170 NATURAL HISTORY 



Speaking of the swift, ^ that page says 

 its drink the dew p whereas it should be 

 it drinks on the wing;" for all the swal- 

 low kind sip their water as they sweep over 

 the face of pools or rivers : like Virgifs 

 bees, they drink flying ; Jiumina summa 

 libant.*' In this method of drinking per- 

 haps this genus may be peculiar. 



Of the sedge-bird| be pleased to say it 

 sings most part of the night ; its notes are 

 hurrying, but not unpleasing, and imitative 

 of several birds ; as the sparrow, swallow, 

 sky-lark. When it happens to be silent in 

 the night, by throwing a stone or clod into 

 the bushes where it sits, you immediately 

 set it a singing ; or, in other words, though 

 it slumbers sometimes, yet as soon as it is 

 awakened it reassumes its song. 



* British Zoology, vol. ii. p. 15. t P. 16. 



