The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-10-17
COMMUNICATIONS.
Swallows.

10 fHe EhtOf " fHe fTesss
These little harbingers OF summer have re-
gently taken their departure from our midst,
as unceremonously and suddenly as they make
their annual visitations among us,-always
welcomed as sure premonitors of summer
weather, and always seemingly glad to have
escaped from some unhappy bondage. We
first observe them in due season sweeping
gracefully along near the surface of the earth,
and anon fastening upward and onward, soon
again to descend to medium attitude, all the
while seemingly exchanging congratulations
and salutations as they pass and repass in re-
view, filling the behoder with admiration of
the gracefulness of those mysterious gyrations,
and with wonder as TO the object of their hasty
and busy pursuit, on this, their sudden appear
anee among u.s. Whence do they come so
promptly at summers approach, and whittier
do they 60 at the time of its departure? are
questions often asked and as variously an
swered. Looking over the first volume OF
Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences" printed in Boston in 17S3
came across paper touching this interesting
subject, and thinking that a perusal of 1t might
crafty your readers at this time, as 1t certain
ly did me, transcribed it, and herewith trans
init 1t for publication in your columns, if YOU
may feel disposed to give it place there
Yours &c. Z.
A Letter on the Retreat Of the House Scai-
lo,cs in Winter, from the Honorable Sam
ttet Derter, Esq, to the Honorable james
BoUdoia Esq, Pres. A. Il.
DEDHAM, June Sd, 17S3. =
DEAR SIR:-Among tie more important
branches OF Natural History with which You
are conyersant, ornitholagy cannot have es-
capped your notice.
know it has been problem among uatur-
alists whether certain species of birds emigrate
in autumn to certain distant countries and re-
turn in the spring, or remain with us during
the winter in torpid state; and that the for
mer opinion has generally prevailed When,
therefore, acquaint you that have adopted
the latter, with respect to the house sudftow,
you will justly expect that give you substan-
tial reasons for differing from SO many who
have maintained the contrary. tE ~
The late Judge Foster, af Brookfield. year
or two before his death, assured me that he
saw certain pond drained, about the season
of the year when the swallows first appear.
The business being effected and the weather
fair and warm, he, with several others. OBJ
served ripping motion in many parts of the
emptied hollow, which, on near inspection,
they found to be occasioned by multitude OF
swallows. .endeavoring to disengage themselves
from the mud, which was scarcely covered by
the shallow remains of water.
l shall now mention some other facts which
render it probable that this sort of swallows
sink into ponds and rivers in the fall of the
year and lie there, benumbed and motionless,
until the return of spring.
You may know, sir, that my house Is near
a large river. This river Is, in many parts.
shallow, and has muddy bottom. A former
neighbor of mine, plain, honest and sensible
man, now deceased, who lived still nearer the
river, used frequently to say to me, as the
warm weather came on in the spring, 'it is al
most time for the swallows TO come out of the
mud where they have lain all winter" On
my calling his philosophy, once and again, in
question, and saying as formerly believed,
that doubtless they were birds of passage, he
has repeatedly assured me he had, in the au-
tumn OF many years, seen great numbers of
them on one day onlyin each year, and nearly
about but not always on the same day of the
month, sitting on the willow bushes, (which,
by the way, they are not wont to roost upon
at other times) on the borders of the river a
little after sunset that they seemed as if their
torportude had already begun, as they would
not STIR from the twigs, which by the weight
OF the swallows was bent down almost TO the
water; and that although he had never seen
them sink into it, yet he has waited till it was
so dark that he could not discern them at all,
and doubted not OF their immersion any more
than II he had been a witness of it, for he had
never observed any flying about afterwards
till the return of spring He added, that il, as
he wished, l would carefully look out for their
resurrection, he believed it would not be in
vain. He had, he said often taken notice
that only a few appeared at first and the main
body in about a week after.
Although paid little regard to il for some
years, yet followed his advice at length, and
watched for their appearance for several years
as carefully as could | have not. indeed
beheld them rising out of the water vet
and my family have, in more years than one.
seen at the proper time in the spring. very
large focks of them in my own and in my
neighbor's land, SO near the margin of the
river that from that circumstance the appear
ance of their feathers and their being unable
to use their wings as at other times, we con-
cluded they were newly emerged iiom the
water
When they attempted to fly they could not
reacn above eight or ten yards before they set
tied TO the ground and there might be drove
ABOUT IKE chickens. They appeared unwill-
ing 10 pe disturbed and, if not frightened by
some noise or motion, would cluster together.
seeming 10 want to rest themselves as If feeble
or Iatlgued. ihey were not entirely recoy-
ered from tuelr stupor, there was viscous
substance on or about their wings or they
were too weak to fly away We had seen
none in those years before; but in each of
them, after day or two, they were flying
about as usual in summer.
In addition to the foregoing can assure
you, on the most credible testimony. that
there have been more instances than one of a
pickerefs being caught in this river at the
season of the coming of swallows, with one
OF those birds in its belly.
/ may possibly overrate these discoveries
yet, as cannot overrate your candor hope
to lose no credit by communicating them TO
an old and faithful friend, who though he
should not be informed, may possibly be
amused by them.
am with the sincerest esteem