352 BARN SWALLOW. 
against the side of a house, a strong foundation of mud is first constructed, upon which 
the nest is erected. In this case the nest is much more elongate in shape and more 
strongly made. A striking peculiarity of these nests is frequently an extra platform, 
built against, but distinét from the nest itself, designed as a roosting-place for the 
parents, used by one during incubation at night or when not engaged in procuring 
food, and by both when the young are large enough to occupy the whole nest.”’ The 
eggs, four to six in number, have a clear white ground-color, and are marked, chiefly at 
the larger end, with reddish and purplish-brown spots. 
The song of the Barn Swallow is exceedingly fascinating, melodious, and sprightly, 
especially when on the wing. It consists of a succession of twittering notes, which are 
uttered loudly, and with great rapidity and animation. The bird also sings when 
alighted either on the roof or the nest, but then the notes are more slowly delivered. 
The call-note is a very soft and affectionate witt, witt. When surrounded by danger 
the bird utters a harsh trrrr trrrr. 
None of our Swallows has such a graceful flight as the Barn Swallow.. ‘The 
wonderful activity of this bird,’’ says Dr. Brewer, ‘its rapidity and powers of flight are 
too striking a peculiarity of this species not to be mentioned. During their stay with 
us, from May to September, from morn to night they seem to be ever in motion, 
especially so before incubation, or after their young have flown. The rapidity of their 
tortuous evolutions, their intricate, involved, and repeated zigzag flights, are altogether 
indescribable, and must be witnessed to be appreciated. Wilson estimated that these 
birds fly at the rate of a mile a minute, but any one who has witnessed the ease and 
celerity with which they seem to delight in overtaking, passing, and repassing a train 
of cars moving at the rate of thirty miles an hour, must realize that this estimate is 
far from doing full justice to their real speed.’ 
On the ground they move about very gracefully. Near my house in Missouri there 
was a bare place covered with fine particles of lime and plaster. To this spot a number of 
Barn Swallows each day made a visit of about ten minutes. They walked along slowly 
but not without grace, frequently picking up particles of lime and plaster, which they 
swallowed. This was just before they deposited their eggs. When the young were hatched, 
they made also frequent visits, and evidently carried numerous lime fragments to their off- 
spring. This calcareous matter is necessary for the formation of the shells of the eggs and 
the bones of the young, but I was not aware that such a large quantity was required. 
All the Swallows are never and in no way, not even indirectly, injurious to man. 
On the contrary, their good services are inestimable. The number of small insects they 
need for their own consumption, and that of their nestlings is almost incredible. During 
a number of cool, dark, and rainy days, when insects hide in the ground, among the 
leaves and blossoms, and in the crevices of the bark, the Swallows suffer greatly. Then 
they often fly around the outer branches of trees to start insects from their hiding 
places among the leaves. In the spring of 1892 the month of May was exceedingly 
cold and the rain came down in torrents, often for five to six successive days. All 
the Swallows suffered from cold and want of food, and almost half of the colonies of 
Purple Martins in Sheboygan County, and other localities in Wisconsin, died, and 
large numbers of Barn Swallows fell victims to the inclemency of the season. 
