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Swallows at Sea

(325) Thou art perched aloft on the beetling crag, And the waves are white below, And on, with a haste that cannot lag, They rush in an endless flow.

Again thou hast plumed thy wing for flight To lands beyond the sea.

And away, like a spirit wreathed in light, Thou hurriest, wild and free.

Lord of the boundless realm of air, In thy imperial name, The heart of the bold and ardent dare The dangerous path of fame.

Beneath the shade of thy golden wings, The Roman legions bore, From the river of Egypt's cloudy springs, Their pride, to the polar shore.

And where was then thy fearless flight?

O'er the dark, mysterious sea, To the lands that caught the setting light, The cradle of liberty.

Few persons have an opportunity to see their opinions respecting the migration of the Swallow tribe from this country.

That the actual migration of the Swallow tribe does take place has been fully proved from a variety of well-attested facts; most of which have been taken from the observation of navigators who were eye-witnesses of their flights, and whose ships have sometimes afforded to them resting-places in their toilsome journeys.

There occurred on board the French steamboat Abd-el-Kader, during the passage from Marseilles to Algiers, an unusual circumstance. Just as the vessel was about two hours out the skies became quite black with Swallows. It was then about six o'clock in the evening. The birds alighted in thousands on the sails, ropes and yards of the Abd-el-Kader. the proud Eagle in his magnificent flights. After a perky survey of the deck from He is in marked contrast with our beautiful domestic Swallow, whose swift and graceful motions every boy and girl may watch.

The Graceful Swallow. their eminences aloft, they descended coolly on deck, hopped about among the sailors and passengers, and eventually found their way into the cabins, both fore and aft. The birds were evidently fatigued after a long flight, and allowed The bill of the Swallow is short, broad at the base, small at the point, and some- themselves to be caught by the people of what bent. The nostrils are open. The the ship, who gave them a welcome tongue is short, broad and cloven. The reception and provided them with food, tail, except in one species is forked; and which they enjoyed heartily. The little the wings are long. The legs are short, winged strangers remained all night on and (except in four species, in which they the vessel, and in the morning at seven are all placed forward) the toes are placed o'clock the head look-out bird had, no three before and one behind. doubt, sighted the Balearic Isles, for the Swallows are easily distinguished from whole flock made for land, after having all other birds, not only by their general spent a comfortable and refreshing night structure, but by their twittering voice, on board ship. and their manner of life. They fly with Swallows are not such birds as thrive great rapidity, seldom walk, and perform well in, cages. There are birds that do all their functions either on the wing or not seem to mind their confinement; they sitting. By means of their wide mouth make friends with the boys and girls of they easily catch insects in the air, or on the household, and appear to be almost the surface of the water; and on these as happy as they would be if set free. It they subsist. is not a good trait in any young person to Naturalists have been much divided in wish to deprive one of God's creatures of its liberty, and if we were to attempt to accompanying this, shows you some chil put ourselves in the place of birds which dren in the field. They have set a bird