THE SWALLOWS 



By Sally Sage 



It is a sad time when the weather becomes dark and 

 cold ; when the autumn winds blow through the dead 

 leaves and one sees the Swallows leaving. It is still 

 sadder when they are gone. Although the Swallows 

 have only a harsh cry which cannot be termed pleas- 

 ing, yet there is so much life in the tiny bird that one 

 cannot help liking it. Swallows seem to be every- 

 where at once during the Summer months in which 

 they remain with us. There are many kinds of Swal- 

 lows, amongst which the Barn, Cliff, Tree, Bank and 

 Rough-winged Swallows and the Purple Martin, 

 which is also a Swallow, are those usually found in 

 this vicinity. 



The Barn Swallow is the most friendly of all. Its 

 favorite nesting place is in old barns where loose 

 boards and broken windows make holes through which 

 it can go in and out at will. The Tree Swallows are 

 also frequent during the Spring and Fall. Unlike 

 the Barn they generally scour the air at high eleva- 

 tions. Like the Martins they frequently nest in bird- 

 boxes. 



The Bank is the smallest of our Swallows. It makes 

 its nest in enlarged chambers at the end of short 

 tunnels in the sides of banks. The Rough- winged 

 is very much like the Bank but its throat is gray 

 as well as its breast. The Cliff is also called the Eave 

 Swallow. It plasters its nest on the outside of build- 

 ings, usually in the eaves. In the west a cliff com- 

 pletely covered with these small cup-like mud nests 

 is a common sight. There are fifty-five species of 

 Swallows in the world. 



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