168 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



and the Crane, and the Swallow [Swift] observe the time 

 of their coming ; but my people know not the judgment 

 of the Lord/' (Jer. viii. 7.) 



The Swallow and the House Martin have been 

 noticed as inhabiting opposite sides of the same country 

 road or street, in their hunting, or rather hawking, 

 grounds ; they also are careful not to poach on one 

 another's preserves. And so I have noticed that when 

 Swifts leave a peculiar locality in August, their places 

 are taken by Swallows, which had previously seldom, 

 if ever, appeared. 



The Swift may be distinguished from the Swallow by 

 its universal dark colour, as also by the great size of 

 its wings, its more rapid flight, and its loud, screaming 

 voice. The Swallow may be known from the House 

 Martin by its steel-blue colour, and chestnut throat and 

 forehead ; the House Martin also displays a very con- 

 spicuous white patch near the tail as he flies. The 

 Sand Martin is smaller than either, of a grey-brownish 

 colour, its under-plumage being of a dirty white. All 

 the Swallows have forked tails. 



In White's Selborne, with Buckland's Notes a book 

 which should be in every library much information is 

 given about the Swallow, its drinking and washing 

 whilst flying, its feeding its young on the wing, its 

 susposed rivalry with the Swift, and many other inter- 

 esting topics. He mentions also the fact that it acts as 

 excubitor or sentinel to other birds in announcing the 

 approach of the Hawk and other birds of prey. As soon 

 as a Hawk appears, with a shrill, alarming note, he calls 

 all the Swallows and Martins about him, who pursue in 

 a body, and buffet and strike their enemy till they have 



