SWALLOWS 337 



to get up and go out to mow very early in the morning 

 on his meadow, as early as he could see to strike, and 

 once, at that hour, hearing a noise, he looked up and 

 .could just distinguish high overhead fifty thousand 

 swallows. He thought it was in the latter part of 

 August. 



April 30, 1856. About 3.30 p. m., when it was quite 

 cloudy as well as raw, and I was measuring along the 

 river just south of the bridge, I was surprised by the 

 great number of swallows — white-bellied and barn 

 swallows and perhaps republican — flying round and 

 round, or skimming very low over the meadow, just laid 

 bare, only a foot above the ground. Either from the 

 shape of the hollow or their circling, they seemed to 

 form a circular flock three or four rods in diameter 

 and one swallow deep. There were two or three of these 

 centres and some birds equally low over the river. It 

 looked like rain, but did not rain that day or the next. 

 Probably their insect food was flying at that height 

 over the meadow at that time. There were a thousand 

 or more of swallows, and I think that they had recently 

 arrived together on their migration. Only this could 

 account for there being so many together. We were 

 measuring through one little circular meadow, and 

 many of them were not driven off by our nearness. The 

 noise of their wings and their twittering was quite 

 loud. 



May 11, 1856. There are many swallows circling low 

 over the river behind Monroe's, — bank swallows, barn, 

 republican, chimney, and white-bellied. These are all 

 circling together a foot or two over the water, passing 



