NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 147 
bier ERs XP 
TO THE SAME. 
March 9th, 1772. 
DEAR SIR,—As a gentleman and myself were walking on the 
fourth of last November round the sea-banks at Newhaven, near 
the mouth of the Lewes river, in pursuit of natural knowledge, we 
were surprised to see three house-swallows gliding very swiftly by 
us. That morning was rather chilly, with the wind at north-west ; 
but the tenor of the weather for some time before had been delicate, 
and the noons remarkably warm. From this incident, and from 
repeated accounts which I meet with, I am more and more induced 
to believe that many of the swallow kind do not depart from this 
island, but lay themselves up in holes and caverns; and do, insect- 
like and bat-like, come forth at mild times, and then retire again to 
their Zatebr@. Nor make I the least doubt but that, if I lived at 
Newhaven, Seaford, Brighthelmstone, or any of those towns near 
the chalk cliffs of the Sussex coast, by proper observations I 
should see swallows stirring at periods of the winter when the 
noons were soft and inviting, and the sun warm and invigorating. 
And I am the more of this opinion from what I have remarked 
‘during some of our late springs, that though some swallows did 
make their appearance about the usual time, viz., the thirteenth or 
fourteenth of April, yet meeting with an harsh reception, and 
blustering cold north-east winds, they immediately withdrew, 
absconding for several days, till the weather gave them better 
encouragement. 
