CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 29 
after sunset, the chimney swallows, 
colie ‘f " generally dispersed about town, began to 
toom*^* around the court-house, their numbers every 
ont increasing, till, like motes in the sunbeams, the 
of them. These, while they mingled 
in» other seemingly in every direction, uttcr- 
peculiar note with great sprightlincss, kept a 
h^ circuitous sweep around the top of the court- 
ceviT’' . client fourteen or fifteen feet above it, 
ten great rapidity for the space of at least 
^iind Tliere could not bo le.ss than four or five 
li^g j. cf them. Tliey now gradually varied tlieir 
,?®Ction, until one part of its circumference passed 
feet chimney, and about five or six 
of ejji Y® Some as they passed made a slight feint 
afte which was repeated by those immediately 
siofl.’ f**® whole circling multitude in succes- 
m this feint they approached nearer and nearer 
T®ey revolution, dropping perpendicularly, but still 
•Hore*'^ c^'er ; the circle meantime becoming more and 
gj.pjj. cciitracted, and the rapidity of its revolntieu 
***® ‘^wsk of evening increased, until, at 
^mnh ‘ *^'®® ““ctlier, dropped in, another and 
"'hoi ^cllou ed, the circle stilly revolving until the 
f'hese had descended except one or two. 
few s . ^ collect the stragglers, and, in a 
after ’^®*'®'‘iied, with six or eight more, which, 
all ®®, cr two rounds, dropjied in one by one, and 
Pcssihl , ®® fee night. It seemed to mo hardly 
accon ® 1 f^® ’•'femd surface of the vent could 
f^er tfiem all, without clustering on one ano- 
Very A ^ ^ informed they never do ; and I was 
tU"- observing their ascension in the morn- 
SmtiKn .• Ic set off before day, I had not that 
have • Mr Churchman, however, to whom I 
ohli„in'°®® f’'®“*”“*ttcd a few (jue vies, has been so 
®f Jun^^ T '"form me, that towards the beginning 
coi*^ ®’*"‘*^®e of those that regularly retired to 
of the V “®“®® to roost, was not more than one-fourth 
ormer ; that on the morning of the 2Sd of J une. 
