THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



the streets all day long, and in its winter home in Africa 

 it is a common dweller in the towns. The Swallow 

 arrives in the London area towards the middle of April, 

 and leaves it again in late September or early October, 

 although it is not very unusual to see odd birds passing 

 over even in November. I have seen Swallows at Rich- 

 mond as late as the middle of that month. The bird 

 spends most of its waking moments in the air, in tireless 

 quest of food, flying hither and thither on rapid wing, 

 now in the higher atmosphere, anon just above the ground, 

 wherever its insect prey chances to be most abundant. 

 It is social during summer, and in autumn, as the time of 

 its departure draws near, it assembles in large companies, 

 which often roost amongst rushes or in osier-beds. Its 

 ordinary call-note is a shrill whet, often repeated as a 

 twitter, and throughout its stay the male, in the breeding 

 season especially, has a delightfully pleasing song, uttered 

 not only on the wing, when it sounds particularly joyous, 

 but whilst the bird is at rest on some building, bare 

 branch, or telegraph wire. In autumn the young males 

 make their first attempt at song. The food of the 

 Swallow is entirely composed of insects. Some of these 

 are picked up on the ground, others secured whilst they 

 are resting on the surface of water. The Swallow pairs 

 for life, and annually returns to its accustomed nesting- 

 place. The eggs for the first broods are laid in May, for 

 the second in July. In the London district the nest is 

 usually made in a shed or out-building of some kind, in a 

 church tower or a disused chimney, or some convenient 

 ledge, beam, or projection. It is a shallow, saucer-shaped 

 structure, made of pellets of mud mixed with bits of 

 straw, and lined with dry grass and feathers. The five 

 or six eggs are pure white, freckled, spotted, and blotched 

 with various shades of coffee-brown and violet-grey. 

 The young are tended for some time after leaving the 

 nest, and are fed whilst in the air or whilst sitting on some 

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