THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 
591 
It is unfortunate that it is so difficult to keep these 
birds in a cage. A friend of mine once succeeded in 
keeping a white Chimney Swallow for several years : he 
fed it usually as one would feed a Nightingale. This, 
however, was quite an exception, for the little prisoners 
usually die very soon after their capture. 
We need not wonder at the number of legends, 
connected with the Swallow and its habits, which we 
hear, even in the present day, from the mouth of the 
populace. For instance, the old, groundless fable still 
meets with credence, that Swallows do not migrate 
southwards, but bury themselves in the mud at the 
bottom of ponds and lakes, or run into burrows in the 
ground and hibernate there. These stories probably 
have their origin from the Swallows assembling in 
immense flocks, and roosting in large reed-beds, whence 
they start on their long journey during the night. I look 
upon it as quite unnecessary to enter into an argument 
upon such a silly point, but I must once more repeat my 
assurance that I have regularly seen and watched our 
Swallows in regular flocks during the season of migration, 
between 15° and 12° north latitude, and I have on several 
occasions shot one out of such a flock, so as to make sure 
that my observations were correct. 
