HOUSE-MARTINS. SWIFTS. 285 



LI. 



I HAVE now read your Miscellanies through 

 with much care and satisfaction ; and am to return 

 you my best thanks for the honourable mention 

 made in them of me as a naturalist, which I wish 

 I may deserve. 



In some former letters I expressed my suspicions 

 that many of the house-martins do not depart in 

 the winter far from this village. I therefore 

 determined to make some search about the south- 

 east end of the hill, where I imagined they might 

 slumber out the uncomfortable months of winter. 

 But supposing that the examination would be 

 made to the best advantage in the spring, and 

 observing that no martins had appeared by the 

 llth of April last, on that day I employed some 

 men to explore the shrubs and cavities of the 

 suspected spot. The persons took pains, but 

 without any success ; however, a remarkable 

 incident occurred in the midst of our pursuit 

 while the labourers were at work, a house-martin, 

 the first that had been seen this year, came down 

 the village in the sight of several people, and went 

 at once into a nest, where it staid a short time, 

 and then flew over the houses ; for some days 

 after, no martins were observed, nor till the 1 6th 

 of April, and then only a pair. Martins in general 

 were remarkably late this year. 



LIT. 



I HAVE just met with a circumstance respect- 

 ing swifts, which furnishes an exception to the 

 whole tenor of my observations ever since I have 



