The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-05

I WONDER if it would be possible to
imagine a more perfect flying
machine than a swallow. Even
though we may not be specially inter
eHted lin birds, we can scarcely watch
the fight of a barn swallow for I'VE
minutes without a feeling of intense
admiration. Mark him as he swings
high overhead. bending his easy fight
TO the right or left, as the movements
OF his agile prey dictate; now watcn
him as he drops gracefully to the level
of the tan grass the tops OF which ne
fans into sudden motion with the
breath Of his Ions quick pinions, Now
straight toward you ne comes, like
puTple-feat heTed arrow which must
ITanshX your body but with a subtle
turn whose details no human eye can
see he passes close above your head,
and YOU hear the light swish OF those
marvellous wings. Then he is gone,
and turning, YOU see him floating
along close to the grass again, and on
10 some quiet pond whose shining sur
face breaks out into ripples at the deli
cate touch. Moving with a speed which
would probably enable him 10 leave am
express train far behind, he gives nO
suggestion of hurry; there seems to be
a reserve Of power i'm that slight but
steel-built frame which, If be but
Wllled DO. would carry him hve times
faster Knowing the wonderful speed
at which he goes about his daily work,
does IL not make you catch your breath
10 think what he might do If put 10 it
i'm q race, and the race were for his
Hfe2 And IL barn swallows could APP
preciate a joke, how tEey would smile
at the best efforts of Mr.. Santos-Du-
mont and the other flying men
during the aiF-ship contests at St.
L0uis-
So fast-mOving are the swallows. that
it is often difficult for bird students TO
identify them on the wing The barn
swallow is perhaps the best-kuoWn
Of ALL his deeply-fOrked tail alone
making it fairly easy Co recognize him.
Aside from his higkt he is a very
beautiful bird. His upper parts are
s-eely blue, and reflect the sunlight i'm
w0udrOus shades during his aerial
turniugs and twistings. His FOREHEAD.
throat and upper breast are chestnut
rutous, and there rs a. tina wash of the
same color over the rest of lis under
parts
In mis- nesting habits. the barn swaI-
low exhibits what 10 US seem 10 be
strange preferences, coming year
after year 20 rear his young iu certain
barns and Outbuildings, yet strictly
avoiding others which to ail appear
ances SHOULD suit him quite as Wen. If
ON the outside. under the caves; at
other times. they take advantage of a
broken window OF an open door, TO
make their homes against some pro-
lection on the inside of the building
The outside of the nest is made, as
most of us know of mud. which the
birds collect from the margins of
ponds and sWamps on the surface of
wet fields. inside there is lining Of
iray, and above these there is soft
bed of feathers, on which from four
10 six very thin-sheIed eggs are laid.
These eggs, WhieE are about three
quarters OF am inch in length are
white, spotted With brown.
The cin swallow often makes his
nest under the caves OF a barn also.
bur- although Dr. makes ID Of mud. it is
of quite a different shape Instead of
being open at the top. like that of the
barn swallow, 1T IS rooted ever. and
has round entrance hole al the side.
ihe eggs. four or five iu number. are
similar 60 those of the barn swallow
bur larger ass "a rule. This bird rs OF
local distribution and may bee common
on one town ana almost unknown fin
the next. Three years ago i watched
small colony Of these birds building
at nioueham, Mass. or. I should saw
trying go build" for not one Of them
completed nest The trouble was
with the material For some reason
they persisted In collecting sandy mud.
which stuck together very wen while
it was wet. but which fell apart as
soon as lt was dry. Ne sooner was a
nest wei on the road 10 completion
than down 30 fell ana although The
Difds were very persistent and tried
IL over and ever again for many
weeks. they finally went aWay without
laying an egg Had they been observ-
aut and receptive even to q small de-
gree % would seem that they might
nave taken tae cue from the barn
s"atlo"s WhIca WeEe building on the
inside q the same Darn. These bJpds
OBTAINED their mud from Different
source ahd. as IL was OF the right