THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 145 
The swallow does not always build in chimneys, 
sometimes in barns or outbuildings ; and in the 
warmer parts of Europe, where there are no chim- 
neys, we are told they build in porches, gateways, 
galleries, and even in open halls. 
In speaking of this bird, Mr. White says, " Five, 
or six or more feet down the chimney, does this little 
bird begin to form her nest, about the middle of 
May, which consists, like that of the house-martin, 
of a crust or shell, composed of dirt or mud, mixed 
with short pieces of straw to render it tough and 
permanent; with this difference, that whereas the 
shell of the martin is nearly hemispheric, that of the 
swallow is open at the top, and like half a deep 
dish ; this nest is lined with fine grasses and 
feathers, which are often collected as they float in 
the air. Wonderful is the address which this adroit 
bird shews, all day long, in ascending and descending 
with security through so narrow a pass. 
When hovering over the mouth of the funnel, the 
vibrations of her wings acting on the confined air 
occasion a rumbling like thunder. It is not impro- 
bable that the dam submits to this inconvenient 
situation, so low in the shaft, in order to secure her 
o 
