236 
CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 
one-fourth of the former ; that on the morning of the twenty-third of 
June he particularly observed their reascension, which took place at a 
quarter past four, or twenty minutes before sunrise, and that they passed 
out in less than three minutes. That at my request the chimney had 
been examined from above; but that as far down at least as nine feet, 
it contained no nests ; though at a former period it is certain that their 
nests were very numerous there, so that the chimney was almost choked, 
and a sweep could with difficulty get up it. But then it was observed 
that their place of nocturnal retirement was in another quarter of the 
town. "On the whole," continues Mr. Churchman, "I am of opinion, 
that those who continue to roost at the court-house are male birds, or 
such as are not engaged in the business of incubation, as that operation 
is going on in almost every unoccupied chimney in town. It is reason- 
able to suppose if they made use of that at the court-house for this 
purpose, at least some of their nests would appear towards the top, as 
we find such is the case where but few nests are in a place." 
In a subsequent letter Mr. Churchman writes as follows: — "After 
the young brood produced in the different chimneys in Easton had taken 
wing, and a week or ten days previous to their total disappearance, 
they entirely forsook the court-house chimney, and rendezvoused in 
accumulated numbers in the southernmost chimney of John Ross's 
mansion, situated perhaps one hundred feet northeastward of the court- 
house. In this last retreat I several times counted more than two hun- 
dred go in of an evening, when I could not perceive a single bird enter 
the court-house chimney. I was much diverted one evening on seeing 
a cat, which came upon the roof of the house, and placed herself near 
the chimney, where she strove to arrest the birds as they entered, with- 
out success ; she at length ascended to the chimney top and took her 
station, and the birds descended in gyrations without seeming to regard 
grimalkin, who made frequent attempts to grab them. I was pleased 
to see that they all escaped her fangs. About the first week in the 
ninth month [September] the birds quite disappeared ; since which I 
have not observed a single individual. Though I was not so fortunate 
as to be present at their general assembly and council when they con- 
cluded to take their departure, nor did I see them commence their 
flight ; yet I am fully persuaded that none of them remain in any of 
our chimneys here. I have had access to Ross's chimney where they 
last resorted, and could see the lights out from bottom to top, without 
the least vestige or appearance of any birds. Mary Ross also informed 
me, that they have had their chimneys swept previous to their making 
fires, and though late in autumn no birds have been found there. 
Chimneys also which have not been used have been ascended by sweeps 
in the winter without discovering any. Indeed all of them are swept 
every fall and winter, and I have never heard of the Swallows being 
