SWALLOWS. 189 



seaport 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 play before and behind them, sweep- 

 ing around, and collecting all the skulking insects 

 that are roused by the trampling of the horses' feet. 

 When the w4nd blows hard, without this expedient, 

 they are often forced to settle to pick up their lurk- 

 ing prey. 



This species feeds much on little coleoptera, as well 

 as on gnats and flies, and often settles on dug ground, 

 or paths, for gravels to grind and digest its food. 

 Before they depart, for some weeks, to a bird they 

 forsake houses and chimneys, and roost in trees, and 

 usually withdraw about the beginning of October, 

 though some few stragglers may appear on at times 

 till the first week in November. 



Some few pairs haunt the new and open streets 

 of London next the fields, but do not enter, like the 

 house-martin, the close and crowded parts of the 

 city. 



Both male and female are distinguished from their 

 congeners by the length and forkedness of their tails. 

 They are undoubtedly the most nimble of all the 

 species ; and when the male pursues the female in 

 amorous chase, they then go beyond their usual speed, 

 and exert a rapidity almost too quick for the eye to 

 follow. 



After this circumstantial detail of the life and dis- 

 cerning aropyrj of the swallow, T shall add, for your 

 further amusement, an anecdote or two, not much in 

 favour of her sagacity : 



A certain swallow built, for two years together, on 

 the handles of a pair of gar den -shears, that were 

 stuck up against the boards in an out-house, and 

 therefore must have her nest spoiled whenever that 

 implement was wanted. And, what is stranger still, 



