594 IIIRUNDO UIIBICA. 



foot seized one of them by the lower mandible, while it was 

 gaping in the expectation of receiving food, and used all her 

 efforts to pull it out of the nest, but they were unavailing, as it 

 clung to it like a squirrel. Upon Monday evening the 5th of 

 July 1835, I took out of the nest of a martin, in a window in 

 the town of Bathgate, one of the young birds, which was nearly 

 ripe. I brought it home to try to tame it, but it refused to 

 take food. Being anxious to ascertain how long it coidd sub- 

 sist without food, I kept it from 9 o'clock in the evening of Mon- 

 day until 12 o'clock upon Friday, being three days and fifteen 

 hours. It then appeared lively, but considerably lighter. I 

 then put it into the nest of a Chimney Swallow which was 

 built in my coal-house, where it was carefully fed. This will 

 in some measure account for the wonderful flights which they 

 must take without having the means of procuring subsistence. 

 If the young martins can want food so long, doubtless one 

 w^ould think that the old birds can endure hunger much longer." 

 Towards the end of September, the House Martins collect 

 into large flocks, which for several days perform long excur- 

 sions in the neighbourhood of their residence, and are seen set- 

 tling on the house-tops. At length, in the beginning of Octo- 

 ber, they disappear, although here and there a few individuals 

 may be seen flying about for some weeks later. Instances of 

 their occurrence even in November are mentioned by several 

 persons, but none are seen after that month. Being at Mr 

 Weir's, near Bathgate, in Linlithgowshire, on the 20th of Sep- 

 tember 1837, I was told that the Swallows, which had bred in 

 the windows, had disappeared two days before ; but we found 

 them in the low grounds about Balbardie House, in the neigh- 

 bourhood. On the 22d, they had left Edinburgh, although on 

 the 24th I observed some in the sheltered valley of Colinton ; 

 and on the 2d of October a few were seen in the neighbour- 

 hood. 



Young. — The young when fledged difter from the old birds 

 chiefly in having the dark parts of the plumage duller, and 

 tinged with brown. 



