morning, but 

 having to set off before day, I had not that gratification. Mr. 

 Churchman however, to whom I have since transmitted a few 

 queries, has been so obliging as to inform me, that towards the 

 beginning of June the number of those that regularly retired to 

 the court-house .to roost, was not more than one-fourth of the 

 former; that on the morning of the twenty-third of June he par- 

 ticularly observed their reascension, which took place at a quar- 

 ter past four, or twenty minutes before sun-rise, and that they 

 passed out in less than three minutes. That at my request the 

 chimney had been examined from above; but that as far down 

 at least as nine feet, it contained no nests; though at a former 

 period it is certain that their nests were very numerous there, 

 so that the chimney was almost choked, and a sweep could with 



