HOUSE-MAETIXS. 1 09 



atmosphere. Martins are, by far, the k^ast agile of the four 

 species; their wings and tails are short, and, therefore, they 

 are not capable of such surprisiug turns, and quick and 

 glancing evolutions, as the swallow. Accordingly, they make 

 use of a placid, easy motion, in a middle region of the air, 

 seldom mounting to any great height, and never sweeping 

 along together over the surface of the ground or water. They 

 do not wander far for food, but affect sheltered districts, over 

 some lake, or under some hanging wood, or in some hollow 

 vale, especially in windy weather. They breed the latest of 

 all the swallow kind: in 1772, they had nestlings on to 

 October the twenty-first, and are never without unfledged 

 young as late as Michaelmas. 



As the summer dechnes, the congregating flocks increase 

 in numbers daily by the constant accession of the second 

 broods : till at last they swarm in myriads upon myriads 

 round the ^dllages on the Thames, darkening the face of the 

 sky as they frequent the aits of that river, where they roost. 

 They retire, the bulk of them I mean, in vast flocks together, 

 about the beginning of October ; but have appeared, of late 

 years, in a considerable flight, in this neighbourhood, for one 

 day or two, as late as November the thii-d and sixth, after 

 they were supposed to have been gone for more than a fort- 

 night.* They, therefore, withdraw with us the latest of any 



* The following remarks on birds of passage were sent me by an intelligent 

 naval officer and naturalist : — 



" Birds do not always migrate at night, nor in fine weather and fair winds 

 only : on the 2.5th of September, 1848, beating up channel, wind north-eai.t 

 fresh, weather raw, hazy and unpleasant, hundreds of small birds crossed, 

 making direct for the coast of France ; they were not in flocks, but singly or 

 in small parties ; the distance was about 100 miles to the nearest land. The 

 •weather looked very threatening but did not become any worse, very few took 

 notice of the vessel, but continued the direct course and would probably reach land 

 in four or five hours; the species were several, but 1 could only recognise two, 

 a green sylvia and the stonechat ; the latter flew as on shore, with its usual 

 weak jeiking flight, only a few feet above the water. A week before, when 

 about 400 miles from land, one of the latter came on board, remained a short 

 time, then departed and returned in the evening, was again seen next morning, 

 left again (there were at this time several vessels in sight, so that the poor little 

 fellow no doubt visited them all), in the evenmg returned and flew completely 

 exhausted into the open porthole of one of the cabins, and lay almost dead on 

 the bed ; a little water revived him, and the next day I fed him with about 

 fifty flies, spiders, &c., with plenty of meat, which he took eagerly, but my 



