OF SELBORNE. 189 
meet with your approbation, I may probably soon 
extend my inquiries to the rest of the British hirun- 
dines: the swallow, the swift, and the bank-martin., 
A few house-martins begin to appear about the 
16th of April, usually some few days later than the 
swallow. For some time after they appear, the 
hirundines in general pay no attention to the busi- 
ness of nidification, but play and sport about, either 
to recruit from the fatigue of their journey, if they 
do migrate at all, or else that their blood may re- 
cover its true tone and texture, after it has been so 
long benumbed by the severities of winter. About 
the middle of May, if the weather be fine, the mar. 
tin begins to think in earnest of providing a man- 
sion for its family. The crust or shell of this nest 
seems to be formed of such dirt or loam as comes 
most readily to hand, and is tempered and wrought 
together with little bits of broken straws to render 
it tough and tenacious. As this bird often builds 
against a perpendicular wall, without any projecting 
ledge under, it requires its utmost efforts to get the 
first foundation firmly fixed, so that it may safely 
carry the superstructure. On this occasion the bird 
not only clings with its claws, but partly supports 
itself by strongly inclining its tail against the wall, 
making that a fulcrum, and, thus steadied, it works 
and plasters the materials into the face of the brick 
or stone. But then, that this work may not, while 
it is soft and green, pull itself down by its own 
weight, the provident architect has prudence and 
forbearance enough not to advance her work too 
fast, but, by building only in the morning, and by 
dedicating the rest of the day to food and amuse. 
ment, gives it sufficient time to dry and harden. 
