110 SWALLOWS AND MARTINS. 



have forsaken us sooner this year than usual ; for, 

 on September the 22d, they rendezvoused in a 

 neighbour's walnut tree, where it seemed probable 

 they had taken up their lodgings for the night. At 

 the dawn of the day, which was foggy, they rose 

 all together in infinite numbers, occasioning such 

 a rushing from the stroke of their wings against 

 the hazy air, as might be heard to a considerable 

 distance ; since that, no flock has appeared, only a - 

 few stragglers. 



Some swifts staid late, till the 22d of August ; 

 a rare instance ! for they usually withdraw within 

 the first week l . 



On September the 24th, three or four ringousels 

 appeared in my fields for the first time this season. 

 How punctual are these visitors in their autumnal 

 and spring migrations ! 



XXXVIII. 



BY my journal for last autumn it appears that 

 the house-martins bred very late, and staid very 

 late in these parts ; for, on the 1 st of October, I 

 saw young martins in their nests nearly fledged ; 

 and again, on the 21st of October, we had, at the 

 next house, a nest full of young martins just ready 

 to fly, and the old ones were hawking for insects 

 with great alertness. The next morning the brood 

 forsook their nest, and were flying round the 

 village. From this day I never saw one of the 

 swallow kind till November the 3d ; when twenty, 

 or perhaps thiity, house-martins were playing all 

 day long by the side of the Hanging wood, and 

 over my fields. Did these small weak birds, some 

 of which were nestlings twelve days ago, shift 



1 See Letter LIII. Part II. 



