OF SELBORNE. 



263 



The hirundines are a most inoffensive, 

 harmless, entertaining, social, and useful 

 tribe of birds : they touch no fruit in our 

 gardens ; delight, all except one species, in 

 attaching themselves to our houses ; amuse 

 us with their migrations, songs, and mar- 

 vellous agility ; and clear our outlets from 

 the annoyances of gnats and other trouble- 

 some insects. Some districts in the South 

 seas, near Guiaquil,^ are desolated, it seems, 

 by the infinite sw^arms of venomous mos- 

 quitoes, which fill the air, and render those 

 coasts insupportable. It v^ould be v^orth 

 inquiring v^hether any species of hirundines 

 is found in those regions. Whoever con- 

 templates the myriads of insects that sport 

 in the sun-beams of a Summer evening in 

 this country, will soon be convinced to 

 what a degree our atmosphere would be 

 choaked with them was it not for the 

 friendly interposition of the swallow tribe. 



Many species of birds have their peculiar 

 lice ; but the hirundines alone seem to be 



* See Ulloa's Travels. 



