152 



The Swallow. 



towards the end of the sumraer, and fly heavily over the fields, 

 pastures, and lawns, dropping their eggs in their flight, 

 they are eagerly seized by the swallows, which fly low to 

 secure them. Swallows are also most useful to hop planters 

 in destroying quantities of the hop flies, or aphides [Phorodon 

 huimili)^ as they leave the hop gardens for their winter 

 quarters on the neighbouring plum and damson trees, 

 from which they come again in the early spring and go to^ 

 the hop plants. The migrations of these insects afford a fine 

 harvest for swallows, but unfortunately the latter are now so 

 reduced in numbers that their influence in keeping down hop 

 flies is much less effective than formerly. It is said by 

 observers that the regular recurrence of hop aphis attacks, 

 known as blights," year after year, and their alarmingly 

 increasing intensity are due to the absence of swallows. 

 Until within the last fifteen years a. serious attack of 

 hop flies only occurred once in three or four years, or 

 even less frequently; but now it is a grievous annual 

 visitation. 



The Swallow [Hirundo riistica) has its throat and forehead 

 chestnut-coloured, or reddish-brown, with its body of a 

 bluish hue, and its wings and tail brownish ; the bill is black 

 and the feet brown, or brownish-black ; under the wings, and 

 on the belly, the colour inclines to buff. It is rather more 

 than eight inches from the head to the tail, and its wing 

 expanse is fourteen inches. There is but little difference in 

 the appearance of the sexes ; the tail of the female is, how- 

 ever, shorter than that of the male. 



This bird appears in this country, as a rule, about the 

 middle of April, and takes its leave towards the end of 

 September or the beginning of October. Its nest is com- 

 posed of mud or dirt, cow or horse-dung, mixed with bits of 

 straw or dried gTass and hair, and is lined with fine grasses 

 and feathers. It is not covered like the Ma^rtin's nest, and 

 is placed under the eaves of barns and many other buildings, 

 on the beams and joists of out-houses, under gateways, and 

 beneath the arches of bridges. The eggs, of which four or 

 five are usually laid, are white, speckled with brown or dark 



