344 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



estimation in which he is held, flies carelessly through the 

 street, poises himself in the air to look into windows, hangs by 

 the eaves of houses, plays with the kite string of the children, 

 or chases away the cat who seems to be prowling in search of 

 his young. As his food consists entirely of insects, his servi- 

 ces are very useful. There is a tradition, that they first came 

 into New England shortly before the revolutionary war, but 

 whether their history resembles that of the cliff swallow, in 

 this respect, or not, I am not able to determine. 



The BARN SWALLOW, Hirundo Americana, like the preced- 

 ing, is generally welcomed by the farmer, who knows that 

 these birds are of incalculable service in protecting his cattle 

 from the insects that torment them almost to madness, and 

 therefore is wise enough to allow them a shelter among the 

 rafters of his barn. In April they return from the south, and 

 soon begin to build against the timbers, with pellets of mud 

 from the borders of some neighboring stream, inlaid with slen- 

 der grasses, which serve to bind it together. The eggs are 

 white, spotted with reddish brown. When the young are 

 fledged, the parents use persuasion to induce them to come out 

 from the nest, and try their first flight in the barn. When 

 they have gained a little confidence, they go forth to some 

 wall, fence or tree, where the parents can feed them without 

 trouble. They soon become so expert in receiving food, that 

 the parent can feed the young one, while both are on the wing, 

 In fact, they seem in their element only when flying, their 

 movements being easy and graceful, apparently without effort, 

 and so rapid that no bird can equal them in fleetness. Before 

 the close of summer, the barn swallows are seen in flocks, con- 

 stantly increasing in number, and alighting on churches, barns 

 or high trees, chattering gaily to each other, as if some inter- 

 esting plan was in view. They are talking over the subject 

 of their migration ; and on some fair morning they set forth, 

 following the course of streams or the sea beach, and thus with 

 very little delay, proceed beyond the limits of the Union. The 

 idea that these birds avoided the severity of winter by plunging 





