sheltered vales near waters where insects are to be 

 found ? Certain it is that hardly any individuals 

 have, at such times, been seen for da3's together. 



''September 13, 1791, the congregating flocks of 

 hirnndines on the church and tower are both beauti- 

 ful and amusing. When they fly off together from 

 the roof on any alarm, they quite swarm in the air. 

 But they soon settle again in heaps, and pulling their 

 feathers and lifting up their wings to admit the sun, 

 they seem to enjoy the warm situation. Thus they 

 spend the heat of the day, preparing for their mi- 

 gration, and, as it were, consulting when and where 

 they are to go. The flight about the church seems 

 to consist chiefly of house-martins, about 400 in num- 

 ber ; but there are other places of rendezvous about 

 the village frequented at the same time. It is re- 

 markable that, though most of them sit on the battle- 

 ments and roof, yet many of them hang or cling for 

 some time by their claws against the surface of the 

 w^alls in a manner not practised by them at other 

 times of their remaining with us. The swallows 

 seem to delight more in holding their assemblies on 

 trees. 



''November 3, 1789, the swallows were seen this 

 morning, at Newton Vicarage house, hovering and 

 settling on the roofs and outbuildings. None have 

 been observed at Selborne since October 11. It is 

 very remarkable that after the hirtmdtftes have disap- 

 peared for some weeks, a few are occasionally seen 



37 



