Evening star., 1949-10-17
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH
PORTER STREET.

Dear Sir:
Il wonder If you would tell me something
about chimney swallows. Recently I have
been watching these birds fly into a big
chimney on Connecticut avenue near Porter.
I have been told they stay in the chimney
day and night except for a brief period in
the late afternoon.
Soon there will be heat and smoke in
that chimney. and then where do they 20?
What did swallows do before there were
chimneys?
Yours truly, L.D.H."
Before there were chimneys for the CHM
ney swifts, there we're hollow trees.
Tall hollow sycamores were favorites.
Often the giants of Americas original for
eSts were hollow. but still standing, veritable
"chimneys" of the woods.
To these hollow trunks the birds naturally
took, and so it was no wonder that when
man finally erected tall chimneys in Amer
lea, they utilized them, too
Barn swallows and cliff swallows, near
relatives to chimney swifts, had to adapt
themselves to mans inventions, too
Both these birds took to barns and build
Ing nests under bridges because of the in
sects brought to them in this way by the
animals
The chimney swift found that tall CHM
peys were even better for his purposes than
tall hollow trees For one thing, the right
sort OF tree became increasingly difficult to
fnd. whereas the chimneys grew" taller
and broader
If heat and smoke finally drove them out.
and some of the birds were lost, it was only
the penalty they had to pay for living in
in the same way.
Not many persons have sean tho suif+.
alight any place. and at one time there was
thought to be mystery about their migra-
ton.
These birds eat only what they can catch
in the air. taking huge quantities of insects.
It may be realized that when real autumn
cold Kills off the small insects, the swifts
must leave for the South, where they can
still find their favorite foods flying around.
The gathering of these birds above a
chimney and their downward absorption in
It, like smoke in reverse. is a wonderful
sight.
John Burroughs, the naturalist, described
it as follows:
"One fall they gathered in this way and
took refuge for the night in large Chin
ney-stack near me for more than a. month
and half.
Several times went to town to witness
the spectacle. and spectacle it was; ten thou
sand OF them. think filling the air above
whole square like whirling swarm of
huge black bees. but saluting the ear with
a multitudinous chippering instead of a
humming.
People gathered on the sidewalk to see
them. It was rare circus performance
free to all.
AFTER great many feints and playful
approaches, the whirling ring of the birds
would suddenly grow denser above the
chimney; then stream Of them as If drawn
down by some power Of suction, would pour
into the opening.
For only few seconds would this down.
ward rush continue; then, as if the spirit
OF frolic had again got the upper hand Of
them, the ring would rise and the chippering
and circling would go on.
"In a minute or two the same maneuver
would be repeated, the chimney, as it were.
taking its swallows at intervals to prevent
choking.
1T usually took half hour or more for
the birds all to disappear down its capacious
throat"
Swifts resemble woodpeckers, in that they
can press the tail against the surface as an
additional support. So they can cling to
the inner surface of chimney, but cannot
manage to perch on bough as most birds
do.
They resemble swallows, in that they have
small bills, long wings and large mouths
for scooping In insects.