A NOOK IN THE ALLEGHANIES 201 



they could not for their lives keep their 

 tongues still, but every little while uttered 

 loud, characteristic cries. Their behavior 

 was a mixture of shrewdness and stupidity 

 such as even human beings would have been 

 hard put to it to surpass. 



Swallows were scarce, almost of course. 

 A few pairs of rough-wings were most likely 

 at home in the city or near it, and more 

 than once two or three barn swallows were 

 noticed hawking up and down the creek. 

 There was small prospect of their settling 

 hereabout, from any indications that I could 

 discover. Chimney swifts, happily, were 

 better provided for ; pretty good substitutes 

 for swallows, — so good, indeed, that people 

 in general do not know the difference. And 

 even an ornithologist may be glad to confess 

 that the rarity of swallows throughout the 

 Alleghanies is not an unmitigated misfor- 

 tune, if it be connected in any way with the 

 immunity of the same region from the plague 

 of mosquitoes. It would be difficult to ex- 

 aggerate the luxury to a dreaming naturalist, 

 used to New England forests, of woods in 

 which he can lounge at his ease, in warm 

 weather, with no mosquito, black fly, or 



