CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



87 



At the celebrated bacchanalian village of Hockheim on the Maine, in 

 1829, I observed about a dozen of these nests suspended from the rafters 

 of a large coach-house. We should not have supposed that a bird thus 

 building- in an elevated chimney would have thought of going under 

 ground for a nestling place ; yet Mr. White remarks, that he has known 

 a swallow build down the shaft of an old well, through which chalk had 

 been formerly drawn up for the purpose of manure. To me this is not 

 at all remarkable, for I have seen them very commonly build in the 

 shafts of old coal-pits, such as at Sorn, in Ayrshire, Quarreltown, Ren- 

 frewshire, and Musselburgh, near Edinburgh. What was more singular, 

 they did not seem deterred by the continual passing- and re-passing of 

 the workmen, who consider it unlucky to injure the birds ; and though, 

 for the most part, they might find a sufficient number of old aban- 

 doned shafts, they do not appear to have any peculiar preference for 

 these.* 1 



The food of this bird, as of the whole genus, is winged insects, in 

 catching which it is extremely dexterous ; and, considering the velocity 

 of its flight, its sight must be incomparably quick. It makes its first 

 appearance with us in April, sometimes as early as the first week, if 

 the weather is mild ; and it sometimes happens that after their arrival 

 a long easterly wind prevails, which so benumbs the insect tribe, that 

 thousands die for want of food. We recollect as late as the 9th of 

 May the swallows on a sudden disappeared from all the neighbouring- 

 villages around. The thermometer was at 42, and we were at a loss to 

 conceive what was become of these birds, which a day or two before 

 were seen in abundance. But by chance we discovered hundreds col- 

 lected together in a valley close to the sea side, at a large pool that was 

 well sheltered. Here they seem to have found some species of fly, 

 though scarce sufficient to support life ; for many were so exhausted, 

 that after a short time on the wing they were obliged to pitch on the 

 sandy shore. 



Why it should be necessary to account for the loss of this tribe of 

 birds in the winter, by making them to immerse during that season, is 

 extraordinary, when at the same time no doubts have been entertained 

 of the migration of other birds, whose powers of wing are far inferior. 

 And yet there have not been wanting persons who have declared they 

 have seen them drawn up in nets, and restored from their benumbed 

 state. Others are said to lie torpid in cliffs, hollow trees, and such 

 places : but even this more probable account is to be doubted, except 

 perhaps with respect to a few of the latter broods, which had not strength 



1 Architecture of Birds, p. 114. 



