238 The Natural History of Se I borne 



into a pool for many times together : in very hot weather 

 house-martins and bank-martins dip and wash a little. 



The swallow is a delicate songster, and in soft sunny 

 weather sings both perching and flying ; on trees in a kind 

 of concert, and on chimney-tops : is also a bold flyer, ranging 

 to distant downs and commons even in windy weather, which 

 the other species seem much to dislike ; nay, even frequent- 

 ing exposed sea-port towns, and making little excursions over 

 the salt water. Horsemen on wide downs are often closely at- 

 tended by a little party of swallows for miles together, which 

 plays before and behind them, sweeping around them, and 

 collecting all the skulking insects that are roused by the 

 trampling of the horses' feet : when the wind blows hard, 

 without this expedient, they are often forced to settle to pick 

 up their lurking 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. 1 They are un- 

 doubtedly 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 discern- 

 ing aropyrj of the swallow, I shall add, for your further 



1 The tail, however, is much more forked and much longer in the male 

 than in the female. The difference thus noted is probably ornamental, 

 and is doubtless due to selection of the handsomer partners by the hen 

 birds. ED. 



