Swallows going to roost. 
Concord, Mass 
1887. 
Aug .15, 
(No. 2 ). 
ally settled. About 100 Red-wings had previously gone to 
roost in this thicket and the sudden dash of the Swallows 
tke. cmt 
threw them into a panic. For a moment^ was black with birds 
and their wings made a rushing like wind in the tree toj»s. The 
Red-wings soon settled again and after a few high evolutions 
the Swallows made another headlong dash at the thicket . This 
time perhaps one quarter of them alighted and the remainder 
soon joined them. For several minutes more they kept up a 
continual fluttering among the leaves. I could see them 
against the light in the west and noticed that they perched 
on the maple leaves bending them down with their weight. A 
small numbers settled in the willows. They made a curious 
chattering for awhile like English Sparrows. It was nearly 
dark before they were all settled and still, and dusky before 
they alighted at all. After all was quiet I pushed my boat 
noisily in among the trees and thrashed the branches with the 
paddle, shouting at the same time but although most of the 
Red-wings decamped in great alarm only three or four Swallows 
could be dislodged. 
US 
