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

Once upon a time, all country children
knew barn swallow as well as they knew
the chickens they fed or the cattle they
drove to pasture; while, IL they could only
call a half dozen birds by name, this
swallow was sure to be one Of them.
Now, one may live in small town, on
the outskirts of village, or even in the
real open farming country, without hav-
ing the Darn swallow as neighbor, and
only know it as it perches on the telegraph
wires by the roadside or flies in great
fiocksf in company with others OF its
tribe, to its roosts in meadows in the fall
migration.
Why should this be, when the barn
swallow is not widely distributed over
our continent, but, being bird OF the
air and feeding upon the wing. 1t runs
fewer risks in getting its living than do
the birds OF the trees or grounds You
cannot tell, doubtless, and yet you may
also have noticed their scarcity, so let us
spend a few minutes with the bird itself,
as well as the conditions that surround 1t.
The barn swallow belongs to the family
Of Hirund;nidn equivalent Of swallow
There are over eighty species OF these
birds, quite generally distributed
throughout the world, while nine are to
be found at some time of the year within
purple martin, of the glis.ening purple
black coat, is the largest OF our swallows,
being trifie larger than either wood
thrush or catbird, while the ust-colored
bank swallow, whose coat blends well
with the bank OF clay or loan in which
est, being less in size than our chipping
sparrow.
Though there is considerable variety in
the piumage OF these swallows, all but the
bank swallow show more or less metallic
luster in the feathers OF the back, all
have pleasing mellow voices that are
heard in the simplest sort Of a song.
which lit We except the martins rather
piaintiyc notes. sound more like ripping
bird laughter than an attempt at singing.
In addition, they are all strong and swift
OF wing and weak OF feet; going to prove,
wings have been developed a; the expense
of their claws, and for this reason, when
they arc forced to perch they must choose
some very slender perch, such as the
telegraph wires.
In q family noted for its beauty and
grace, our barn swallow is we'll able to
hold his own; and his chief mark OF
identity, the deeply forked, spotted
tail, tells bis name, whether on the wing
or at rest, so that there should be no Diff
fieulty in naming him. Then, again, they
are always upon the wing, now following
some insect high in air, now skimming
low over the meadows, with a motion Pc
culisr to themselves flight that re-
sembles swimming or rowing in the air
so swiftly does the rudder-like tail keep
the balance in the rapid gyration OF the
body propelled by the long oar-iike wings.
The barn swallow is found not only in
all parts OF North America, but in Alaska
and Greenland as well, and II breeds in
the greater part OF its range where suit
able sites are TO be found. Now, this
question OF nesting-sites is OF great i'm
portance when we are trying TO account
for, at least, a local decrease in the num-
Der OF these birds, and for the cause and
its remedy. What is necessary in order to
make this swallow feel at home?
We associate him with the comfortable
old-fashioned barns, with open rafters,
doors that could not be tightly shut and
windows with many panes lacking. Here
the birds nestled, either in single pairs or
more often in colonies, fastening their
cup-shaped clay nests, made OF mud balls
ion OF human brick makers, TO the side OF
the hay-loft timbers or other convenient
places. This nest is usually so well lined
With the various feather picked up in the
barnyard below that before use has worn
it down II looks very much like some sort
Of furry cap turned inside out.
Nowadays, the new farming demands
that barns and other out buildings should
be tight and neat with paint, instead OF
covered with messed and weathered
shingles; SO that, as the new replaces the
old in their haunts, many pair OF swal-
lows drop from their sky-high wooing to
find closed doors and tight roofs staring
them in the face. SO they move on.
Where? That Is the question, for there is
no reason to suppose that there has been a
greater mortality among these birds during
the last ten years than in the decade that
preceded it. That barn swallows existed
before there were barns, goes without say
ing; consequently, if this were all, re-
turn to harmless condition should only
be matter of time.
Caves are known to be used to limited
extent, but may it not be possible that in
settled places the barn swallow may be-
come even further domesticated, from the
habit OF coming under the roofs Of the
porches and piazzas OF those who are
not too particular about little mud
and litter, as does the Phoebe, who was
originally clifY-dweller? have heard of
several individual cases OF this kind, and
it would be very helpful il the readers