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 squabs, naked pidli : on the 8th of July 

 I repeated the same inquiry, and found 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 keeps 

 them perpetually on the wing would not be able to 

 quit their nest till the end of the month. Swallows 

 and martins, that have numerous families, are con- 

 tinually feeding them every two or three minutes ; 

 while swifts, that have but two young to maintain, 

 are much at their leisure, and do not attend on their 

 nests for hours together. 



Sometimes they pursue and strike at hawks that 

 come in their way ; but not with that vehemence 

 and fury that swallows express on the same occa- 

 sion. They are out all day long in wet days, feed- 

 ing about, and disregarding still rain : from whence 

 two things may be gathered : first, that many insects 

 abide high in the air, even in rain : and next, that 

 the feathers of these birds must be well preened 

 to resist so much wet. Windy, and particularly 

 windy weather with heavy showers, they dislike ; 



36 



