OF SELBORNE 147 



observers, are supposed to be males, serenading their sitting hens ; 

 and not without reason, since they seldom squeak till they come 

 close to the walls or eaves, and since those within utter at the 

 same time a little inward note of complacency. 



When the hen has sat hard all day, she rushes forth just as it 

 is almost dark, and stretches and relieves her weary limbs, and 

 snatches a scanty meal for a few minutes, and then returns to her 

 duty of incubation. Swifts, when wantonly and cruelly shot while 

 they have young, discover a little lump of insects in their mouths, 

 which they pouch and hold under their tongue. In general they 

 feed in a much higher district than the other species ; a proof 

 that gnats and other insects do also abound to a considerable height 

 in the air : they also range to vast distances ; since loco-motion 

 is no labour to them, who are endowed with such wonderful powers 

 of wing. Their powers seem to be in proportion to their leavers ; 

 and their wings are longer in proportion than those of almost any 

 other bird. When they mute, or ease themselves in flight, they 

 raise their wings, and make them meet over their backs. 



At some certain times in the summer I had remarked that 

 swifts were hawking very low for hours together over pools and 

 streams ; and could not help inquiring into the object of their 

 pursuit that induced them to descend so much below their usual 

 range. After some trouble, I found that they were taking phry- 

 ganecB, ephemeras, and libellulw (cadew-flies, may-flies, and dragon- 

 flies) that were just emerged out of their aurelia state. I then 

 no longer wondered that they should be so willing to stoop for a 

 prey that afforded them such plentiful and succulent nourishment. 



They bring out their young about the middle or latter end of 

 July : but as these never become perchers, nor, that ever I could 

 discern, are fed on the wing by their dams, the coming forth of 

 the young is not so notorious as in the other species. 



On the thirtieth of last June I untiled the eaves of an house 1 

 where many pairs build, and found in each nest only two squab 

 naked pulli : on the eighth of July I repeated the same inquiry, 

 and found they had made very little progress towards a fledged 

 state, but were still naked and helpless. From whence we may 

 conclude that birds whose way of life keeps them perpetually on 

 the wing would not be able to quit their nest till the end of the 

 month. Swallows and martins, that have numerous families, are 



1 [His brother Henry's house at Fyfield. See Letter to John White, July 15, 1774 

 (Bell's ed., voL ii. f p. 33).] 



