OF NATURAL HISTORY. 477 



the other fpecies by the fuperior forkinefs of its tail, and by a red 

 fpot on the forehead, and under the chin. This fpecies builds in 

 chimneys, and makes its nefl; of clay, but leaves the top quite open. 

 2. The mat tin is inferior in fize to the former, and its tail is much 

 lefs forked. The martins appear in Britain foon after the houfe- 

 fwallow. They build under the eaves of houfes : The neft is com~ 

 pofed of the fame materials as thofe of the houfe-fvvallow ; but it is 

 covered above, and a fmall hole only is left in the fide for the in- 

 grefs and egrefs of the birds. The martins totally difappear about 

 the beginning of Odober. 3. The fand- martin, or bank-martin, is 

 by much the fmalleft of the fwallow-kind that vifit Britain. The 

 fand-raartins arrive very foon after the houfe-fwrallow, and difappear 

 about Michaelmas. They dig confiderable holes in fand-pits and in 

 the banks of rivers, where they build their nefts, which confifl: not 

 of mud, like thofe of the former fpecies, but of graffes and feathers 

 laid together in a very flovenly manner. It is worthy of remark, 

 that thefe birds do not employ the cavities they dig in fummer for 

 winter- quarters ; fince fand-banks, fo perforated, have been care- 

 fully fearched in the winter, and nothing was found but empty 

 nefts *. 4. The fwift, or black martin of Willoughby, is the largeft 

 of our fwallows, and is the lateft of arriving in this country ; for 

 the fwifts are feldom feen till the beginning of May, and commonly 

 appear, not In flocks, but in pairs. Swifts, like the fand-martins, 

 cairy on the bufinefs of incubation in the daik. They build in the 

 cranies of caftles, towers, and fteeples. Straw and feathers are the 

 materials they ufe. They difappear very early; for they are almoft 

 never feen after the middle of Auguft. 5. The goatfucker, which 

 belongs to the fwallow tribe, is likewife a bird of paflige. Like the 

 other fwallows, it feeds upon winged infeds. But, inftead of pur- 

 fuing its prey during the day, it flies only in the night, and feizes 

 moths, and other nodturnal infeds. From this circumftance, It has 



not 

 * White's Natural Hiftory of Selborne, pag. 177, 



