66 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



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 waiter ; 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 sculk- 

 ing 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. 



This species feeds much on little coleoptera, as well as 

 on gnats and flies ; and often settles on dug ground, or 

 paths, for gravels to grind and digest its food. Before 

 they depart, for some weeks, to a bird, they forsake houses 

 and chimneys, and roost in trees ; and usually withdraw 

 about the beginning of October, though some few stragglers 

 may appear on at times till the first week in November. 



Some few pairs haunt the new and open streets of 

 London next the fields, but do not enter, like the house- 

 martin, the close and crowded parts of the city. 



Both male and female are distinguished from their 

 congeners by the length and forkedness of their tails. 

 They are undoubtedly the most nimble of all the species : 

 and when the male pursues the female in amorous chase, 



