NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE, 259 
Lie PR LV. 
TO THE SAME. 
October 10th, 1781. 
DEAR SIR,—I think I have observed before that much of the 
most considerable part of the house-martins withdraw from hence 
about the first week in October ; but that some, the latter broods I 
am now convinced, linger on till towards the middle of that month; 
and that at times, once perhaps in two or three years, a flight, for 
one day only, has shown itself in the first week in November, 
Having taken notice in October, 1780, that the last flight was 
numerous, amounting perhaps to one hundred and fifty ; and that 
the season was soft and still; I was resolved to pay uncommon 
attention to these late birds; to find, if possible, where they 
roosted, and to determine the precise time of their retreat. The 
mode of life of these latter Wzrundines is very favourable to such a 
design; for they spend the whole day in the sheltered district, 
between me and the Hanger, sailing about in a placid, easy 
manner, and feasting on those insects which love to haunt a spot 
so secure from ruffling winds. As my principal object was to 
discover the place of their roosting, I took care to wait on them 
before they retired to rest, and was much pleased to find that for 
several evenings together, just at a quarter past five in the after- 
noon, they all scudded away in great haste towards the south-east, 
and darted down among the low shrubs above the cottages at the 
end of the hill. This spot in many respects seemed to be well 
calculated for their winter residence; for in many parts it is as 
steep as the roof of any house, and therefore secure from the 
annoyances of water; and it is moreover clothed with beechen 
shrubs, which, being stunted and bitten by sheep, make the thickest 
covert imaginable ; and are so entangled as to be impervious to 
the smallest spaniel; besides it is the nature of underwood beech 
never to cast its leaf all the winter ; so that, with the leaves on the 
ground and those on the twigs, no shelter can be more complete. 
I watched them on the thirteenth and fourteenth of October, and 
found their evening retreat was exact and uniform ; but after this 
