stunted and bitten by sheep, make the thickest 

 covert imaginable ; they are so entangled as to be 

 impervious to the smallest spaniel: besides, it is the 

 nature of underwood beech never to cast its leaf all 

 the winter; so that, with the leaves on the ground 

 and those on the twigs, no shelter can be more com- 

 plete. I watched them on to the 13th and 14th of 

 October, and found their evening retreat was exact 

 and uniform ; but after this they made no regular 

 appearance. Now and then a straggler was seen ; 

 and on the 22nd of October, in the morning, I ob- 

 served two over the village, and with them my 

 remarks for the season ended. 



From all these circumstances put together, it is 

 more than probable that this lingering flight, at so 

 late a season of the year, never departed from the 

 island. Had they indulged me that autumn with a 

 November visit, as I much desired, I presume that, 

 with proper assistants, I should have settled the 

 matter past all doubt ; but though the 3rd of No- 

 vember was a sweet day, and in appearance exactly 

 suited to my wishes, yet not a martin was to be 

 seen ; and so I was forced reluctantly to give up the 

 pursuit. 



I have only to add, that, were the bushes, which 

 cover some acres, and are not my own property, to 

 be grubbed and carefully examined, probably those 

 late broods, and perhaps the whole aggregate body 

 of the house-martins of this district, might be found 



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