NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 177 
steeples and churches, squeaking as they go in a very clamorous 
manner ; these, by nice observers, are supposed to be males serenad- 
ing their sitting hens; and not without reason, since they seldom 
squeak till they come close to the walls or eaves, and since 
those within utter at the same time a little inward note of com- 
placency. 
When the hen has sat hard all day, she rushes forth just as it 
is almost dark, and stretches and relieves her weary limbs, and 
snatches a scanty meal for a few minutes, and then returns to her 
duty of incubation. Swifts, when wantonly and cruelly shot while 
they have young, discover a little lump of insects in their mouths, 
which they pouch and hold under their tongue. In general they 
feed in a much higher district than the other species ; a proof that 
gnats and other insects do also abound to a considerable height in 
the air; they also range to vast distances, since locomotion is no 
labour to them who are endowed with such wonderful powers of 
wing. Their powers seem to be in proportion to their levers ; 
and their wings are longer in proportion than those of almost 
any other bird. When they mute, or case themselves in flight, 
they raise their wings, and make them meet over their backs. 
At some certain times in the summer I had remarked that swifts 
were hawking very low for hours together over pools and streams; 
and could not help inquiring into the object of their pursuit that 
induced them to descend so much below their usual range. After 
some trouble I found that they were taking plryganee, ephemera, 
and Ubellule (cadew-flies, may-flies, and dragon-flies), that were 
just emerged out of their aurelia state. I then no longer wondered 
that they shouid be so willing to stoop for a prey that afforded them 
such plentiful and succulent nourishment. 
They bring out their young about the middle or latter end of July ; 
but as these never become perchers, nor, that ever I could discern, 
are fed on the wing by their dams, the coming forth of the young is 
not so notorious as in the other species. 
On the 30th of last June I untiled the eaves of a house where 
many pairs build, and found in each nest only two squab, naked 
pulli; on the 8th of July I repeated the same inquiry, and found that 
they had made very little progress towards a fledged state, but were 
still naked and helpless. From whence we may conclude that 
birds whose way of life keeps them perpetually on the wing would 
not be able to quit their nest till the end of the month. Swallows 
and martins, that have numerous families, are continually feeding 
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