Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-09-14


BY his loved masonry, that the Heavens breath
Smell. wooiugly here fuzzy. ftier-, buttre,s,
Nor eoigne Of vintage, ba, this bid hath made
Hi. pendent bed, and preerean; cradle where they
Most breed and haunt, have observed, the air
1. delicate.
The swallow Of this kind, however,
is always a temple-hunting or church
going swallow. Occasionally, he
contents himself with the abode Of
priest !; and some Yeas ngo, when
staying al the reciory of Stanbourne,
a retired village in Essex, was great
ly interested IN siege he and some
Of his neghbors galanlly sustained in
dwellings, they had built under the
caves OF the house.
In the latter part Of Spring, these
birds make their appearance with us
in England, if The weather is fine !;
but whence they come, ii would be
more difficult to tell. Many years
ago, an anonymous Person oi Learn
ing and PIety propoundcd the theory,
that they spent their by bernallon
either in the moon or in some inter-
mediate planet, too small TO be vIsl
bic from the earth, lying in the middle
of the sea, OF no other obvious use
than Tor fowls TO rest and breed upon.
This idea however, after beng tho
roughly sified 10y the naturalist Ray
ami his CORRESPONDENTS, was dismissed
as untenable even the nearest piaUel
being too lar off for such purpose.
CLAUS Magnus was the first who pro-
posed the submarine theory or,
rather, who stated as simple fact,
what was received as such by the
descending line Of philosophers, in
GLIDING Linn9us aud his rival Klein,
down to Baron Culver, that the swal-
low, like the little old man of German
tradition, tucked himself under the
water for his Winters sleep. The
most authentic narratives were given
one Of them read 10 our ROYAL So
cieiy-of the bushels OF swallows that
were dragged up from the bottom by
fishermen and 1t was stated that, al
though the birds were insensble,
their hearts were still pulsaiing At
length il occurred 10 some person in
Germany TO bring the question to n
practical test, who at once offered an
equal weight in silver for haul OF
the submarine swallows. No reply
was received, and the authentic slo-
ries ceased.
Let us get to the building, how
ever. Whether he comes from the
moon or the bottom of the water, the
swallow is here, and sets 10 work at
his nest in the fashion; this nest seems
TO be formed of such dirt or loan as
comes most rapidly 10 hand, and is
tempered and wrought together with
little bits Of broken straw, to render
i, tough and tenacious As this bird
often builds against d perpendicular
wall, lSllhout any projecting ledge I'M
der, II requires ITS utmost efforts TO
get the first foundation firmly fixed,
so tina, i, may safely carry the super
structure. On this occas on, the
bird not only clings with lis claws,
but partly supports itself 10y strongly
incllning its tail against the wall,
making that a lulcrum and thus
steadied, il works and plaslers The
materials into the face of brick or
stone. By this method, in abou, ten
or twelve days, is formed hemis-
pheric nest, with small aperture
towards the top, strong, compact,
warm, aud perfectly fitted for all the
purposes for which It is intended.
The shell or crust of the nest is "A sort
of rustic work, full OF knobs and pro
iurberances on the outside nor is
the inside Of those that ! have eX-
ahmed smoolhed with any exactness
al all, but is rendered soft and warm
and fit for incubation, by lining of
small siraws, grasses and leaibers;and
sometimes with u bedding !of moss,
interviewer with wool. They are
often capricious in fixing on nest
ling-place, beginning many edlfices,
and leaving them unfinished; but
when once nest is completed 10
sheltered place, il generally serves for
several seasons. Those which breed
in q ready. finished house, get the
start in Matching OF those tina. build
new, by ten days or a fortnight.
These industrious asIificers are ut
their lsbors in the long days before
four in the morning /; when they Tx
their materials, they plaster them on
fIHtf HH i. I|H .r."