Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-08-31

The Tree Swallow.
[By Mabel ossood Wright. Published by the
NstionAl Association Of Audubon societies.l
This bird, known also ~ the white
bellied swallow, may be easily distin-
guished from his brethren by his dark
back, lustrous with glints OF metallic
blue and green, and his pure white under
parts that extend quite up to the bill;
white marking 90 precise that the dark
head marking,at . short distance, looks
like cap pulled low. The tail is bluntly
forked, while the sharp pointed wings ex-
coed il in length, this being very notice.
able when the bird Is at rest upon the
wayside telegraph wires, his favorite post
Of vantage.
II the sight OF the barn swallow
arranging his stucco-work home on the
rafters 10 one Of the signs OF coming sum-
mer in the real country, so the April re-
turn OF the tree swallow is one Of the first
authentic signs of spring; for, being an
insect-eater, it cannot live until winged
insects life Abounds. The Phoebe, also .
feeder upon winged insects. come in March,
it is true, but locating As 1t does about
barnyards and outbuildings, where man.
ure il stored, it 10 more sure OF its food
supply than the tree swallow, which ma
turally belongs TO the rcmoter region Of
wooded pond edges, where the frost
lingers.
Time was when the swallow was evenly
distributed through its range, which ex-
tends in the northeast ~ far Is Alaska,
and could be found nesting in the major
part Of IL, but now 1t has become much
localized a. . summer resident on account
Of the diniculty OF finding suitable nest
ing places. Like the bluebirds and wood
peckers, this swallows natural nome Is .
tree hole, and, As land comes under cuiti-
walton, the hollow trees quickly disap-
pear, except in swsmpy regions where the
inaccessibiiity as well ~ the hslf-rotten
condition OF the timber has saved it.
In many places, the tree swallow, like
the purple martin, will adapt itself to .
bird box, artificial hollow in q post, or
even . hollow gourd, such as may be
found in the south, suspended for the
martins. But, unlike this latter bird or
the barn swallow, the tree swallow does
not seem to be gregarious, to any great
extent, in the nesting season. The COM
ing OF the English sparrow has been as
disastrous to the semi-domesticated tree
swallow as to the martins and bluebirds,
so that those who chung to their old
haunts and adapted themselves to new
conditions have been obliged to shift
ground, and hereabout have only known
OF one pair nesting during the past Ave
years.
The nest, or rather hole-lining, il made
OF dried grass and . few feathers, put to-
gether without the plaster used by the
barn swallow, and the half-dozen eggs are
paper-white like those of the woodpeckers.
This total absence of color In the eggs OF
some notable tree trunk nesters is one OF
the arguments used by the color-protec-
ton theory being in . hole, the eggs do
not need the protection Of color to conceal
them.
The tree swallow is Q notable insect
eater and has many attractive domestic
habits; it is not in the nesting season, but
in the long period Of the fall migration,
that we are the most familiar with 1t. In
deed, this event, spread ~ it is from July
to late October, 10 one Of the great spec
tacular features OF bird life; for, though
the large hocks are made up Of both barn
and bank and cliff swallows, the tree swal-
lows are greatly in the majority.
By day, these swallows skim over the
meadows and country at large with wide
circling fight, easy to distinguish from
the more angular course OF the barn swal-
low. Toward night, they gather either in
the low bushes Of some region Of ponds, or
the back-water Of rivers, where they roost,
coming forth again in clouds at dawn.
This fact, that during the migration
swallows invariably roost near water, gave
rise to the aburd old idea that they dive
into the water and spend the winter in
the muddy bottom in . state OF hiberna-
ton. From roosting in the bushes on the
sandy bars above marshes and along
creeks where the bay berry is common, the
tree swallow, kept in cover by storms, was
doubtless driven by necessity to feed
upon the waxy bayberries, for certain it is
that this berry is the one exception to its
insectivorous diet. Miss Lennon has
told in Bird-Lore Of one Of these fiockings
at Englewood, N. J.
On October 8, 1889, my attention was called
TO . huge dock OF tree swallows about . quar-
ter Of mile from my home. These birds are
abundant here from July TO October, but ON
this occasion ct least. 2,00o-estimating from
photographs and from the counting OF the
live birds-were collected on the telegraph
wires and in the adjoining fields, and not
single specimen Of any other species could
be found in the flock.
On the wires were hundreds ut . time,
crowded together between the three poles;
they seemed to have lost their usual fear Of
man, remaining even when carriages went
To keep your health sound; TO avoid the
his OF advancing years; TO conserve your
physical forces for ripe and healthful old
age, guard your kidneys by taking Foley's
Kidney Remedy. q. A. PARCHER.