224 ADDITIONAL NOTICES. 



THE COMMON CHIMNEY-SWALLOW. 



'* This, though rather low on the scale of vocalists, 

 few will deny but that it is amusing to hear, twittering 

 from his clay-built shed; especially at early dawn. 

 His song consists of a strain about one minute in con- 

 tinuance, prettily enough modulated, repeated at in- 

 tervals, and always ended with a shrill note, rapidly 

 shaken. He also sings on the wing, in fine weather, 

 when the hen sits ; seldom after the young are hatch- 

 ed, nor until they are able to fly. When congregat- 

 ing on fine evenings, they all join in a joyous, twitter- 

 ing chorus, in which the young assist. The swallow 

 is one of the most vigilant videttes for the safety of 

 the feathered race. No sooner does a hawk, or other 

 bird or beast of prey come in view, than he raises his 

 shrill note of alarm, chee, chee; and while almost 

 all other birds fly to covert, the swallow, dauntless, 

 mounts aloft to face the foe, menacing and attacking 

 with fury, till he drives the intruder from the neigh- 

 bourhood. In this attack, the crow only has the cou- 

 rage to assist. I have often noticed that the swallows, 

 on returning home from the pursuit, unite in a song 

 of gratulatory exultation. None of the other hirun- 

 dines are musical. The house and sand-martlets have 

 only faint calls of a note or two ; and the shrill swee- 

 ree of the swift, can hardly be called a song." Ibid. 



THE SKYLARK. 



" This is a justly celebrated bird of song. His 

 joyous matins and heavenward flight Jiave been aptly 



