X.] OF SELBORNE. 3! 



waters where insects are to be found ? Certain it is that 

 hardly any individuals have, at such times, been seen for days 

 together. 



" September 13, 1791, the congregating flocks of hirundines 

 on the church and tower are both beautiful and amusing. When 

 they fly off together from the roof on any alarm, they quite 

 swarm iu the air. But they soon settle again in heaps, and 

 pulling their feathers and lifting up their wings to admit the sun, 

 they seem to enjoy the warm situation. Thus they spend the 

 heat of the day, preparing for their migration, and, as it were, 

 consulting when and where they are to go. The flight about 

 the church seems to consist chiefly of house-martins, about 400 

 in number ; but there are other places of rendezvous about the 

 village frequented at the same time. It is remarkable that, 

 though most of them sit on the battlements and roof, yet many 

 of them hang or cling for some time by their claws against the 

 surface of the walls in a manner not practised by them at other 

 times of their remaining with us. The swallows seem to delight 

 more in holding their assemblies on trees. 



"November 3, 1789, the swallows were seen this morning, at 

 Newton Vicarage house, hovering aud settling on the roofs and 

 outbuildings. None have been observed at Selborue since October 

 11. It is very remarkable that after the hirundines have disap- 

 peared for some weeks, a few are occasionally seen again ; some- 

 times in the first week of November, and that only for one day. 

 Do they not withdraw and slumber in some hiding-place during 

 the interval ? for we cannot suppose they had migrated to warmer 

 climes, and returned again for one day. Is it not more probable 

 that they are awakened from sleep, and like the bats are come 

 forth to collect a little food ? These swallows looked like 

 young ones."] 



A little yellow bird (the Motacilla trochilus) still continues 

 to make a sibilous shivering noise in the tops of tall woods. 

 The stoparola of Ray is called, in your Zoology, the fly-catcher. 

 There is one circumstance characteristic of this bird, which 

 seems to have escaped observation, and that is, it takes its stand 

 on the top of some stake or post, from whence it springs 

 forth on its prey, catching a fly in the air, and hardly ever 



