418 HABITS OF THE WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW ' 



same that a person would prevaricate, just for two Swallows. 

 In recording his observations made on these birds in Louisiana, 

 in winter, Audubon speaks of " thousands flying in different 

 flocks", but only mentions fourteen killed at a shot. During 

 the winter, he says, many were sheltered in holes about the 

 houses, but the greater number resorted to the lakes, to spend 

 the night among the myrtles. "About sunset," he continues, 

 " they began to flock together, calling to each other for that 

 purpose, and in a short time presented the appearance of 

 clouds moving towards the lakes, or the mouth of the Missis- 

 sippi, as the weather and wind suited. Their aerial evolutions 

 before they alight, are truly beautiful. They appear at first as 

 if reconnoitering the place ; when, suddenly throwing them- 

 selves into a vortex of apparent confusion, they descend 

 spirally with astonishing quickness, and very much resemble 

 a trombe or water-spout. When within a few feet of the driers, 

 they disperse in all directions, and settle in a few moments. 

 Their twitterings, and the motion of their wings, are, however, 

 heard during the whole night. , . . The hunters who 

 resort to these places destroy great numbers of them, by knock- 

 ing them down with light paddles, used in propelling their 

 canoes." In another place, Audubon prints a note from Bach- 

 man, who states that on the 16th of October, 1833, in company 

 with Dr. Wilson and Mr. J. W. Audubon, he " saw Fuch an 

 immense quantity of this species of birds that the air was posi- 

 tively darkened. As far as the eye could reach, there were 

 Swallows crowded thickly together, and winging their way 

 southward ; there must have been many millions!" 



In conclusion of this subject, and to give further idea of the 

 current accounts, I quote (at second-hand) the following pas- 

 sages from Henderson's Honduras, London, 1809, p. 119, 

 though I should add that the writer does not refer to any par- 

 ticular species : — "Myriads of Swallows are also the occasional 

 inhabitants of Honduras. The time of their residence is gener- 

 ally confined to the period of the rains, after which they totally 

 disappear. There is something remarkably curious and deserv- 

 ing of notice in the ascent of these birds. As soon as the d.awn 

 appears, they quit their place of rest, which is usually chosen 

 amid the rushes of some watery savannah, and invariably rise 

 to a certain height, in a compact spiral form, and which at a 

 distance often occasions them to be taken for an immense 

 column of smoke. This attained, they are then seen separ- 



