156 THE SWALLOW 



Emotion mingled with regret, as if I were witnessing 

 the last act of some pathetic tragedy, while I was watch- 

 ing their last gatherings. 



Daring these preparatory evolutions the power, the 

 strength and the elasticity of their wings seemed to 

 have increased. It was a delight to see their fluttering 

 in the open air. There they displayed all the resources 

 of their art of flying: turning and turning about again 

 and again, changing their direction at evei-y minute 

 and exercising themselves to soar high in the air. You 

 could see that having to accomplish a long sea- voyage, 

 they encouraged each other and tried the strength of their 

 wings, so as not to carry any stragglers with them. It is 

 even probable, that, if during these preparatory exercises 

 any swallow had revealed some weakness of constitution, 

 it would have been pitilessly left behind. Besides, this 

 is the manner of proceeding of all migratory birds that 

 travel in flocks. — An Austrian officer told me that he 

 had seen storks congregate together on the wide plains 

 of Hungary at the minute of starting. For hours the}^ 

 would describe long circles so as to put their strength to 

 a trial. If one of the storks, too old or too ill, lost its 

 strength and dropped down, immediately the whole flock 

 darted on the poor creature and killed it [)itilessly. 



No such tragic event accompanied the departure of 

 my swallows, and I had no such execution to witness. 



One September afternoon, I saw them arrive in great 



