The St. Johns herald., 1890-04-17
THE BARN SWALLOW.

It Exceeds All Other Members of Its Fam lily in Ease and Celerity.
 ' Nearly hundred species of swal- lows and a score or more of swifts a 6 recognized by naturalists. North America, exclusive of Mexico, is favored with seven of the former and four of the latter, while only three species of swallows and one or two of swifts come regularly to Europe. Our common or "ba; n" swallow is very similar to the European chimney swallow, and. in fact, may here be considered as identical, the specific distinctions being feebly marked. In both continents the barn swallow. to use the least confusing term. is the favorite of his family, and is the on,y bird commonly called swallow in Europe, both of the remaining species being termed martins. >" He exceeds all others of the better-known swal- lows in ease and celerity of motion. and fn the cheerful confidence with which he regards human kind. 1 fancy he does not often place his nest in the chimneys of modern England. howev- CT convenient he may have found those structures as built in ancient days. Barns and out-buildings are his favor ite summer homes; but in default Of these, in wild places, Q convenient spot about cliff or quarry is utilized. His twittering notes, though not in any sense a '!song," are always agree able, and when heard, some breezy summer afternoon. among the rafter= of roomy old barn, when one is ly- ing in half-lethargic state upon the new-mown n hay, are certainly the most pleasant and soothing of rural sounds. Barn swallows nests are usually made on beam or rafter, or plaste:ed to the side Of these supports. The ma- terial is mud. mixed with fine hay and grass, and strengthened with the glu- tinous saliva of the bird. The eggs are wkite, thickly spotted with brown, as are those also of the cliff swallow All the rest of our swallows. together with the swifts, have pure white eggs. Young barn swallows are not for some time able to follow the aerial evolu- tio9s of their parents. owing to the slow growth Of the long outer tail feathers that serve so admirably to balance the adults. They spend much of their time at rest, and even alight on the ground 10 pick up insects.
 < Notwithstanding their wonderful command of the air, swallows are ap- parently as much exhausted by a long migration as birds of far inferior voli- torial powers. During the passage of the Gulf of Mexico numbers alight upon every passing vessel, and even fall into the sea. The ordinary speed of the barn swallow has been estimated at a mile a minute, which rate, main tained for few hours, would easily enable them to compass any stretch of water that may lie in their way.
 In ancient times swallows were the subject of many strange tales and fa- bles, but were uniformly respected as the winged messengers of spring. Ii was always thought unlucky to xii. them. and a survival of these super stitions is now sometimes noticed in remote districts, where the killing of a barn swallow is supposed to cause cows to give bloody milk, and the nest ing of these agreeable birds in barn to protect it from lightning. Long may such notions pass current. if they serve to save the swallows; for it sure ly is bad luck to harm creatures so useful and pleasing. Wilson, in al- luding to this matter, acutely remarks: When the tsnets of superstition lean to the side of humanity, one can heart fly respect them;" and I am sure we all heartily agree with him. St Louis Globe Democrat.