Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-08-10

att
and, ~ It takes first rank anon.
OF birds famous for their powe, :, smiiy
20 y also this flight and the prensr.,,a
for Il matter Of great interest. '''on
In the middle states, the barn sw.,
appears after the first week in ...,, o~
time when the flying insects upon -
II feeds may be expected to be ,I...,.
Its frst appearance, as well as ~ ,a..
autumn, Is usually in the viclr,,s "a
water, and before pairing, the nigh,,a
roost OF the birds is in the low bu.ss.t,
some marshy meadow. Two brood.
reared in season, the first mes, ~ .'e
built in early May and the second in ,s
and on two occasions we have had ~,
nest in our barn in the middle OF Ar.n..
The sets OF eggs vary from four 10 b.,
dozen. The ground color is white -
they are thickly spotted with varion.
shades Of brown. The young hird.
first are dull and brownish looking ~
like bank swallows, and even the ,o,lss
tailed is not we'll developed in the -
young.
During the nesting season the ~,
flight OF the barn swallow il No.
ant, and, as the birds are OF sociabls
nature, they often go out in groups wha~
in search OF food, their happy twitter;,.
song when on the wing being one Of N.
sounds We should miss sadly, In saa,,
tion to killing myriads Of mosouitos ga
their kin, flies are taken, small beetles,aDs
several species Of winged ants.
Every one who, on cloudy day or fs,.
In the afternoon, has stood by a mill.
pond or other large body OF forest wa,s,
must have noticed these swallows SKIM
ming low over the water, taking the snst.
that swarm there, upon wings that neve,
tire. 1t WAS often the habit of bows ,s,a
and worse, to throw sticks and other
missiles at these low-fying birds. to 500
how many they could kill, this game be.
ing played in the nesting as well a. the
fiocking season. This sort OF thing ia
OF course, mere wanton cruelty, as tbere
can be no prctence of eating the birds.
BE the cause what il may, this swallow 4
decreasing rapidly here in southern CON.
necticut, and one day this spring. in a
drive OF twenty miles through the real
farming country where there was iair
proportion OF old-iashioned, weathersd
barns, saw only three small colonies Of
the birds.
Barn swallows were also one Of the first
"bonnet martyrs" among our familiar
birds, that attracted the attention Of bird
lovers more than twenty-five years ago
TO the necessity OF bird protection. The
breast and wings OF these beautiful birds
were used to such an extent for millinery
that an editorial appeared in Forest ard
Stream entitled ..Spare the swallows.s
This agitation resulted in the organizs-
tion OF the first Audubon society, in 1876.
In the latter part OF August, the family
groups break up and the general iiocking
begins. From this time on until their
final disappearance, the barn swallow and
his brothers, the bank and the tree swal-
low, lend life and beauty to the autumn
Landscape, whether they perch upon way
side wires, pluming themselves, or
whether they flock and wheel over sand
dunes and meadows, as IL preparing for
the tiight of migration, which, according
to my own observation, begins, at least, By
daylight.
Inc SEASON Oh .he barn swallows DIS
appearance varies doubtless according 10
season ana locality. Mr.. Chapman gives
oc.ooe' i-lo ios Its time OF leaving TIE
vicinity OF New York. Here in southern
N"inae'ieu. We nave good spihSilhs OIL
'heih un'h the 'niro week oil oetooef' oo'h
rs ihoi'iauai ana As parts OF the mixed
noeNs an "nich the swallow family
travels. everything concerning the lie
OIL Darn swallow Is SIMPLE, innocent anu
suggestive Oh the dawn OF things before
win na.a'e mao learned 10 DC WHY 70
p'o'ec. tse'i against the wilss oil man,
YET lnis swallow Is quick OF Wiz as oil
~nne' where the care OF its young Is
concerned, ana well remember the e4-
Peoieht tesorted 70 by a pair OF swallows
VINO could not coax their beiated nesthnss
TO leave, on rafter in our hay-loit.