The Audubon Societies 



463 



FROM YOUNG OBSERVERS 



BARN SWALLOWS 



For the past few years our barn has become the dwelling-place of the beau- 

 tiful Barn Swallows, and we certainly have had much pleasure watching them 

 at their household duties. They are a little larger than the English Sparrow, 

 but appear much larger on account of their wide wing-spread. 



The male is a beautiful shade of steel-blue, shading to black above. Its 

 breast and underparts are a bright chestnut-brown and brilliant buff, that is 

 most exquisite when the sun shines on it. Its tail is forked and slender. The 

 female is smaller and paler and with her tail less forked. To me this is one of 

 our most beautiful birds. 



YOUNG BARN SWALLOW 



It builds its nest up in the rafters of the barn, and it is built of clay or mud 

 mixed with straw, held together by the glutinous saliva of the bird and lined 

 with fine grass and feathers. 



While the female is on the nest the male treats her very kindly and tenderly, 

 feeding her and even relieving her of her task for a short time, so that she 

 may fly abroad for exercise and refreshments. 



The young hatch from the white eggs spotted with brown in about eleven 

 days, and in about two weeks are able to leave the nest, and in about another 

 week take very good care of themselves. Even then the parents, when they 

 meet the young on the wing, will sometimes give them food. 



The flight of these birds is beyond description. When they wheel about the 

 barn, and skim over the fields, or even when they are sitting on the telephone 

 wires, they are most graceful. 



The one fault I can find with these birds is that they are not very tidy about 

 their homes. Most birds clean every scrap of refuse away, but the Barn 



