SWALLOW-TIME. 95 



the sky together with the ruddy- throated chimney- 

 swallows, and the great swifts ; but though it is hay- 

 time and the apples are set, yet eight eave-swallows is 

 the largest number I have counted in one afternoon. 

 They did not come at all in the spring. After the 

 heavy winter cleared away, the delicate willow-wrens 

 soon sang in the tops of the beautiful green larches, the 

 nightingale came, and the cuckoo, the chimney-swallow, 

 the doves softly cooing as the oaks came into leaf, and 

 the black swifts. Up to May 26 there were no 

 eave-swallows at the Sussex hill-side where these notes 

 were taken ; that is more than a month later than the 

 date of their usual arrival, which would be about the 

 middle of April. After this they gradually came back. 

 The chimney-swallows were not so late, but even they 

 are not so numerous as usual. The swifts seem to have 

 come more in their accustomed numbers. Now, the 

 swallows are, of all others, the summer birds. As well 

 suppose the trees without leaves as the summer air 

 without swallows. Ever since of old time the Greeks 

 went round from house to house in spring singing the 

 swallow song, these birds have been looked upon as the 

 friends of man, and almost as the very givers of the 

 sunshine. 



The swallow's come, winging 



His way to us here ; 

 Fair hours is he bringing, 



And a happy new year 1 



They had a song for everything, the mill song, the 

 reapers' song, just as in Somerset, the apple country, 

 they still have a cider song, or perhaps, rather, an 

 orchard song. Such rhymes might well be chanted 

 about the hay and the wheat, or at the coming of the 

 green leaf, or the yellowing of the acorns, when the 



