WHERE SWALLOWS ROOST 99 



invariably face the wind, and when it is from the 

 west the last rays of the sun striking their white 

 breasts make them appear like snowy flowers crown- 

 ing the reeds. Suddenly, with a rush, they whirl 

 onward to the roost. 



Thus far the exact location of this roost has de- 

 fied my search. I have, however, roughly defined 

 the bounds of that section of the marsh in which it 

 is placed by observation stands at which the Swal- 

 lows tiew north and south respectively, and some- 

 where between the two I still hope to discover the 

 Swallows' sleeping haunts. 



The following description of their departure 

 from the marshes in the morning is abstracted from 

 my journal, under date of August 15, 1S80 : " A cool, 

 clear morning, with a light northwesterly wind. I 

 reached the marshes shortly before five o'clock, 

 when they appeared to be deserted, not a Swallow 

 being in sight. At two minutes of five the first 

 birds were observed, then flock after flock they 

 came until at five the air was filled with hurrying 

 forms, flying at varying altitudes toward the 

 north. 



" Suddenly, from the meadows near me there 

 arose a vast cloud of Swallows, doubtless birds 

 which had come from farther south in the marsh 

 before my ariival. Steadily they mounted u])ward, 

 until having attained a height where with a strong 

 glass they appeared faint dots against the sky, they 

 slowly winged their way northward. 



" All the time the meadows were alive with birds 

 feeding in every direction ; gradually they i)assed to 

 the north, when another huge flock arose from the 



