page [47] (seq. 49)

47
Grindstone Neck, Winter Harbor, Me.
1901
July 23
(2)

About noon we all walked down to the Swimming
Tank, excavated out of the solid rock at a cost
of $5000. It is enclosed in a sea wall, is very
capacious, with sandy bottom and grades from a beach
to about 11 feet in depth. Helen & May went in
bathing. I met Mr. Richmond of Providence and
his wife, Mr. Trotter of Philadelphia, Mrs. Taylor &
Mrs. Dixon both of Phila. [Philadelphia] also.

May took me to drive this afternoon along the
shore to what is called the Sands, a bay with
a sandy beach, the nearest bit of sea beach to
this spot. The drive is east through Winter Harbor
for five or six miles. The country is very rugged
grown up with Spruces, Birches, Arbor Vitaes, [?]. We
passed a few farms. In several places the Swallows
were very abundant on the telegraph wires. I made
out the greater number, at least two hundred in all, to
be Eave Swallows, next about one hundred, Barn
Swallows, and about twenty-five Bank Swallows. I saw [Eave Swal-lows nests.]
ten Eave Swallows' nests under the sloping gable of
an old barn. The nests were placed under a slope
of about 45° and could not be, therefore, constructed
on the ordinary plan where the nest is placed
against the side of the building. The nests were
about circular at the base, thus covering more space
and affording greater strength of attachment. The
opening was in the side, or near the bottom. None
of the nests had the bottle-shaped entrance, though
some approached it. The opening in every case
was merely a hole. It was a special instance
of adaptation to the situation.