THE SPARROW KIND. 55 



Whsn Slimmer is fairly begun, and more than a sufficient supply 

 for sustaining the wants of nature every where offers, the swallow 

 then begins to think of forming a progeny. The nest is built with 

 great industry and art, particularly by the common swallow, which 

 builds it OR the tops of chimneys. The martin sticks it to the eaves 

 of houses. The goat-sucker, as we are told, builds it on the bare 

 ground. This nest is built with mud from some neighbouring brook, 

 well tempered with the bill, moistened with water, for the better adhe- 

 sion ; and still farther kept firm, by long grass and fibres ; within it is lin- 

 ed with goose feathers, which are ever the warmest and the neatest. The 

 martin covers its nest at top, and has a door to enter at ; the swallow 

 leaves her's quite open. But our European nests are nothing to be 

 compared with those the swallow builds on the coasts of China and 

 Coromandel ; the description of which I will give in the plain, honest 

 phrase of Willoughby. " On the sea-coast of the kingdom of China," 

 says he, " a sort of party-coloured birds, of the shape of swallows, at 

 a certain season of the year, which is their breeding time, come out of 

 the mid-land country to the rocks, and from the foam or froth of the 

 sea-water, dashing against the bottom of the rocks, gather a certain 

 clammy, glutinous matter, perchance the spawn of whales or other 

 young fishes, of which they build their nests, wherein they lay their 

 eggs and hatch their young. These nests the Chinese pluck from 

 the rocks, and bring them in great numbers into the East Indies to 

 sell. They are esteemed, by gluttons, as great delicacies ; who, dis- 

 solving them in chicken or mutton broth, are very fond of them ; far 

 before oysters, mushrooms, or other dainty and liquorish morsels." 

 What a pity this luxury hath not been introduced among us, and then 

 our great feasters might be enabled to eat a little more ! 



The swallow usually lays from five to six eggs, of a white colour, 

 speckled with red ; and sometimes breeds twice a year. When the 

 young brood are excluded, the swallow supplies them very plentifully, 

 the first brood particularly, when she finds herself capable of produc- 

 ing two broods in a year. This happens when the parents come ear- 

 ly, when the season is peculiarly mild, and when they begin to pair 

 soon. Sometimes they find a difficulty in rearing even a single nest, 

 particularly when the weather has been severe, or their nests have 

 been robbed in the beginning of the season. By these accidents, this 

 important task is sometimes deferred to the middle of September. 



At the latter end of September, they leave us; and for a few days 

 previous to their departure, assemble in vast flocks, on house tops, as 

 if deliberating on the fatiguing journey that lay before them. This 

 is no slight undertaking, as their flight is directed to Congo, Senegal, 

 and along the whole Morocco shore. There are some, however, left 

 behind in this general expedition, that do not part till eight or ten 

 days after the rest These are chiefly the latter weakly broods 

 which are not yet in a condition to set out. They are sometimes even 

 too feeble to venture, till the setting in of winter ; while their parents 

 vainly exhort them to efforts which instinct assures them they are in 

 capable of performing. Thus it often happens, that the wretched lit- 

 tle families, being compelled to stay, perish the first cold weather that 

 comes; while the tender parents share the fate of their offspring, ard 

 die with their new-fledged brood. 



