NA TURA L HIS TOR Y OF SELB ORNE. 1 67 



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 con- 

 gregates, 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 are 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 

 downs are often closely attended by a little party of swallows for 

 miles together, which plays before and behind them, sweeping 

 around them, and collecting all the sculking insects -that are roused 

 by the trampling of the horses' feet : when the wind blows hard, 

 without this expedient, they are often forced to settle to pick up 

 their lurking prey. 



