OF SELBORNE. 273 



what is usually called a mouse colour. Near Valencia, 

 in Spain, they are taken, says Willughby, and sold in 

 the markets for the table ; and are called by the country 

 people, probably from their desultory jerking manner of 

 flight, Papilion di Montagna*. 



LETTER XXI, 



TO THE SAME. 

 DEAR SIR, SELBORNE, Sept. 28, 1774. 



As the swift or black martin is the largest of the British 

 Hirundines, so is it undoubtedly the latest comer. For 

 I remember but one instance of its appearing before the 

 last week in April: and in some of our late frosty, 

 harsh springs, it has not been seen till the beginning of 

 May. This species usually arrives in pairs. 



The swift, like the sand martin, is very defective in 

 architecture, making no crust, or shell, for its nest: but 

 forming it of dry grasses and feathers, very rudely and 

 inartificially put together. With all my attention to 

 these birds, I have never been able once to discover one 

 in the act of collecting or carrying in materials: so 

 that I have suspected (since their nests are exactly the 

 same) that they sometimes usurp upon the house-spar- 

 rows, and expel them, as sparrows do the house and 

 sand martin ; well remembering that I have seen them 

 squabbling together at the entrance of their holes ; and 

 the sparrows up in arms, and much disconcerted at 

 these intruders. And yet I am assured by a nice ob- 



2 As connected with the question of migration it should be remembered 

 that Willughby was at Valencia about the end of September, or rather, 

 according to the new style, after the beginning of October. At the same 

 time there were also great numbers of swallows in the markets for sale. 

 E. T. B. 



T 



