^00 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. Class II. 



to turn the readier in purfuit of their prey. This 

 fpecies, in our country, builds in chimnys, and 

 makes its ned of clay mixed with ftraw, leav- 

 ing the top quite open. It lines the bottom with 

 feathers and grafles : and ufually lays from four to 

 fix eggs, white fpeckled with red -, but by tak- 

 ing away one of the eggs daily, it will fuccefllvely 

 lay as far as nineteen, as Dodor Lijler has expe- 

 rienced. It breeds earlier than any other fpecies. 

 The firft brood are obferved to quit the nett the 

 laft week in June^ or the firft in July : the laft 

 brood towards the middle or end of Augiift. The 

 neft being fixed five or fix feet deep within the 

 chimny, it is with difficulty that the young can 

 emerge. They even fometimes fall into the rooms 

 below : but as foon as they fucceed, they perch 

 for a few days on the chimny top, and are there 

 fed by their parents. Their next efTiiy is to reach 

 fome leafiefs bough, where they fit in rows, and 

 receive their food. Soon after they take to the 

 wing, but fllll want fkill to take their own prey. 

 They hover near the place where their parents are 

 in chafe of flies, attend their motions, meet them, 

 and receive from their mouths the offered fufte- 

 nance. 



It has a fweet note, which it emits in Aiiguft and 

 September^ perching on houfe tops. 



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