120 NATURAL HISTORY AND 



This season the bold attack of the swifts was 

 finally repulsed by the determined resistance of 

 the martins. From coming early last year, the 

 black pirates had little difficulty in seizing the 

 newly-made home of the industrious builders ; 

 but this time the martins fought with desperation 

 in defence of their young as well as home, so the 

 pair of swifts, after their defeat, took easy posses- 

 sion of an empty martin's nest at Kames Villa, 

 where my neighbour tells me they are bringing 

 up a thriving family. I marked the incubation 

 and daily feeding of the young swifts last year 

 until they took wing ; I then carefully watched 

 them each day till they left us for the arid plains 

 of Africa. My last entries were Monday the 1st 

 of August, Tuesday the 2d, and Wednesday the 3d, 

 after which date I saw none in Bute till my note 

 of them last May. 



All birds feeding in the air live on winged in- 

 sects, and all feeders on winged insects must be 

 migrants. No better type of both visits this coun- 

 try than the bird last mentioned. It is the fleet- 

 est and strongest- winged of all British birds. For 

 ten long hours of a July day, without resting, will 



