NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 167 
The dam betakes herself immediately to the business of a second 
brood as soon as she is disengaged from her first, which at once 
associates with the first broods of house-martins, and with them con- 
gregates, clustering on sunny roofs, towers, and trees. This hirundo 
brings out her second brood towards the middle and end of August: 
All the summer long is the swallow a most instructive pattern of 
unwearied industry and affection; for, from morning to night, 
while there is a family to be supported, she spends the whole day 
in skimming close to the ground, and exerting the most sudden 
turns and quick evolutions. Avenues, and long walks under 
hedges, and pasture-fields, and mown meadows where cattle 
graze, are her delight, especially if there are trees interspersed ; 
because in such spots insects most abound. When a fly is taken 
asmart snap from her bill is heard, resembling the noise at the 
shutting of a watch-case ; but the motion of the mandibles are too 
quick for the eye. 
The swallow, probably the male bird, is the excuédztor to house- 
martins and other little birds, announcing the approach of birds of 
prey. For as soon as 2 hawk appears, with a shrill alarming note 
he calls all the swallows and martins about him, who pursue in a 
body, and buffet and strike their enemy till they have driven him 
from the village, darting down from above on his back, and rising 
in a perpendicular line in perfect security. This bird also will 
sound the alarm, and strike at cats when they climb on the roofs of 
houses, or otherwise approach the nests. Each species of hirundo 
drinks as it flies along, sipping the surface of the water; but the 
swallow alone, in general, washes on the wing, by dropping into a 
pool for many times together : in very hot weather house-martins 
and bank-martins dip and wash a little. 
The swallow is a delicate songster, and in soft sunny weather 
sings both perching and flying ; on trees in a kind of concert, and 
on chimney-tops : is also a bold flyer, ranging to distant downs and. 
commons even in windy weather, which the other species seem 
much to dislike ; nay, even frequenting exposed sea-port towns, and 
making little excursions over the salt water. Horsemen on wide 
downs are often closely attended by a little party of swallows for 
miles together, which plays before and behind them, sweeping 
around them, and collecting all the sculking insects that are roused 
by the trampling of the horses’ feet: when the wind blows hard, 
without this expedient, they are often forced to settle to pick up 
their lurking prey. 
