74 THE SPARROW KIND. 



The Night-Swallow then is the largcft of this kind; but its tail not forked. 

 To this tribe belong the Houfe-Swallow, which is too well known to 

 need a dcfcription ; the Martin, inferior in fize to the former, and the 

 tail much lels forked j its nell is covered at top, whereas that of the 

 houfe-fwallow is open ; and the Swift, rather larger than the houfe- 

 Iwallow, with all the toes (landing forward, in which it differs from the 

 reft of its kind : it comes later and goes fconer j lays in old walls, as 

 high as it can j makes no neft, but lines the hole with litter : thefc 

 refemble each other fo ftrongly, that it is not without difficulty the 

 fmaller kinds are known afunder j they are confidered as friendly to man 

 by their deftrudtion of infe6ts ; in fome places perch in multitudes on 

 trees during night, choofing the branches fheltered from the wind, which 

 afterwards die. 



They have all very large mouths, when flying always kept open ; fhort 

 flender feet, fcarce able to fupport the weight of their bodies j and wings 

 of immoderate length for their bulk : their plumage is glofTed with 

 a rich purple ; their note is a flight twittering, which they feldom exert ; 

 but upon the wing. 



Their food is infefts, which they always purfue flying ; during iine 

 weather, when the infedls are abroad, the fwallows are ever on the wing, 

 purfuing their prey with amazing fwiftnefs and agility, through their 

 ihorteft turnings, its long tail like a rudder turning its moft rapid motions. 



Early in the fpring, when the re- warming fun begins to rouze the infedl'; 

 tribes, the fwallow is feen returning from its diftant migration, and mak- 

 ing its way feebly from other fhores : as the weather grows ';varmer, and 

 its infcft fupply increafes, it gathers greater ftrength and af^ivity ; but 

 fometimes a rainy feafon, by repelling the infefls, (tints the fwallow in its 

 food J when the weather is fair, the infedt tribes make bolder flights; 

 the fwallow follows their aerial journeys, often fo high as to be imper- 

 ceptible. When the weather is likely to be foul, the infects fly lowj and 

 from the fwallow's following, we are often foretold the approaching 

 change ; often they dip in the water, in purfuit of their prey, or aquatic 

 infers ; and in times of fcarcity they difpute with the fpiders, and eveni 

 fwallow them alfo. ^ 



The fwallow's neft is built with great induftry and art ; particularly by 

 the common fwallow, which builds on the tops of chimneys j the martin 

 fticks it to the eaves of houfes ; the night-fwallow on the bare ground, as 

 do the bank-martins i this neft is built with mud from fome neighbour- 

 ins 



