C 322 ] 



It very much refembles the European fwal!ow 3 

 but the tail differs, as the forks (in the Senegal fpe- 

 cimen) taper from the top of the two exterior fea- 

 thers to the bottom, at three regular divifions,. 

 whereas in the European they are nearly of the fame 

 width throughout* 



The convincing proof, however, that the et Hi- 

 " rondel le- a ventre roux du Senegal" differs from* 

 our chimney fwallow is, that the rump is entirely 

 covered with a bright orange or chefnut, which in - 

 the European fwallow (C is of a very lovely but dark 

 tf purplifrr blue colour *.'" 



Having lately looked into Ariflotle's Natural Hi- 

 Aory, with regard to the cuckow, I take this oppor- 

 tunity alfo of enlarging on the doubts I have thrown; 

 out, in relation to the prevailing notion of this bird's 

 neitlings being hatched and fed by fofter parents. 



1 find that this moft general, opinion, takes its rife 

 from what is faid by this father of natural hiftory,, 

 in his ninth book, and J twenty-ninth chapter. 



Ariftotle there afTerts, that the cuckow does not. 

 build a nefl itfelf, but makes ufe moft commonly of 

 thole of the wood-pigeon, hedge-fparrow, lark, 

 (which' he adds are on the ground); as well as that ofr 

 the %x»f>i£ "JTi which is in trees. 



Now, if we take the whole of this account toge- 

 ther, it is certainly not to be depended upon j for 

 the wood-pigeon J and hedge-fparrow do not builds 

 upon the ground, and no one ever pretended to have 



* See Willughby, p. 312. 



f The x Xu i^ is rendered luteola ; but, as there is no defcrip— 

 tion, it is difficult to- fay what bird Ariftotle here alludes toj- 

 Zinanni fuppofes it to be the greenfinch^ 



\ The wood-pigeon, from its fize, feems to be the only 

 bird which is capable of hatching* or feeding, the joung cuc- 



tound 



