236 
NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
SO secure from ruffling winds. As my principal object was to 
discover the place of their roosting, I took care to wait on them 
before they retired to rest, and was much pleased to find that, 
for several evenings together, just at a quarter past five in the 
afternoon, they all scudded away in great haste towards the 
south-east, and darted down among the low shrubs abo^ the 
cottages at the end of the hill. This spot in many respects seems 
to be well calculated for their winter residence: for in many 
parts it is as steep as the roof of any house, and therefore secure 
from the annoyances of water ; and it is moreover clothed with 
beechen shrubs, which, being stunted and bitten by sheep, make 
the thickest covert imaginable ; and are so entangled as to be 
impervious to the smallest spaniel : besides, it is the nature of 
imderwood beech never to cast its leaf all the winter ; so that, 
with the leaves on the ground and those on the twigs, no shelter 
can be more complete. I watched them on to the thirteenth 
and fourteenth of October, and found their evening retreat was 
exact and uniform ; but after this they made no regular appear- 
ance. Now and then a straggler was seen ; and, on the twenty- 
second of October, I observed two in the morning over the 
village, and with them my remarks for the season ended. 
From all these circumstances put together, it is more than 
probable that this lingering flight, at so late a season of the year, 
never departed from the island. Had they indulged me that 
autumn with a November visit, as I much desired, I presume 
that, with proper assistants, I should have settled the matter past 
all doubt ; but though the third of November was a sweet day, 
and in appearance exactly suited to my wishes, yet not a martin 
was to be seen ; and so I was forced, reluctantly, to give up the 
pursuit. 
I have only to add that were the bushes, which cover some 
acres, and are not my own property, to be grubbed and carefully 
examined, probably those late broods, and perhaps the whole 
aggregate body of the house-martins of this district, might be 
found there, in different secret dormitories ; and that, so far from 
withdrawing into warmer climes, it would appear that they never 
depart three hundred yards from the village.* 
* The following account, by Mr. Audubon, of the manner in which an American species of 
swallow passes the winter, will be read with much interest hy those who are at all curious on the 
subject : — 
" Being extremely desirous,^' he observes, " of settling the long agitated question respecting 
the migration or torpidity of swallows, I embraced every opportunity of examining their habits, 
