136 
BARN SWALLOW. 
and invariably rise to a certain height, in a compact spiral 
form, and which at a distance often occasions them to be 
taken for an immense column of smoke. This attained, they 
are then seen separately to disperse in search of food, the 
occupation of their day. To those who may have had the 
opportunity of observing the phenomenon of a waterspout, 
the similarity of evolution, in the ascent of these birds, will 
be thought surprisingly striking. The descent, which 
regularly takes place at sunset, is conducted much in the 
same way, but with inconceivable rapidity. And the noise 
which accompanies this can only be compared to the falling 
of an immense torrent, or the rushing of a violent gust of 
wind. Indeed, to an observer, it seems wonderful, that 
thousands of these birds are not destroyed, in being thus pro- 
pelled to the earth with such irresistible force .” * 
How devoutly it is to be wished that the natural history of 
those regions were more precisely known, so absolutely 
necessary as it is to the perfect understanding of this depart- 
ment of our own ! 
The Barn Swallow is seven inches long, and thirteen 
inches in extent ; bill, black ; upper part of the head, neck, 
back, rump, and tail-coverts, steel blue, which descends 
rounding on the breast; front and chin, deep chestnut ; belly, 
vent, and lining of the wing, light chestnut; wings and tail, 
brown black, slightly glossed with reflections of green ; tail, 
greatly forked, the exterior feather on each side an inch and 
a half longer than the next, and tapering towards the 
extremity, each feather, except the two middle ones, marked 
on its inner vane with an oblong spot of white; lores, black, 
eye, dark hazel; sides of the mouth, yellow; legs, dark 
purple. 
The female differs from the male in having the belly and 
vent rufous white, instead of light chestnut : these parts are 
also slightly clouded with rufous ; and the exterior tail-feathers 
are shorter. 
* Henderson’s Honduras , p. 119. 
