m o re in tr e p id o n e s m a y a r r iv e som e few d a y s e a rlie r. B y th e 1.5th o f th o m o n th as
m a n y a s fo r ty p a irs h a v e b e e n c o u n te d iu th e d u s k o f th e tw ilig h t, w h ic h is l ig h t e n o u g h
to see to r e a d b y a t m id n ig h t d u r in g th i s se a so n o f th e y e a r. T h e e a rlie s t a r riv a ls d a r t
in to th e u s u a l p la c e s o c c u p ie d b y th em a s th o u g h th e y w e re th e id e n t i c a l b ird s lia tc lied
th e r e tb e p re c e d in g y e a r. O n t h e i r a r r iv a l th e y a r e lo u d in th e m a n ife s ta tio n s o f jo v
f o r th e te rm in a t io n o f t h e lo n g jo u r n e y la te ly w in g e d to th e d i s ta n t n o rth .
“ I n th e s p r in g o f 1 8 7 0 sn ow -sq u a lls a n d fro s ty Aveathcr h e ld u n t i l l a t e in ,Tune. T h e
p o o r b ird s h a d h a d n o o p p o r tu n i ty to re c o v e r th e i r e x h a u s te d c o n d itio n , r e s u lt in g from
th e i r lo n g f lig h t. M a n y o f th em s u c o nm b e d to th e c h illin g v -e a th e r, w h ile o th e rs ,
b e n um b e d b y th e co ld , p e rm itte d tliem se lv e s to b e h a n d le d a n d se em e d to e n jo y th e
w a rm th g iv e n o u t b y th e h a n d s , a s th e y n e s tle d c lo s e ly b e tw e e n th em , Avithout e v in c in g
a n y fe a r.
“ T h e y b u ild th e i r n e s ts o n th e b e am s p ro je c tin g from t h e o ld h o u s e s a n d u n d e r tlie
c a v e s o f th e o th e r b u ild in g s . N id iiic a tio n b e g in s a s so o n a s th e s u n th aw s th o g ro u n d
su ff ic ie n tly to alloAv th em to o b ta in th e m u d w i th AA’h ic h to c o n s tru c t th e i r n e s ts . A l t e r
t h a t th e y a r d is s e a rc h e d fo r f e a th e r s AA'itli Avhich to lin e it. A t th i s sea so n o f th e y e a r
m a n y g am e b ird s a r e k ille d fo r f o o d ; h e n c e th e y a r d h a s v a r io u s k in d s o f fe a th e r s in
a b u n d a n c e . T h e SAvalloAvs a p p e a r to d e lig h t in p ic k in g u p a f e a th e r , c a r ry in g i t high, in
th e a ir , a n d d ro p i t to c a tc h i t a g a in a s i t f lu tte r s dowiiAA'ards. O f te n tim e s two o r m o re
SwalloAvs w ill jo in in p la y in g Avitli a la rg e f e a th e r , from th e b re a s t o f a S iv an . I h av e
se e n o n e SAvallovv c h a s e a n o th e r , w h ic h Avas c a r ry in g o u e o f th e s e la rg o fe a tlie rs , s n a tc h
i t from h im , o n ly to b e fo llow e d in m o s t w o n d e rfu l a e ria l e v o lu tio n s b y th e o n e from
AA-hicli i t Avas t a k e n . T h is s p o rt c o n tin u e s fo r a n h o u r a t a tim e .
“ T h e llu s s i a n s p ro te c te d th i s h i r d ; h e n c e i t se em s to h a v e le s s f e a r o f m a n in t h a t
re g io n tlia n in Avarmer c lim a te s .
“ J l y windoAv w a s a f a v o u r a b le s i tu a t io n from Avhich to o b se rv e th e s e h ird s c o lle c t
n u id for th o ir n e s ts . 1 n e v e r b e fo re knCAv hoAV i t Avas d o n e , h u t su p p o se d t h a t th e y
¡lick e d tlie n u id -p c llc ts u p betAveen th e i r b e a k s . I h a v e Avatclied th em fo r h o u rs a t a
tim e , a n d Avhen m y ey e s w e re n o t fo u r fe e t d i s ta n t from th e b ird s a t Avork. T h e y
Hew to tlie p u d d le o f Avater a n d m u d , s te p p in g o v e r th e g ro u n d u n t i l th e y fo u n d a p la c e
h a v in g th e p ro p e r c o n s is te n c y , Avhcn th e y AA'ould lo o k u p a t m e a s i f to sa y t h a t th is would
do. T lic n e c k is s t r e tc h e d o u t to n e a r ly i t s fu l l le n g th a n d th e h e a d k e p t Avith th o b ill
a t a r ig l i t a n g l e to th e n e c k . A s l ig h t p re s s in g o f th e b e a k in to th e e a r th a n d a tu g g in g
tAvist o f t h e b o d y g e n tly p u lls toAvards th e b ird a sm a ll p e lle t o f m u d . T b o b ird th e n
low e rs i ts n e c k to th e g ro u n d Avitli th o b e a k on th e o p p o s ite s id e o f th e p e lle t {or o u th e
s id e n e x t th e b ird ). T h e b e a k is n ow th r u s t u n d e r th e p e lle t u n t i l th e m a s s o f m u d is
p u s h e d o n to t h e to p o f th e b ill a n d r e s ts a g a in s t th e fo r e h e a d . T h is is th e m a n n e r in
Avhicli i t o b ta in s th e m u d a u d is in p o s itio n to e n a b le th e b ird to d e p o s it it. T h e m u d
is a lso ])la s ie re d o n w ith th e to p o f th e b e a k .
“ T h e SAvalloAv f r e q u e n t ly r e a r s tw o b ro o d s in a s in g le se a so n . T h e f ir s t b ro o d is
fu lly fled g e d a n d o n tlie Aving b y th e l o t h o f J u ly . T h e se c o n d b ro o d is r e a d y f o r f lig h t
b y th e 2 5 tli o f A u g u s t. T h e y r em a in a r o u n d th e R e d o u b t u n t i l th e 1 8 th o r 2 0 th o f
ScptcTiibcr. P r e v io u s to th e i r d e p a r tu r e th e y a s s em b le o n th e b u ild in g s , in th e e v e n in g s
a n d th e e a rly m o rn , f illin g th e a ir w i th th e i r tAvitter. T h e l a te y o u n g a r e s om e tim e s u o t
r e a d y to u n d e r ta k e th e i r lo n g jo u r n e y , b u t th e o ld e r h ird s g a th e r ro u n d th em a n d a c tu a lly
jm sh th em from th e b u ild in g to m a k e th em fly, a s th e y s e em to fe a r to t r u s t th em s e lv e s
to th e i r Avings.
“ T h e i r a r r iA 'a l i n s p r i n g i s a lw a y s w e l c o m e d b y t h e p e o p l e w h o l i v e i n t h e R e d o u b t ,
A v h ilc in t h e f a l l s o m e w i l l r e m a r k : ‘ I t h a s b e e n s o m e t i m e s i n c e I saAv a S w a l lo A v . ’
E a c h p e r s o n f u l l y u n d e r s t o o d t h e t h o u g h t t h a t o c c u p i e d t h e o t h e r ’s m i u d d u r i n g t h o
m o m e n t a r y s i l e n c e t h a t f o l lo A v e d t h e r e m a r k . I t m e a n t t h a t A v iu te r aa'us n e a r ; hoAv Avill
i t b e , a n d AA'liat s h a l l Ave d o ? ”
J l r . E . JV. N e ls o n a lso w r ite s :— “ B e fo re th e a iH e n t o f th e fu r - tr a d e r s th e s e b ird s
n e s te d in th e d e s e rte d Im ts o f th e n a tiv e s , as, in f a c t, th e y do, in m a n y in s ta n c e s , a t
¡a -escnt, a n d som e tim e s tlie y e v e n s lia re Avilh t l ie i r ovniers th e sum m e r-h o u s e s o n th e
LoAver Y u k o n . O n th e n o r th co a s t o f K o tz e b u e S o u n d , in th e a u tu m n o f 18SI, I fo u n d
tAvo n e s ts o f th e s e b ird s in a la rg o c le ft o f th e ro c k s , in to Avliich th e w a v e s h e a t. T h e ir
n e s ts Avore se e n in d e s e rte d h u t s o n th e sam e sh o re .
“ T h is SAvalloAV a r riv e s a s soon a s m ild s p rin g Aveather se ts in , g e n e ra lly from th e
1 8 th to th e 2 3 rd o f J l a y . T h e s e a is s t il l co v e re d Avith a n u n b ro k e n su riiic e o f ic e as
f a r a s th e e y e c a n re a c h , a n d Avinter a p p e a rs to h e h a r d ly g o n e Avhen t h e firs t a r riv a ls
re a c h S a in t J l ic h a c l ’s a n d com e fiu ttc riiig a b o u t th e i r fo rm e r n e s tin g -s ite s . T h o se
Avhoso n e s ts Avore in th e o ld o u th o u s e s , th e AvindoAvs o f Avhich a r e l e f t o p en in sum m e r,
b u t a r c n ow clo sed , t r y v a in ly to e n t e r a u d f lu t t e r j u s t b e fo re th e g la s s , u n t i l e x h a u s te d
a n d d riv e n to p e r c h o n th e ro o fs o f th e b u ild iu g s , o r u p o n a n a d jo in in g fe n ce. AVitliin
a few d a y s th e y a r e s e e n g la n c in g a ll a b o u t th e p la c e o r g lid in g in Avidc c irc le s o v e r th e
broAvn tu n d r a , Avhich a t th is tim e is s till m a rk e d h e r e a u d th e r e b y h e a v y sn ow -d rifts .
Tlu'iv a r r iv a l m a y h e fo llow e d b y fr o s ty n ig h ts , a n d e v e n snoAV-sqnalls a r c b y n o m e a n s
I'are, AA'hile r aw m is ty r a in s a re com m o n . S till th e b ird s a p p e a r to e n d u r e th e u n p le a s a n t
Aveatlier Avithout h a rm , a n d s h e lte r th em s e lv e s in old n e s ts o r o th e r p la c e s u n t i l th e s u u
sliiiics o n c e m o re . T h e s e o ld n e s tin g -s ite s a r e rc -o c c u p ic d a f te r b e in g re p a ire d , a n d a ll
n u in n o v o f s h e lte r in g n o o k s a r e ch o se n a s b u ild iu g - s ite s fo r th e iieAv-comcrs. U s u a lly a
n um b e r of p a irs ra is e tAvo b ro o d s in a sea so n , i f a u tu m n does n o t come to o e a rly . W h e n
A im 'u s t a r riv e s y o u n g a n d o ld ai-e se e n s u n n in g tbemselA'es in n o isy p a r tie s u p o n th e
loAv ro o fs o f th e lo g -h o u se s , w h ic h fo rm a fa v o u r ite c lia ttc r in g -p la c e . D a y b y d a y p asse s
in te a c h in g th e y o u n g th o u s e o f th e i r u n c e r t a in AA'ings, a n d s a d Avork som e o f th em
m a k e o f it a t firs t, a f lb rd in g am u s em e n t to th e dAvcllcrs o f th e h o u s e s . B e fo r e lo n g ,
lioAVCver, th e y fiy a s avcU a s th e o ld ones, a n d som e fin e m o rn in g avc Avakcto fin d a b la n k
in p la c e o f th e viA'acious th ro n g , th a t , lik e m a n y a n o th e r so u rc e o f p le a su r e , is n o t tn lly
a p p r e c ia te d u n t i l lo s t. T h e s k y seems to a s s um e a s a d d e r a n d m o re d re a ry a s p e c t, tlic
b row u e a r th lo o k s d u lle r , a n d th e p re s e n c e o f a g lo om y a u tu m n is m a d e m o re a p p a r e n t
b y th e c h e e rle s s s ile n c e . J I a n y d a y s s h a ll n o t p a s s b e fo re th e sn ow -c ap p e d h ill- to p s ,
lik e th e t e n t s a lo n g tlie co a s t, a n n o u n c e t h e ra p id a p p r o a c h o f a lo n g Avcarisomc
Avintcr. O c c a s io n a lly a p a i r h a v e th e i r u n fle d g e d y o u n g s till iu tlie n e s t, o r j u s t eom-
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