260 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
they made no regular appearance. Now and then a straggler was 
seen ; and on the twenty-second of October, I observed two in the 
morning over the village, and with them my remarks for the 
season ended. 
From all these circumstances put together, it is more than 
probable that this lingering flight, at so late a season of the 
year, never departed from the island. Had they indulged me 
that autumn with a November visit, as I much desired, I presume 
that, with proper assistants, I should have settled the matter past 
all doubt ; but though the 3rd of November was a sweet day, and 
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in appearance exactly suited to my wishes, yet not a martin was to 
be seen ; and so I was forced, reluctantly, to give up the pursuit. 
I have only to add that were the bushes, which cover some acres, 
and are not my own property, to be grubbed and carefully examined, 
probably those late broods, and perhaps the whole aggregate body 
of the house-martins of this district, might be found there, in 
different secret dormitories; and that, so far from withdrawing, 
into warmer climes, it would appear that they never depart three 
hundred yards from the village.* 
* The examination would have been fruitless. See note to Letter XXXVI. 
