The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-09
SWALLOWS BY MYRI4DS.
The Visitation That Hns Descended Upon
an Island in n Maine River.

e4 49, A@aN
BANGOR, Sept. TN tho Piscataquis River. q
mile above the mill dam in the pretty manu-.
featuring town OF Foxcroft, Is the long, narrow
islet known as Long Island. 1t Is about 500 feet
In length, wedge shaped at the upstream end,
like q clippers bows, and Is covered with aid er,
pine, and birch trees aud dense underground.
When the ice In the spring comes down stream
on tho freshet It often banks up against the head
Of the island in Il great jam. extending quite
across the river. and holding back the ice foe
behind, which otherwise might sweep away
mills and mill dam below. Boating parties and
skaters sometimes land at the island, and in the
southern channel the fishermen catch big white
perch and pickerel. Otherwise 1t is as lonely as
Robinson Crusoe's Island, for 1t has no human
jewellers. Its inhabitants being wholly OF the am
phibiousa and the feathered varieties of wild crea-
lures. The mink aud the muskrat swim under
Its shelving bank, song birds nest among its low
trees and bushes. and from the projecting limb
Of a high dead tree at the waters edge the king
fisher undisturbod watches through the sum
mer day for fish.
But this year the routine OF peaceful island
life has been strangely upset. About the middle
Of August a vast army Of swallows, millions OF
them. descended upon the island ard has since
remained in possession, TO the unbounded Won
der OF the townspeople, who have never seen or
heard OF such an occurrence before. Nobody
knows when or whence these birds came,
only that one afternoon toward nightfall,
three weeks ago, II was remarked IN
the village that an unusual number of
swallows were skinming above the mill
pond, and their increasing numbers were
noted for several successive nights. But IL was
not suspected that these strangers had come TO
town to stay until one evening in tho same week
when John Robbins, the electrician at tho water
NWnRE AaWn n -wa.w a. H.. sI..l l. - -uIa
20 have a try at the white perch. As the bow OF
his boat touched the shore, striking among the
and" 50 he afterward said, seemed to be going
aloft into the air" with a mighty sound OF
tlutteringw wings, and a darkening OF the sky az
n with an eclipse. BY the time Johns wonder
at the phenomenon had somewhat subsidized he
could see that the uprising was Of birds, whi.h,
were now coming back and settling again 10
roost among the bushes. They were swallows,
u single tap. this winged stampede was repeated.
within sight OF the island the swal-
iitcTaIIy ruie he rnnst ~ ~ rnb T. LUMINOUS
and sparrows have hunted new localities. and
crows and hawks flying from East Dover to
ter rather than follow up the Piscataauis Val
ley past Long island. The owls in neighboring
are abroad, and come ont by night TO flap above
the island and pounce down upon the little
Minks that prowl BY, night about the island are
living high In these days, II Is believed. but cats
anu Wcdarls, Wh1ch strongly OBJECT 70 wetting
their feet, look longingly across the channel at
the island and think what they'd do II only they
could get over there dry shOd. The swallows |
sometimes ny about them as II 10 t~antalize |
them, but do not attack them as they have |
often been known TO do in nesting time.
With earliest daylight the swallows are
abroad, eireIing above the island and waters in
an eddytng swarm, from which groups dart in |
every direction. going long distances over the |
country. swallows are seen daily in the streets
OF villages ,ann Swimming above the water OF
streams and lakes twenty miles away, appear
ing and disappearing with mysterlOuss wiftness, |
which birds unlOubtellY are part OF the host
that roosts nightly on Long Island. About the
STAND at al times OF the day myriads Of swal-
lows are flying, but the most Interesting time to
see them Is as they gather at nightfall in vast
nocks, ike marshallinR armies, Just before set
ting down into the cOnceRlment OF the bushes.
VI course there are ali manner OF surmlses
among the Villagers respecting this remarkable
The general opinion Is that they are
gathering here from all parts OF northern Maine
from over tho Canadian border as we'll
preparatory 10 an unusually early southwark
or, according to some local believers,
TO diving down into the mud at the rivers bot
TOM, TO remain during the winter until the
cmekools note calls them forth I'm the spring. But
people, unite in believing that this early
.sriv : nnd Is san nfSiii6le REognostleauon OF an
PIE theory, entirely compatible with the others,
nat the early and general nockinR OF the swal-
.ows and their selection of this unusual water
'HrIo4naed retreat was in anticipation OF the
the air hazy OF In the Sebec Lake and
region. It Is not too much 70 suppose
hat the instinct which forewarns these birds OF
he changes OF weather and the character OF tile
,qinLhg season should also warn them that con-
itlohs OF drought such as now prevail would
ring about forest CONGREGATIONS, such as have
ince dlsastr0usly come 10 pass In the StaLes
bout the great Western LaksS