176 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



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 

 locomotion is no labour to them who are endowed with such 

 wonderful powers of wing. Their powers seem to be in 

 proportion to their levers ; and their wings are longer in 

 proportion than those of almost any other bird. When they 

 mute, or case 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 phryganece, ephemerae, and libellulw 

 (caddis-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 30th of last June I untiled the eaves of a house 

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

 squab, naked pulli ; on the 8th July I repeated the same 

 inquiry, and found that 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 



