SWALLOW-TIME. 101 



hands, for if by chance he should strike a solid object, 

 his great speed renders the collision certain death. It 

 stuns him, and if he recovers from that his beak is usually 

 broken so that he must starve. Happily such accidents 

 are rare. The great rapidity of a bird's heart beating so 

 fast seems to render it peculiarly susceptible to death 

 from shock. Great fright will sometimes kill a bird, as, 

 for instance, when they have wandered inside a room, 

 and been thoughtlessly held in some one's hand. With- 

 out visible injury, the heart, after beating excessively 

 violently, almost as rapidly slows, the nictitating mem- 

 brane is drawn over the eyes, the head falls to one side, 

 and the bird becomes lifeless from nervous exhaustion. 

 The beautiful swallows, be tender to them, for they 

 symbol all that is best in nature - and all that is best in 

 our hearts. 



