114 HABITS OF THE SWALLOW. 



is exclusively an insect-e.-itiTifj; hird, and plays a most important part in preserving the 

 balance between the various dei)artinents of the animal kingdom. Tliere are many noxious 

 insects which are most valuable in themselves, and which, until tiie conditions which cause 

 their existence be removed or altered, are actual visible jjrovidences towards mankind. But 

 these very creatui'es are necessarily so extremely prolitic, 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 ti'uth of this observation, nothing more is necessary than to open the 

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

 flies which will be found collected there, and which tlie T)ird was intending to take home to 

 its hungiy littl(^ family. The extraoitlinary amount of flies and other insects which a Swallow 

 can thus ])ack into its moutl). is almost incredil)le, for when relieved by the constant pressure 

 to whicii it is subjected, the b]ai;k heap begins to swell and enlarge, until it attains nearly 

 double its former size. 



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

 be as capricious in its feeding as are the roach and other river flsh. 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, cliasing the 

 Geotrupid;c rather tlian those of any other order. On anotiiiM- occasion it will conflne itself to 

 May -flies, catching them as tiicy emerge from their pujial envelopes and flutter soft, fat, and 

 languid on the river bank. Sometimes tlie Swallow ilics at lai-ger ])rey, and frequenting the 

 neigh borliood of bee-hives, swoops with unerring aim upon tlieir inmates as they enter or leave 

 their straw-built houses. It is a very remarkable fact, that tlie working bee is generally 

 unharmed by the Swallow, which directs its attack cliietly upon the comparatively iiseless 

 drone. Perha])s the bird may possess an instinctive knowledge of the poisoqed weapon with 

 which the worker is armed, and may therefore prefer to attack tlie 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 veiy disagn^eable flavor. Out of curiosity I once cooked and tried to 

 eat some Swallows that had been shot, and was efte(;tually detern-d from the attempt by the 

 peculiar and nauseous ciiaracter of the flesh, which lias sdiiic ivsemblance to a sweet potato in 

 its flavor. Liki^ the generality of predaceous liirds, tlie 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 leadily distinguished from that of 

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

 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 spai'i'ow. I liave 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 occa- 

 sions imagine it to liave been engaged in chasing the sand-flies, or perhaps even the sand- 

 hoppers tiiat swarm so al)nudantly in such localities. 



Wlien taken young, i\\o, Swallow is easily tamed, and after having passoMl the season of 

 emigration, becomes reconciled to its enforced home and is a v(ny docile and lovable little 

 pet. The poor bird must suft'er greatly during this period wiien its brothers are voyaging 

 to waiiner climat(>s, 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 M-ell shown 

 in tlie 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 tliousand, the Swallows and all the 

 singing-birds left the s])ot, and did not i-c^turn until the (Hiolera had passed away. 



The voice of the Swallow is vastly more ngreeable tlian tlie shrill scream of tlu! Swift, and 

 is, although weak and twittering, very musical in its toiui and pleasing to the ear. 



The nest of (lie Swallow is always ])laced in some locality wh(>re it is elfectuallj' sli(>ltered 

 from wind and rain. Gem^rally it is constructcid under the eaves of houses, but as it is frequently 

 built within disused chimneys, it has given to the species the popular title of Chimney Swallow. 

 The bird is probably attracted to the chimney by the warmth of the fire inside. 



