372 The Natural History of Se I borne 



One of my neighbours, an intelligent and observing man, 

 informs me that, in the beginning of May, and about ten 

 minutes before eight o'clock in the evening, he discovered a 

 great cluster of house-swallows, thirty, at least, he supposes, 

 perching on a willow that hung over the verge of James 

 Knight's upper pond. His attention was first drawn by the 

 twittering of these birds, which sat motionless in a row on 

 the bough, with their heads all one way, and, by their weight, 

 pressing down the twig so that it nearly touched the water. 

 In this situation he watched them till he could see no longer. 

 Repeated accounts of this sort, spring and fall, induce us 

 greatly to suspect that house-swallows have some strong 

 attachment to water, independent of the matter of food ; 

 and, though they may not retire into that element, yet they 

 may conceal themselves in the banks of pools and rivers 

 during the uncomfortable months of winter. 



One of the keepers of Woolmer Forest sent me a peregrine- 

 falcon, which he shot on the verge of that district as it was 

 devouring a wood-pigeon. The falco peregrinus, or haggard- 

 falcon, is a noble species of hawk seldom seen in the southern 

 counties. In winter 1767, one was killed in the neighbouring 

 parish of Farringdon, and sent by me to Mr. Pennant into 

 North Wales.* Since that time I have met with none till 

 now. The specimen mentioned above was in fine preserva- 

 tion, and not injured by the shot : it measured forty-two 

 inches from wing to wing, and twenty-one from beak to tail, 

 and weighed two pounds and an half standing weight. This 

 species is very robust, and wonderfully formed for rapine; 

 its breast was plump and muscular; its thighs long, thick, 

 and brawny ; and its legs remarkably short and well set : the 

 feet were armed with most formidable, sharp, long talons : 

 the eyelids and cere of the bill were yellow : but the irides of 

 the eyes dusky; the beak was thick and hooked, and of a 

 dark colour, and had a jagged process near the end of the 

 upper mandible on each side : its tail, or train, was short 



* See my tenth and eleventh letter to that gentleman. 



