140 HABITS OF THE SWALLOW. 



which cause their existence be removed or altered, are actual visible providences towards 

 mankind. But these very creatures are necessarily so extremely prolific, that their 

 increase outgrows their task, and they would themselves become nuisances, did not the 

 Swallow and other similar birds keep down their numbers by day, and the goat-suckers 

 and bats by night. 



To ascertain the truth of this observation, nothing more is necessary than to open the 

 mouth of a Swallow that has been shot while flying, and to turn out the mass of small 

 flies which will be found collected there, and which the bird was intending to take home 

 to its hungry little family. The extraordinary amount of flies and other insects which 

 a Swallow can thus pack into its mouth is almost incredible, for when relieved by the 

 constant pressure to which it is subjected, the black heap begins to swell and enlarge, 

 until it attains nearly double its former size. 



The Swallow wages a never-ceasing war against many species of insects, and seems to 

 be as capricious in its feeding as are the roach and other river fish. At one time it will 

 feed almost exclusively upon gnats and other small flies, and will destroy many thousands 

 of these obnoxious flies in a single day. At another time it will prefer beetles, chasing 

 the Geotrupidae rather than those of any other order. On another occasion it will confine 

 itself to May-flies, catching them as they emerge from their pupal envelopes and flutter 

 soft, fat, and languid on the river bank. Sometimes the Swallow flies at larger prey, and 

 frequenting the neighbourhood of bee-hives, swoops with unerring aim upon their inmates 

 as they enter or leave their straw-built houses. It is a very remarkable fact that the 

 working bee is generally unharmed by the Swallow, which directs its attack chiefly upon 

 the comparatively useless drone. Perhaps the bird may possess an instinctive knowledge 

 of the poisoned weapon with which the worker is armed, and may therefore prefer to 

 attack the large but stingless drone. 



Owing, in all probability, to this insect diet, the flesh of the Swallow is quite unfit for 

 the table, and possesses a very disagreeable flavour. Out of curiosity I once cooked and 

 tried to eat some Swallows that had been shot, and was effectually deterred from the 

 attempt by the peculiar and nauseous character of the flesh, which has some resemblance 

 to a sweet potato in its flavour. Like the generality of predaceous birds, the Swallow 

 ejects the legs, wings, and other indigestible portions of its insect prey in little pellets, 

 or " castings." 



The flight of this bird is very rapid and graceful, and is readily distinguished from 

 that of the Swift by certain peculiarities which are not easy to be described, but can be 

 recognised without difficulty. Unlike the Swift, which never settles except on some 

 elevated spot, the Swallow is fond of resting a while on the ground, and may often be 

 seen dusting itself after the fashion of the common sparrow. I have often seen it settle 

 on the patches of sand that are left among the rocks at low water, and from the busy 

 activity which it displayed on such occasions, imagine it to have been engaged in chasing 

 the sand-flies, or perhaps even the sand-hoppers that swarm so abundantly in such 

 localities. 



When taken young, the Swallow is easily tamed, and after having passed the season of 

 emigration, becomes reconciled to its enforced home and is a very docile and loveable little 

 pet. The poor bird must suffer greatly during this period when its brothers are voyaging 

 to warmer climates, for the organization of all birds is sensitive to a high degree, and 

 especially so in the case of birds of passage. The extreme delicacy of the bird's nature 

 was well shown in the time of cholera. In the town of Verviers, while that fell disease 

 was carrying away twenty inhabitants per diem out of a population of two thousand, the 

 Swallows and all the singing birds left the spot, and did not return until the cholera had 

 passed away. 



The voice of the Swallow is vastly more agreeable than the shrill scream of the 

 Swift, and is, although weak and twittering, very musical in its tone and pleasing to 

 the ear. 



The nest of the Swallow is always placed in some locality where it is effectually 

 sheltered from wind and rain. Generally it is constructed under the eaves of houses, but 

 as it is frequently built within disused chimneys, it has given to the species the popular 



