OF S EL BORNE. ^5 
Swallows and martins, the bulk of them I mean, have for- 
faken us fooner this year than ufual ; for, on September the twenty- 
fecond, they rendezvoufed in a neighbour's walnut-tree, where it 
feemed probable they had taken up their lodging for the night. 
At the dawn of the day, which was foggy, they arofe all together 
in infinite numbers, occafioning fuch a rufliing from the ftrokes of 
their wings againft the hazy air, as might be heard to a con- 
fiderable diftance : fince that no flock has appeared, only a few 
ftragglers. 
Some fwifts ftaid late, till the twenty-fecond of Augujl — a rare 
inftance ! for they ufually withdraw within the firft week °. 
On September the twenty-fourth three or four ring-oufels appeared 
in my fields for the firft time this feafon : how pundual are thefe 
vifitors in their autumnal and fpring migrations ! 
LETTER XXXVIIL 
TO THE SAME. 
DEAR SIR, Selborne, March 15, 1773. 
By my journal for lafl autumn it appears that the houfe-martins 
bred very late, and ftaid very late in thefe parts ; for, on the 
firft of OSlober, I faw young martins in their neft nearly fledged; 
and again, on the twenty-firft of OBober, we had at the next 
houfe a neft full of young martins juft ready to fly ; and the old 
ones were hawking for infe6ts with great alertnefs. The next 
e See letter liii. to Mr, Barrington, 
morning 
