THE HOUSE MAETLN". 



HIRUNDO LRBICA. 



Head, nape and upper part of the back, black with \iolet reflections ; lower 

 part of the back, and all the under parts, pure white ; feet and toes covered 

 with downy feathers ; tail forked, moderate. Length five inches and a half. 

 Eggs pure wWte. 



EoR a detailed history of the House-Martin or Window- 

 Swallow, and its habits, I cannot do better than again 

 refer my readers to White's " Selborne," which contains 

 so admirable an account of the Swallow. The two 

 birds indeed are so much alike in their leading habits, 

 namely, migration, mode of flight, and food, that a descrip- 

 tion of either will in many respects be apphcable to the 

 other. The House-Martin generally arrives a few days 

 after the Swallow, and resorts to similar localities. In 

 the early part of the season the most sheltered places 



