OF SELBORNE. 253 



vast abundance in a hot stifled inn-yard, against a wall 

 facing to the south. 



Birds in general are wise in their choice of situation : 

 but in this neighbourhood, every summer, is seen a 

 strong instance to the contrary at a house without eaves 

 in an exposed district, where some martins build year 

 by year in the corners of the windows. But, as the 

 corners of these windows (which face to the south-east 

 and south-west) are too shallow, the nests, are washed 

 down every hard rain ; and yet these birds drudge on 

 to no purpose from summer to summer, without chang- 

 ing their aspect or house. It is a piteous sight to see 

 them labouring when half their nest is washed away, 

 and bringing dirt "generis lapsi sarcire ruinas." Thus 

 is instinct a most wonderfully unequal faculty : in some 

 instances so much above reason, in other respects so 

 far below it! Martins love to frequent towns, especially 

 if there are great lakes and rivers at hand ; nay, they 

 even affect the close air of London. And I have not 

 only seen them nesting in the Borough, but even in the 

 Strand and Fleet Street; but then it was obvious from 

 the dinginess of their aspect that their feathers partook 

 of the filth of that sooty atmosphere. Martins are by 

 far the least agile of the four species ; their wings and 

 tails are short, and therefore they are not capable of 

 such surprising turns and quick and glancing evolutions 

 as the swallow. Accordingly, they make use of a placid 

 easy motion in a middle region of the air, seldom mount- 

 ing to any great height, and never sweeping long toge- 

 ther over the surface of the ground or water. They do 

 not wander far for food, but affect sheltered districts, 

 over some lake, or under some hanging wood, or in 

 some hollow vale, especially in windy weather. They 

 breed the latest of all the swallow kind : in 1772 they 

 had nestlings on to October the 21st, and are never 

 without unfledged young as late as Michaelmas. 



As the summer declines, the congregating flocks 

 increase in numbers daily, by the constant accession of 



