SWALLOW. 141 



in a similar manner. So regular were they in series, and so 

 vertically disposed, as at once to remind me of a rope-ladder 

 up the mast of a ship; really not too extravagant a simile.' 



'Who has not watched the Swallow on the wing,' says 

 Linnseus Martin, who has not marked its rapid flight; now 

 smoothly skimming along, now executing sudden turns and 

 intricate evolutions with astonishing celerity? If the weather 

 be warm, it dips in the water as it passes along, and emerges, 

 shaking the spray from its burnished plumage, uninterrupted 

 in its career.' The Swallow is, like all its compeers, indefatigable 

 in its flight, and is not often seen to alight. It does, however, 

 occasionally settle on the ridge of a roof, or even sometimes on 

 the branch of a tree, or some such elevated spot, from whence 

 you may see it suddenly drop again into the ambient air 

 and renew its course, to chase its prey, or to join with some 

 sportive companion in all the eccentric meanderings of the 

 labyrinth which it ever and anon follows the thread of. 'These 

 birds,' says Meyer, 'delight the eye by their ever-glancing 

 flight, passing and repassing us with noiseless wing; sometimes 

 dipping their glossy wings into the stream, or sweeping 

 an insect from its surface; then shooting past us quicker than 

 the eye can follow, they turn and wheel, as if delighting to 

 evade our eager sight.' 



In perching, the Swallow occasionally rests on the ground 

 by choice, roads being thus not unfrequently resorted to, 

 and sometimes the sea-beach; and objects are, though but 

 rarely, picked up. When they alight on trees, they for the 

 most part prefer to alight on withered and dry branches, in 

 preference to flourishing and leafy ones. The young birds do 

 not return to the nest after they have become able to provide 

 for themselves, and appear then to roost in trees. Swallows 

 may often be noticed in a row, or perfect line, on the ground: 

 after hawking for flies, the whole troop will thus settle on 

 the ground, as if to rest themselves: but why in straight 

 rank? They may also often be seen coursing over the sea, 

 as zealously and regularly as over the land. They fly very 

 late in the evening until nine o'clock, or after; sometimes 

 till they can be on longer distinguished. During eclipses of 

 the sun they have been observed, in some instances, to disappear, 

 and in some to cease to sing, and retire, as if to roost; 

 while in others, 'though the Hooks and Sparrows had gone 

 to bed, thinking it was night, the Swallows continued flying 

 about as usual.' 



