THE BIRD OF CONSOLATION. 



There is a Scandinavian tradition that 

 the swallow hovered over the cross of 

 our Lord crying "Svala! Svala !" (Con- 

 sole, console). Hence comes its name, 

 "svalow" — the bird of consolation. 



The habitat of the swallow is the whole 

 of North America and parts of South 

 America. The chief characteristic is 

 usually a deeply forked tail. The swal- 

 lows of this country are called Bank, 

 Barn, Bridge, Chimney, Cliff, Tree, 

 Land, Purple, Violet, Black, White, 

 Crescent, Green, Blue, Republican, 

 White-billed and White-fronted. There 

 are some twenty common kinds, beside 

 the Swift, which is called a swallow be- 

 cause of certain resemblances. But its 

 structure is different. It has its name 

 from the rapidity of its flight. It is al- 

 most always on the wing. Its feet are so 

 seldom used that they are very weak. 

 The chimney swallow has a bristly tail, 

 which assists in its support when the 

 bird alights. Its color is a sooty gray. 

 Of the true swallows none is more fa- 

 miliar than the barn swallow, whose nest 

 adds a picturesque interest to the eaves 

 of the building. This swallow has a 

 steel blue coat, a pale chestnut vest, with 

 a bit of chocolate on chin and throat. 

 The tail is deeply forked. It is not a 

 noisy bird, but has a song — a little trill 

 — aside from the note it uses when fly- 

 ing. Like a merry laugh, it says "Tittle- 

 ittle-ittle-ee." The barn swallow is sym- 

 pathetic with its mates when they are in 

 trouble and is friendly to man, who 

 sometimes feels like questioning it — 



"Is it far to heaven, O Swallow, Swallow ! 



The heavy-hearted sings ; 

 I watch thy flight — and I long to follow. 



The while I wait for wings." 



The flight of the swallow is in the 

 curved line, which is that of beauty, and 

 is without effort or restraint. 



The cliff swallow, petrochelidon luni- 

 frons — gets part of its name — lunifrons 

 (moon front) — from its white, crescent- 

 like frontlet. It builds a bottle or gourd- 

 shaped nest under the protection of 

 shelving cliffs. A whole colony will 

 sometimes build under the eaves of out- 

 buildings, when the shape of the nest is 

 modified. This bird may be distin- 

 guished from the barn swallow by its 

 less forked tail and its blackish color. 

 It is a very useful bird, as it seems tire- 

 less in its destruction of injurious in- 

 sects. 



The tree or white-billed swallow wears 

 a bluish-green coat, with white vest. It 

 will sometimes rob the woodpecker of 

 holes in trees in which to build. 



The bank swallow or sand martin is 

 the cosmopolitan of birds, as it thrives 

 equally well in Asia, Africa, Europe and 

 America. 



Of all the swallows none is a greater 

 favorite than the purple martin. It was 

 doubtless the bird to which Shakespeare 

 alludes when he says, "Where the temple 

 haunting martlet breeds the air is deli- 

 cate." The purple martin, in iridescent 

 coat, with soft, musical cry of "Peuo- 

 peuo-peuo," is a well protected guest, 

 provided with pretty boxes for homes on 

 tall poles or nailed to the sides of trees. 

 It is a courageous bird, defending its 

 home and young against any ruthless 

 invader. 



There is an old true saying that "one 

 swallow does not make a summer." Yet 

 its advent is looked for as the harbinger 

 of warm weather. 



"Birds teach us as they come and go 

 When to sail and when to sow. 

 Cuckoo calling from the hill, 

 Swallow skimming by the mill, 

 Mark the seasons, map the year, 

 As they show and disappear." 



Belle Paxson Drury. 



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