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Show 328 MR. W. 11. HUDSON ON THE BIRDS OF BUENOS AYRES. [May 2, other, and tumble to the earth twenty times an hour, often struggling on the ground for a considerable time, and heedless of the screams of alarm their fellows set up above them; for often while they lie struggling do they fall an easy prey to some wily pussy, who thrives on their disputes. When these troubles and feuds are finally ended, they address themselves diligently to their great work, and build a rather large nest. They are not neat or skilful workers, but merely stuff a great quantity of straw and other light material into the hole they build in, and line it thickly with feathers and horsehair. The eggs are white and pointed, from five to seven in number. "All those species that are liable at any time to become the victims of raptorial birds are much beholden to this Swallow, as he is the most vigilant sentinel they possess : often when the Hawk is still far off and the other birds unsuspicious of his approach, the Swallows suddenly rush up towards the sky with a wild rapid flight, announcing the evil tidings with distracted screams. These are well understood ; and the alarm spreads like lightning through the feathered tribes, which are all in terrified commotion, crouching in the grass and plunging into thickets, or mounting upwards to escape by flight. I have often wondered at this ; for surely this swift-winged little bird is the least likely to fall a prey himself. " They have another habit which cannot but be grateful to the mind of every lover of nature who is an early riser. An hour before sunrise and ere any wild bird has broken the profound silence of night, multitudes of these Swallows, as at the signal of a leader, begin their song, at the same time mounting upwards into the still dusky sky. Their notes at this time are different from the hurried twitterings they utter through the day; they are impressive, and, though soft, may be heard at a long distance; sounding far and near, up in the sky, from so many throats, they have a most charming effect that seems in peculiar harmony with the shadowy morning twilight. " W e often see a Swallow here bearing a general resemblance to the H. leucorrhoa, but larger than that bird, without the blue and green reflections or colouring, and with a tinge of chestnut on the neck, rump, and sides. " It does not breed or remain any time with us ; but we see so much of it that it should, I think, have its place in our ornithology. I regret to say that I do not know its name or summer-home, not possessing any of those large works on South-American species that could probably enlighten m e on the subject*. But even the necessarily imperfect notice I can give of it will perhaps enable you to determine its species. I have scattered through m y papers numbers of notes on this Swallow, having observed it much to discover the direction of its flight; but I have always found it very irregular in its movements and times of appearing, also that it is vastly more numerous some years than others. Indeed sometimes a season passes without one individual being seen ; other years they have only * This species may possibly be Petrochelidon americana (Gm.), ( = Hirundo pyrrhonota, Vieill.).-P. L. S. |