202 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



brought to the breeding-hole; but after the fourth 

 time she remained in the nest, and the good zealous 

 husband went away to enjoy himself. A swift chasing 

 his wife home in the evening can easily be distin- 

 guished from one swift chasing another swift for fun, 

 or whatever the motive is that keeps them in a per- 

 petual hunt after one another. He follows her closely 

 in all her mad flights and sudden doublings until he 

 has got her face towards home, and then keeping close 

 to her agitates his wings in a peculiar manner, at 

 intervals gliding smoothly, uttering all the time a 

 measured sharp cHcking chirp — a sound as of re- 

 peated strokes on a piece of metal. 



In Somerset I heard a curious little story which 

 may prove of interest to those who are accustomed to 

 watch the flight of the swifts on summer evenings 

 with the object of finding out their secret. 



One April evening, near Wells, I was sauntering 

 along a road separated from a copse by an old moss- 

 grown stone wall, when I noticed a boy moving 

 cautiously about in the deep shadows of the trees, 

 and watching me suspiciously. 



" Found any nests ? " I called out suddenly to him. 

 He very quickly replied that he was not looking for 

 nests, and had seen none ; then he added that he was 

 looking for primroses. Now he had no primroses in 

 his hands, and as a matter of fact none grew in that 

 particular copse ; but I did not point this out to him, 

 being desirous of engaging him in conversation. He 



