The Natural History of Selborne 229 



The dam betakes herself immediately to the business of a second 

 brood as soon as she is disengaged from her first, which at once 

 associates with the first broods of house-martins, and with them 

 congregates, clustering on sunny roofs, towers, and . trees. This 

 hirundo brings out her second brood towards the middle and end 

 of August. 



All the summer long is the swallow a most instructive pattern of 

 unwearied industry and affection ; for, from morning to night, while 

 there is a family to be supported, she spends the whole day in 

 skimming close to the ground, and exerting the most sudden turns 

 and quick evolutions. Avenues, and long walks under hedges, and 

 pasture-fields, and mown meadows where cattle graze, are her 

 delight, especially if there are trees interspersed ; because in such 

 spots insects most abound. When a fly is taken a smart snap 

 from her bill is heard, resembling the noise at the shutting of a 

 watch-case ; but the motion of the mandibles is too quick for 

 the eye. 



The swallow, probably the male bird, is the excubitor to house- 

 martins and other little birds, announcing the approach of birds of 

 prey. For 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 driven him 

 from the village, darting down from above on his back, and rising 

 in a perpendicular line in perfect security. This bird also will sound 

 the alarm, and strike at cats when they climb on the roofs of houses, 

 or otherwise approach the nests. Each species of hirundo drinks as 

 it flies along, sipping the surface of the water ; but the swallow alone, 

 in general, washes on the wing, by dropping 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 frequenting exposed sea-port towns, and 

 making little excursions over the salt water. Horsemen on wide 



