140 
THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
worthy our regards ; and I have frequently been as 
much amused, while watching the evolutions of a 
swallow, flying round a pond in search of his prey, 
or in observing their curious manoeuvre of dipping 
their breasts swiftly into pools, and immediately re- 
turning to their nests, (as the ignorant suppose, to 
temper the mortar with the moisture thus carried on 
their feathers,*) as ever I have been by the music of 
the finest songster. 
Swallow, that on rapid wing 
Sweep'st along in sportive ring. 
Now here, now there, now low, now high. 
Chasing keen the painted fly : 
Could I skim away with thee 
Over land and over sea, 
What streams would flow, what cities rise, 
What landscape dance before mine eyes ; 
First, from England's southern shore, 
'Cross the channel we would soar. 
And our vent'rous course advance 
To the sprightly plains of France ; 
* It is now well known this is not the case ; the bird uses 
its own saliva for this purpose. 
