14 



LESSON ON THE CHIMNEY SWIFT. 



The color of its wings is almost black ; the tail is of a dark brown ; 

 the bill is short and stubby, and its breast is of a light brown. The chim- 

 ney swiit is about four inches long, and its wings are about five inches 

 long. 



The feathers at the tail have midiibs which are prolonged into sharp 

 spikes. '1 hese spikes are useful in bracing him when in the chimney, 

 as he cannot cling well with his feet, because they are not well developed, 

 lie sticks these spikes into the moitar and then he can hold himself there. 



The wing is something like our arm, as it has three parts which cor- 

 respond to our upper arm, forearm, and hand. The forearm has two bones 

 in it, the same as ours. In flying, the bird does not use the arm movement, 

 but uses the hand movement, therefore he moves his wings more swiftly than 

 many other birds. 



Figure 14. Figure 15. 



Tree SwaUow. 



Hum 



Bank Swallow. 



His nest is made inside of a (fhimney, shaped like a semicircle and 

 tips downward. It is made of twigs and fastened together with glue. 

 When the season comes round, the glands under the lower jaws begin to 

 swell and in them is mucilage almost the same as you buy in the stores. 

 The female then flies through the tops of trees, nips off a dead twig 

 and then pouring this mucilage over it, sticks it to the side of the chimney. 

 Then she sticks the next on to the one before it. 



The use of these glands is to furnish this mucilage, and after the 

 nesting season is over, these glands dry up and she uses them as pouches in 

 which to carry insects that she may not be obliged to fly back to the nest 

 each time.* 



The eggs are pure white and are four in number. 



The Chinese have a bird similar to ours, but it builds its nest of sea 

 moss. The Chinese like this and eat the nests which the birds build on 

 rocks. 



The chimney swift has no song and only chatters as he flies. 



In some of the old fashioned houses that have fireplaces, ihe birds often 

 fly downward into the room, and when a fire is built the nests sometimes 

 fall down into it. Many chimney swifts are caught in this way. 



* He should have said that the bird uses the cavity caused by the shrinking of 

 the glands as a receptacle for insects. 



