Chimney Swift 
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from disuse. When the basket cradle has 
been stuck against a chimney-side, it looks as 
if it were covered with a thin coat of isinglass. 
On this lattice from four to six white eggs are 
laid. A friend, who innocently started a fire 
in his library one cold, rainy mid-summer even- 
ing, was startled and shocked when a nest and 
eggs suddenly fell on the hearth. He had no 
idea birds were nesting in his chimney. The 
rush of their wings he had thought was the wind. 
Of course the fire melted the glue, when down 
fell the cradle. Happily there were no “ babies 
and all” to tumble into the flames. 
When the baby swifts are old enough to 
climb out of the lattice, they still cling near 
it for about a fortnight waiting for their wings 
to grow strong, before they try to leave the 
chimney. Apparently they hang themselves 
up to go to sleep. Shouldn’t you think they 
would fall on the hearth down stairs? Doubt- 
less they would but for their short, thin, stiff- 
pointed tail, feathers which help to prop them 
up where they cling to the rough bricks and 
mortar of the chimney lining. Woodpeckers 
also prop themselves with their tail feathers, 
but against tree trunks. Not until swifts are 
a month old do the lazy little fellows climb out 
of their deep, dark cavern into the boundless 
sky, which is their true home. No birds are 
more tireless, rapid flyers than they. Their 
