The Tree Swallow 
103 
THE TREE SWALLOW 
Called also: White-breasted Swallow 
Probably this is the most abundant swallow 
that Ave have; certainly countless numbers 
assemble every year in the Long Island and 
Jersey marshes, perch on the telegraph wires 
and skim, with much circling, above the mead- 
ows and streams in a perfect ecstasy of flight. 
At a little distance the bird appears to be black 
above and white below, but as he suddenly 
wheels past, you see that his coat is a lustrous 
dark steel green. Immature birds are brownish 
g^ay. All have white breasts. 
As the tree swallows are the only members 
of their family who spend the winter in the 
Southeastern United States, they can easily 
arrive at the North some time before their rela- 
tives from the tropics overtake them. And they 
are the last to leave. Myriads remain in the 
vicinity of New York until the middle of Octo- 
ber. There is plenty of time to rear two broods, 
which accounts for the great size of the flocks. 
By the Fourth of July the young of the first 
broods are off hunting for little gauzy-winged 
insects over the low lands ; and about a month 
later the parents join their flock, bringing with 
them more youngsters than you could count. 
They sleep every night in the marshes, cling- 
ing to the reeds. 
