VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 349 
lings, that do great mischief in the fields. But nowhere have I seen 
such flights of these birds as in Mr. Dashwood's grounds. Thus 
the place had been robl)ed of its beauty, to little purpose. On 
our journey home, we did not see one tortoise to add to our col- 
lection, but some curious beetles and lizards. 
24th. Every morning I am greeted by the pleasant chirping of 
two swallows, cock and hen, which have a nest in a corner of the 
room, under the cieling. There is hardly a room, kitchen, or 
out-house in the country without these inmates, and it would be 
thought next to murder to kill them. They build their nests of 
clay, in the shape of a bottle, the bottom being fixed to the wall, 
and the neck serving for the entrance. Into these bottle-shaped 
nests, they convey the softest down. As far as I was able to 
watch them, both cock and hen assist in the construction, or re- 
pairs of the nest, which remains for their use during their emigra- 
tion. The same birds always return to the same nests, and if it 
happens, that by white-washing the room, the outside of the nest 
has been whitened, they carefully cover about half the length of 
the neck with fresh clay, before they make a new bed. 
As the upper half of the room-door, generally stands open dur- 
ing the day, they go in and out whenever they please, but if the 
door is shut, they give notice of their wish to go abroad, to fetch 
either materials or food, by a gentle piping and flying about the 
room, and none think it too troublesome to let them out. At 
dawn of day, they are heard chirping their morning-song, before 
they leave the nest. I have often left my bed, to open the door 
for them. 
These birds are shaped like the European swallows, but, under 
their wiiigs, ot a red-brown colour. They leave the country 
during the \> in it r. They are persecuted by a bird called the wild 
swailciW, black and white in colour, which is said to kill the do- 
mestic one, and sieze upon its nest. The wild are on that ac- 
count shot, or otheiwise destroyed by the Hottentots. 
This being Slater Schinitt's buth-day, the Hottentots, particu- 
