The Chiin?iey Szvift. 



79 



roosting trees and its inhabitants, which 

 Audubon saw in Kentucky, is given in the 

 second volume of his "Ornithological 

 Biographies," page 331. He says of this 

 tree : "I found it to be a sycamore, 

 nearly destitute of branches, sixty or 

 seventy feet high, between seven and eight 

 feet in diameter at the base, and about five 

 for the distance of forty feet up, where the 

 stump of a broken hollow branch, about two 

 feet in diameter, made out from the main 

 stem. This was the place at which the 

 Swallows entered. On closely examining 

 the tree, I found it hard, but hollow to near 

 the roots. It was now about four o'clock 

 afternoon, in the month of July. Swallows 

 were flying over Jeffersonville, Louisville, 

 and the woods around, but there were none 

 near the tree. I proceeded home, and shortly 

 after returned on foot. The sun was going 

 down behind the Silver Hills; the evening 

 was beautiful, thousands of Swallows were 

 flying closely above me, and three or four 

 at a time were pitching into the hole, like 

 bees hurrying into their hive. I remained, 

 my head leaning on the tree, listening to 

 the roaring noise made within by the birds 

 as they settled and arranged themselves 

 until it was quite dark, when I left the 

 place, although I was convinced that many 

 more had to enter. I did not pretend to 

 count them, for the number was too great, 

 and the birds rushed to the entrance so 

 thick as to baffle the attempt. I had scarcely 

 returned to Louisville when a violent thun- 

 derstorm passed over the town, and its ap- 

 pearance made me think that the hurry of 

 the Swallows to enter the tree was caused 

 by their anxiety to avoid it. I thought of 

 the Swallows almost the whole night, so 

 anxious had I become to ascertain their 

 number before the time of their departure 

 should arrive. 



" Next morning I rose early enough to 

 reach the place long before the least ap- 

 pearance of daylight, and placed my head 

 against the tree. All was silent within. I 



remained in that position probably twenty 

 minutes, when suddenly I thought the great 

 tree was giving way and coming down upon 

 me. Instinctively I sprang from it, but 

 when I looked up to it again, what was my 

 astonishment to see it standing as firm as 

 ever. The Swallows were now pouring out 

 in a black continued stream. I ran back to 

 my post, and listened in amazement to the 

 noise within, which I could compare to 

 nothing else than the sound of a large wheel 

 revolving under a powerful stream. It was 

 yet dusky, so that I could hardly see the 

 hour on my watch, but I estimated the time 

 which they took in getting out at more than 

 thirty minutes. After their departure no 

 noise was heard within, and they dispersed 

 in every direction with the quickness of 

 thought. 



"I immediately formed the project of ex- 

 amining the interior of the tree, which, as 

 my kind friend Major Croghan had told 

 me, proved the most remarkable I had ever 

 met with. This I did in company with a 

 hunting associate. We went provided with 

 a strong line and a rope, the first of which 

 we, after several trials, succeeded in throw- 

 ing across the broken branch. Fastening 

 the rope to the line we drew it up and pulled 

 it over until it reached the ground again. 

 Provided with the longest cane we could 

 find, I mounted the tree by the rope with- 

 out accident, and at length seated myself at 

 ease on the broken branch, but my labor 

 was fruitless, for I could see nothing through 

 the hole, and the cane, which was about 

 fifteen feet long, touched nothing on the 

 sides of the tree within that could give any 

 information. I came down fatigued and 

 disappointed. The next day I hired a man 

 who cut a hole at the base of the tree. The 

 shell was only eight or nine inches thick, 

 and the axe soon brought the inside to view, 

 disclosing a matted mass of exuviae, with 

 rotten feathers reduced to a kind of mould, 

 in which, however, I could perceive frag- 

 ments of insects and quills. I had a pas- 



