The Chimney Swallow. BIRDS. The Panayan Swallow. 287 
partiality exhibited for human habitations by this bird, 
as well as by many other species of the family, is very 
remarkable ; and it is no less striking, that of the two 
familiar British species, one, the Swallow, frequents de- 
tached country places, villages, and farm-houses; whilst 
the other, the Martin, takes up its abode in towns. This 
may perhaps be, to a certain extent, accounted for by 
tlie fact, that the situation very commonly chosen by 
the Swallow for building its nest is the interior of a 
chimney, and the chimneys of old-fashioned houses in 
the country may be better adapted for this purpose than 
those to which we are accustomed in towns ; but, what- 
ever be the cause, the fact is quite certain, both as 
regards this and other countries, so that Linnseus deno- 
minated the two species H. rustica and H. urbica. 
Although the Chimney Swallow has received its most 
general name from the somewhat peculiar position in 
which it builds its nest, it bj’’ no means confines itself 
to a habitation of this nature, hut builds readily in 
almost any suitable sheltered position. Thus the dis- 
used shafts of mines, and the sides of old wells, are 
sometimes resorted to by it ; occasionally it will build 
in the roof of a barn or shed, attaching the nest to the 
rafters, or in a garret or passage to which it may find 
easy access. In almost all cases it selects a point 
where some projection from the wall or other sheltering 
body forms a buttress on which its nest may be sup- 
ported. Some curious examples of the selection by 
these birds of rather anomalous places for their nests, 
are cited by Mr. Yarrell. He states that he had heard 
of the nest being built “ in the half-open drawer of a 
small deal table in an unoccupied garret, to which 
access was obtained by a broken pane of glass.” He 
mentions that he had in his collection a nest described 
by Pennant, built by a pair of swallows upon the body 
and-wing of an owl which was nailed against a barn, 
and quo’tes from a provincial paper the following most 
singular instance of eccentricity on the part of a pair of 
these birds : — “ A small steamer, the Clarence, lies at 
Annan Waterfoot, and plies between it and Port Cai’- 
lisle, in the way of tugging vessels. A pair of swallows 
built their nest last year under the sponsons of one of 
the paddle-wheels, not more than three feet above the 
water, and succeeded in bringing forth their young. 
There they are this summer again (1845). During 
neap tides the Clarence plies every other day, and often 
every day. When she leaves the Waterfoot, the 
birds leave her and keep on the Scotch side ; and when 
she returns, and is nearing Annan, the swallows inva- 
riably meet her, and accompany her to her berth.” 
The nest of the Swallow is built principally of mud 
or soft earth, collected in small pellets from the edges 
of ponds and other wet places. These are carried 
home in the bird’s hill and plastered on to the spot 
selected for the nest; fresh pellets are then brought 
and added, together with numerous straws and leaves 
of grasses, and the whole is gi'adually moulded into the 
form of an open saucer, attached by one side to the 
wall of the chimney or other place of retreat. A lining 
of feathers is then put into the nest, and upon these 
die eggs are laid ; they vary from four to six in num- 
ber, and are of a white colour, speckled with ash grey 
and dark red. Two broods are reared in the course of 
the summer ; of these the first is usually ready to fly by 
the end of June, and the second at the end of August. 
During the infancy of their offspring, the old birds are 
most assiduous in attending upon them, and have been 
observed to visit the nest about every three minutes 
throughout the day. When the young birds are nearly 
ready to fly, their parents still attend upon them, and 
gradually instruct them in the art of flying. Gilbert 
White says : — “ 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 con- 
ducted to the dead leafless bough of some tree, where, 
sitting in a row, they are attended with great assiduity, 
and may then be called perchers. 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 all the while utter- 
ing a little quick note of gratitude and complacency.” 
This process of instruction may be constantly observed 
both with the Swallow and the Martin, and the curious 
way in which the young bird, when just ready to fly, 
may be seen apparently to hesitate about throwing 
itself off from its elevated position on the house or 
chimney top, and yet evidently most anxious to try the 
strength of its pinions, is very amusing. Notwith- 
standing their affection for their young, the Swallows, 
as well as the Martins, have been known to desert their 
second brood, when the young birds have been unable 
to fly at the period of the southern migration. When 
the young birds are able to fly, they roost in great 
flocks amongst the osiers and reeds in marshy places, 
and continue to do so until the time arrives for their 
departure for the South, and as they are fat and of 
good flavour at this time, they are captured in great 
quantities in some parts of Europe, by means of nets 
spread at night over their roosting-places. 
The note of the male swallow is very sweet, and he 
sings both flying and perching. Both the swallow and 
the martin are exceedingly bold and courageous birds, 
and appear to be actuated by an intelligence which 
enables them to co-operate in anything which may tend 
to the common good. Thus, when a hawk makes its 
appearance in their vicinity, the swallow which first 
catches sight of this dangerous, or at all events sus- 
picious intruder, immediately sounds a shrill alarm, 
when all the swallows and martins in the neighbour- 
hood flock together to expel the common enemy, by 
pecking at him and annoying him in every possible 
way. 
THE PANAYAH SWALLOW [Hirundo panayana). 
which is the most abundant and generally distributed 
of the Indian swallows, is also found in the countries 
beyond the Ganges as far east as China, and in the 
islands of the eastern seas, including even the Philip- 
pines. It is very closely allied to our Chimney Swallow, 
both in its appearance and general habits. It is during 
the winter months that these birds are most abundant 
in the peninsula ofHindostan,and probably in their other 
