OF SELBORNE 253 



many of the house-martins do not depart in the winter 

 far from this village. I therefore determined to make 

 some search about the south-east end of the hill, where 

 I imagined they might slumber out the uncomfortable 

 months of winter. But supposing that the examination 

 would be made to the best advantage in the spring, and 

 observing that no martins had appeared by the 11th of 

 April last ; on that day I employed some men to explore 

 the shrubs and cavities of the suspected spot. The 

 persons took pains, but without any success : however, a 

 remarkable incident occurred in the midst of our pursuit 

 — while the labourers were at work a house-martin, the 

 first that had been seen this year, came down the village 

 in the sight of several people, and went at once into 

 a nest, where it stayed a short time, and then flew over 

 the houses ; for some days after no martins were ob- 

 served, not till the 16th of April, and then only a pair. 

 Martins in general were remarkably late this year. 



LETTER LII 



Selborne, Sept. 9, 1781. 



I HAVE just met with a circumstance respecting swifts, 

 which furnishes an exception to the whole tenor of my 

 observations ever since I have bestowed any attention on 

 that species of himndines. Our swifts, in general, wth- 

 drew this year about the first day of August, all save one 

 pair, which in two or three days was reduced to a single 

 bird. The perseverance of this individual made me 

 suspect that the strongest of motives, that of an attach- 

 ment to her young, could alone occasion so late a stay. 

 I watched therefore till the twenty-fourth of August, and 



