150 SWALLOWS. 



at hand, than return for a week or two only to warmer 

 latitudes. * 



The swallow, though called the chimney-swallow, by no 

 means builds altogether in chimneys, but often within barns 

 and out-houses, against the rafters ; and so she did in Virgil's 

 time, 



. Ante 



Garrula quam tignis nidos suspendat hirundo. 



In Sweden, she builds in barns, and is called ladu sw&ki, 

 the barn-swallow.) Besides, in the warmer parts of Europe, 

 Vere are no chimneys to houses, except they are English 



built ; in these countries, she constructs her nest in porches, 



and gateways, and galleries, and open halls, f 



* That the migration of the swallow elicited attention in tlie earliest 

 times, is evident from the manner in which it is noticed by the prophet 

 Jeremiah. From that migration also, Cicero has drawn the following 

 simile : " As swallows are present with us in summer, but are gone 

 in winter, so false friends attend us in the sunshine of prosperity, but 

 in the winter of affliction they all flee away." The ancients usually 

 mention this bird as wintering in Africa ; which is distinctly stated in 

 Anacreon, T^y. Edn. Brunck. p. 88. So great a favourite was the 

 swallow among the Greeks, particularly at Rhodes, that they had a festival 

 called ^sXidbvicC) which was a holyday for the Greek boys, when they 

 carried about young; swallows, and sung a song, which is preserved in 

 the works of Meursius. It has been thus rendered in English : 



He comes ! He comes ! who loves to hear 



Soft sunny hours, and seasons fair ; 



The swallow hither comes, to rest 



His sable wing, and snowy breast. * 



These young mendicants (like Eton scholars at the Montem) used to lew 

 contributions from the good nature of their fellow-citizens. 



It is remarkable that most countries have a similar proverb relating to 

 the swallow's accidental appearance before its usual time. The French 

 have, Une hirondette ne fait pas le printemps ; the Germans, Eine 

 Sheval bemacht keinen fruhling; the Dutch, Eeu swalaw maak geen 

 zomer ; the Italians, Una rodine non fa primevera ; the Swede?, En 

 svala gor ingen sommar; which may be all literally translated by the 

 English proverb, " One swallow doth not make a summer." The story 

 is well known of a thin brass plate having been fixed on a swallow, with 

 this inscription, "Prithee, swallow, whither goest thou in winter?" 

 The bird returned next spring, with the answer subjoined, " To Anthony 

 of A thens . W hy dost thou inquire ? " ED. 



f Dr Richardson gives a curious example of the cliff-swallow (Jiirundo 

 lunifrons) building in houses. " On the 25th of June, in the year 182V 

 says he, " a number of them made their first appearance at Fort Che- 

 pewyan, North America, and built their nests under the eaves of the 

 dwelling-house, which arc about six feet above a balcony that extends thj 



* Vol. iii. p. 074, folio edition. 



