OF SELBORNE. 303 



Though in some particular districts they 

 . may happen to abound, yet in the whole, 

 in the south of England at least, is this 

 much the rarest species. For there are 

 few towns or large villages but what 

 abound with house-martins ; few churches, 

 towers or steeples, but what are haunted 

 by some swifts ; scarce a hamlet or single 

 cottage-chimney that has not its swallow ; 

 while the bank-martins, scattered here and 

 there, live a sequestered life among some 

 abrupt sand-hills, and in the banks of some 

 few rivers. 



These birds have a peculiar manner of 

 flying; flitting about with odd jerks, and 

 vacillations, not unlike the motions of a 

 butterfly. Doubtless the flight of all hirun- 

 dines is influenced by, and adapted to, the 

 peculiar sort of insects which furnish their 

 food. Hence it would be worth inquiry to 

 examine what particular genus of insects 

 affords the principal food of each respec- 

 tive species of swallow. 



Notwithstanding what has been ad- 

 vanced above, some few sand-martins, I 



