September 



total withdrawal, any one accustomed to life in the 

 open could not fail to be struck with a deeper sense 

 of silence and solitude as the month of September 

 drew toward its close. True, the cuckoo was gone 

 long since, and forgotten. But, then, the cuckoo is 

 a law to himself, and has special dispensation in more 

 matters than early going. It seemed, however, but 

 a matter of days since the swift was darting about 

 like the runaway head of an enchanted pickaxe, and 

 thousands of swallows and martins clustered on the 

 sallows by the open waters. But the disappearance 

 of the swift on the 3rd September struck the note of 

 the month. I had noticed that the bird was absent 

 from his usual haunt by the river on the 29th 

 August a gusty, inclement day, with rain. As it 

 reappeared on the 3rd September in its usual place, 

 it had evidently been under shelter during the 

 boisterous last days of August. This, however, was 

 its last appearance, and we could only wish him a 

 safe voyage, a healthy moult, and a punctual return. 

 In the older classification the swift was bracketed 

 with swallows and martins ; but there were several 

 points distinguishing it from those birds. It arrives 

 later, and departs sooner than any of them ; it lays 

 two eggs only, and has but one brood in a season, 

 whereas they lay from four to six eggs, and have two 

 broods. But structural differences have caused it 

 to be transferred to the group of birds including 

 the cuckoo, woodpecker, night-jar, and kingfisher. 

 Nevertheless, it is evident that there exists a true 



5 



