192 
NATURAL HISTORY 
Wonderful is the address whicli this adroit bird shows 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 improbable 
that the dam submits to this inconvenient situation so low 
in the shaft, in order to secure her broods from rapacious 
birds, and particularly from owls, which frequently fall 
down chimneys, perhaps in attempting to get at these 
nestlings. 
The swallow lays from four to six white eggs, dotted with 
red specks ; and brings out her first brood about the last 
week in June, or the first week in July. The progressive 
method by which the young are introduced into life is very 
amusing : first, they emerge from the shaft with difficulty 
enough, and often fall down into the rooms below : for a 
day or so they are fed on the chimney-top, and then are 
conducted to the dead leafless bough of some tree, where, 
sitting in a row, they are attended with great assiduity, and 
may then be called perch ers. In a day or two more they 
become flyers, but are still unable to take their own food ; 
therefore they play about near the place where the dams 
are hawking for flies ; and, when a mouthful is collected, at 
a certain signal given, the dam and the nestling advance, 
rising towards each other, and meeting at an angle; the 
young one all the while uttering such a little quick note of 
gratitude and complacency, that a person must have paid 
very little regard to the wonders of Nature that has not 
often remarked this feat. 
The dam betakes herself immediately to the business of a 
second brood as soon as she is disengaged from her first; 
which at once associates with the first broods of house mar- 
tins ; and with them congregates, clustering on sunny roofs, 
towers, and trees. This Hirundo brings out her second 
brood towards the middle and end of August. 
All the summer long is the swallow a most instructive 
pattern of unwearied industry and afi'ection ; for, from 
morning to night, while there is a family to be supported, 
she spends the whole day in skimming close to the ground. 
