148 The Natural History 



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 Hying ; 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 

 di-slike ; nay, even frequenting exposed sea-port towns, 

 and making little excursions over the salt water. Horse- 

 men on wide downs are often closely attended by a little 

 party of swallows for miles together, which plays before 

 and behind them, sweeping around, and collecting all the 

 skulking insects that are roused by the trampling of the 

 horses' feet : when the wind blows hard, without this ex- 

 pedient, they are often forced to settle to pick up their 

 lurking prey. 



This species feeds much on little cohoptera^ 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 chimnies, and roost in trees ; and usually 

 withdraw about the beginning of October ; though some 

 few stragglers may appear on at times till the first v/eek 

 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 con- 

 geners 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, they 

 then go beyond their usual speed, and exert a rapidity 

 almost too quick for the eye to follow. 



After this circumstantial detail of the life and discern- 

 ing (TTopyfj of the swallow, I shall add, for your farther 

 amusement, an anecdote or two not much in favour of 

 her sagacity : — 



A certain swallow built for two years together on the 

 handles of a pair of garden-shears, that were stuck up 

 against the boards in an out-house, and therefore must 



