OF SELBORNE. 
»57 
LETTER XVI. 
TO THE SAME. 
DEAR SIR, Seleorne, Nov. 20, 177 j. 
In obedience to your injunftions I fit down to give you fome ac- 
count of the houfe-martin, or martlet ; and, if my monography of 
this little domeftic and familiar bird fhould happen to meet with 
your approbation, I may probably foon exterid my inquiries to the 
reft of the Brit'ifJo hlrimdines — -the fwallow, the fwift, and the bank- 
martin. 
A few houfe-martins begin to appear about the fixteenth of April; 
ufually fome few days later than the fwallow. For fome time- 
after they appear the hirundines in general pay no attention to the 
bufinefs of nidification, but play and fport about, either to recruit 
from the fatigue of their journey, if they do migrate at all, or elfe 
that their blood may recover it's true tone and texture after it has 
been fo long benumbed by the feverities of winter. About the 
middle of May, if the weather be fine, the martin begins to think 
in earneft of providing a manfion for it's family. The cruft or 
fhell of this neft feems to be formed of fuch dirt or loam as comes 
moft readily to hand, and is tempered and wrought together with 
little bits of broken ftraws to render it tough and tenacious. As 
this bird often builds againft a perpendicular wall without any pro- 
jeding ledge under, it requires it's utmoft efforts to get the firft 
foundation firmly fixed, fo that it may fafely carry the fuperftruc- 
ture. On this occafion the bird not only clings with it's claws, 
but 
