176 . BRITISH BIRDS. 



from -9 to *75 inch, and in breadth from -58 to '52 inch. The eggs 

 of the Barn-Swallow very closely resemble those of the Rock-Martin 

 (C. rupestris], indeed so much so that they cannot with certainty be 

 distinguished. 



The sitting bird is fed by its mate, who constantly visits her with joyous 

 twittering cries during the whole period of incubation. The Swallow 

 usually rears two broods in the season. The eggs of the first clutch are 

 generally laid early in May, and the young are able to fly by the end of 

 June ; those of the second clutch are laid early in July, and the young are, 

 in most cases, fully fledged by September; but exceptionally late broods are 

 frequently deserted by their parents. The young are tended some little 

 time after they quit the nest, and are often fed on the wing. 



The young of the first broods soon leave their birthplace and collect into 

 flocks, spending their time in incessant search for food, or sitting twittering 

 to each other on telegraph-wires, fences, or dead branches. At this time 

 they roost in trees, and often in rushes near water. The earlier broods are 

 probably the first to migrate, leaving this country very early in September, 

 whilst those of the second brood with their parents linger on into late 

 autumn. The second broods and the old birds form the 'large flocks which 

 are seen in autumn, and at this season of the year their gatherings are most 

 interesting. A great number are young birds, which are fed and tended 

 assiduously by their parents, who catch insects for them whilst they sit and 

 wait on the fences and wires. Most Swallows leave this country early in 

 October, but many still tarry some still too weak to attempt the long 

 journey, and others whose young are not yet able to fly; whilst a 

 few may be loth to leave some favoured spot where insect-life is still 

 abundant. A few Swallows are generally seen in this country in November, 

 and they have been recorded at different times in December, January, and 

 February ; so that it seems that individuals occasionally almost succeed in 

 braving the rigours of a northern winter. Respecting the supposed hiber- 

 nation of Swallows, little need be said. My friend Dr. Elliott Coues, to 

 whom I could not pay a higher compliment than to call him the American 

 Naumann, still considers the subject an open question; but all other 

 ornithologists have long ago consigned the theory to the limbo of forgotten 

 superstitions. 



The Swallow in summer plumage has the forehead and throat rich 

 chestnut ; all the upper parts and a broad band across the breast are steel- 

 blue, with a purplish gloss ; the wings and tail are brown, glossed with 

 bluish green on the outer webs ; the inside web of the innermost greater 

 wing-covert is greyish white ; all the tail-feathers, except the two centre 

 ones, have a large spot of white on the inner web about a third from the 

 end. The general colour of the underparts is nearly white. Bill black ; 

 legs, feet, and claws brownish black; irides hazel. The female some- 



