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Lo u se s, b u t t h e g r e a t e r n um b e r re s o r te d to th e la k e s, to sp e n d th e n ig h t am o n g th e
m y r tle s . ‘ A b o u t s u n s e t ,’ h e c o n tin u e s , ‘ th c y l i e g a u to llo c k to g e th e r , c a llin g to ea cti
o th e r fo r t h a t pu iq io se , a n d in a s h o r t tim e p re s e n te d th e a |ip e a ra u c e o f c lo u d s m o v in g
tow a r d s th o la k e s , o r tlie m o u th o t tlie M is s is s ip p i, a s th e w e a tlie r a u d w in d s u ite d . T lie ir
a e r ia l e v o lu tio n s b e fo re th e y a l ig h t a r e t r u l y I ie a u titu l. Tliey a p p e a r a t ii r s t a s i f re-
c om io itr in g th e p l a c e ; w lie n , su d d e n ly th row in g th em s e lv e s in to a v o rte .\ o f a p p a r e n t
c o n fu s io n , th e y d e s c e n d s p ir a lly w ith a s to n is h in g q u ic k n e s s , iiiul v e r y m u c li re s em b le a
Irom b e o r w a te r-s p o u t. W l i e n w itliiii a few fe e t o f tlie d r i e r s , tlie y d isp e rse in a li
d ire c tio n s , a n d s e t t l e in a few m om e n ts . T lie ir tw itte rin g s , a n d th e m o tio n o f th e i r
w in g s , a re , liow ev e r, lic a rd d u r in g th e whole n i g h t ................ T h e h u n te r s w h o re s o rt to
th e s e p la c e s d e s tro y g ro a t iiiim iie rs o f th em , b y k n o c k in g tlie in d ow n w itli l ig h t p a d d ie s,
u s e d ill p ro p e llin g tlio ir c a n o e s .' I n a n o th e r p la c e , A iu lu iio n p r in t s a n o te from B a c h m
a n , wlio s ta te s t h a t o n th e lO tl. o f O c to lic r, 1 8 3 3 , in c om p a n y w ith D r . W ils o n a n d
M r. J . W . A u d u b o n , h o ‘ s aw su c li a n im m e n s e q u a n t i ty o f th i s sp e c ie s o f b ird t h a t th o
a i r w a s p o s itiv e ly d a r k e n e d . A s f a r a s tlie e y e co u ld re a c h , th e r e we re Swallows crowd ed
tliio k ly to g e tlic r, a n d w in g in g tl ie i r w a y so u tliw a rd ; th e r e m u s t h a v e b e e n m a n y
m illio n s ! ’ ”
T h e P la t e re p r e s e n ts th e o ld h ird s in s um m e r a n d w in t e r p lum a g e , a lo n g w ith a
y o u n g in d iv id u a l. I n th e m a p th e r e d c o lo u r e x h ib its tlie r e g u la r h re c d in g -ra n g c , a s
d e te rm in e d fo r u.s h y D r . C o u e s a n d M r. A lle n , a u d th e y e llow c o lo u r tlie migraatiou ¡iiid
w in te r r a n g e o t th e s p e c ie s ; tlie d o tte d sp a c e is a lso ’ in c lu d e d b y M r. AUeii in th e
lire e d in g - a re a o f th e spec ie s. W e r e tu r n o u r b e s t th a n k s to b o th th e a b o v e -n am e d
g e n tlem e n fo r th e h e lp th e y lia v e re n d e r e d u s iu e lu c id a tin g tliis d ifflc u lt su b je c t.