248 SWALLOWS. 



the large masses of ice which hang upon the northern sides 

 of the hay until the "beginning of August, every hreeze from 

 which sweeps over the land, chilling the insects, and driving 

 them to shelter ; and, when this happens, the Swallows suffer 

 severely, and many of their yonug perish. Whereas, in the 

 interior of the same country, heyond the reach of these ice- 

 blasts, they run no risks, and rear their hroods without 

 difficulty. 



The quantity of insects devoured by Swallows is far greater 

 than most people imagine. On picking up a Swift that had 

 been shot, a number of minute flies or beetles, some mutilated, 

 and others scarcely injured, were observed crawling out of 

 the bird's mouth : the throat and pouch seemed absolutely 

 stuffed with them, and as many were collected as, when 

 pressed close, could conveniently be contained in the bowl of 

 an ordinary table-spoon. If nearly examined, a great pro- 

 portion of these minute insects will be found of one particular 

 sort ; and it is a curious fact, that by far the greater part, 

 indeed we may say, from repeated examinations, all of those 

 which suddenly fly into our eyes, when walking or riding, 

 are of the same genus (Staphylinus), if not the same species 

 (Staphylinus brachypterus), devoured by Swallows. Most 

 persons may have noticed, in the Summer season, a dis- 

 agreeable-looking insect, running rather briskly across a sand 

 or gravel walk, which, if touched or disturbed, immediately 

 throws up its tail, from whence project two formidable-look- 

 ing spines ; it appears to have no wings, but it is provided, 

 nevertheless, with a pair, most beautifully folded up beneath 

 two little short wing-cases ; still, however, these wings are 

 disproportioned to the size of the insect, and we may, there- 

 fore, reasonably conclude, that it is by no means so active on 

 the wing as others with a larger expansion, and consequently 

 unable so adroitly to guide itself, and avoid danger ; which 

 may account, at the same time, for its being more readily 

 seized by the Swallows, and also for its being carried head- 

 long into the eye, if the eye happens to be in the line of its 

 accidental course. Those who have experienced the annoy- 

 ance of these minute intruders, will well remember the 



