242 CHELIDONES. 



and as the goat-sucker feeds on the night-moths and gnats, 

 which it probably does not see, the hairs, or vibrissee, at the 

 sides of the bill probably answer a purpose similar to that of 

 the baleen in the common whale ; and it is not a little 

 singular to find so near a coincidence of organ, in animals 

 whose element and size are so very different. 



The swallow, the martin, the swifts, and the goat-sucker, 

 are the only British Chelidonian birds : they all come to the 

 cultivated districts, and while they remain, no doubt perform 

 the most important services to man, in the vast numbers of 

 insects which they destroy, not when in the caterpillar state, 

 and when the capture of one may be considered as only the 

 destruction of one, but when they have passed all the 

 dangers of the preliminary stages of their being, and are 

 ready to deposit their eggs, and thus lay a foundation for 

 future myriads. 



THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW (HlTUndo TUStica). 



The forehead and the throat of the swallow are deep red- 

 dish brown ; the belly and vent reddish white ; a large white 

 spot on the inner web of each of the tail feathers, except the 

 two middle ones ; and all the rest black, with blue reflections. 

 Some individuals are grey, or even white. The length is 

 seven inches, the breadth about twelve, and the weight an 

 ounce. One remarkable character of the swallow is the 

 great length of the external feathers of the tail, and the 

 deep fork which they give to that appendage. The young of 

 the same year have not the long tail feathers. 



Swallows perform their principal moult in warmer coun- 

 tries about the month of February ; appear in fine plumage 

 in the south of England about the first of April ; and pro- 

 ceed northward, colouring as they fly, along all the places 

 that are adapted to their habits, till about the end of the 

 month they appear in the extreme north of the country. 



