58 
RURAL HOURS. 
boast of ; it is altogether plain, and almost bat-like in appearance, 
but, in its way, it is remarkably clever and skilful. It is as good" 
at clinging to a bare wall, or the trunk of a tree, as the wood- 
pecker, its tail being shaped like that of those birds, and used for 
the same purpose, as a support. The air is their peculiar element ; 
here they play and chase the insects, and feed and sing after 
their fashion, with an eager, rapid twitter ; they have little to do 
with the earth, and the plants, and the trees, never alighting, ex- 
cept within a chimney. They feed entirely on the wing, sup- 
plying their young also, when they are able to fly, in the same 
manner, and they seem to drink flying as they skim over the 
water. A cloudy, damp day is their delight, and one often sees 
them out in the rain. How they provide the twigs for their nests, 
one would like to know, for they are never observed looking for 
their materials on the ground, or about the trees ; — probably they 
pick them up as they skim the earth. Their activity is wonder- 
ful, for they are on the wing earlier and later than any other of 
their busy tribe. Often of a summer's evening one sees them 
pass when it is quite dark — near nine o'clock — and the next morn- 
ing they will be up, perhaps, at three ; they are said, indeed, to 
feed their young at night, so that they can have but little rest at 
that season. Some persons shut up their chimneys agTiinst them, 
on account of the noise, which keeps one awake at times ; and 
they have a trick of getting down into rooms through the fire- 
place, which is troublesome to neat housekeepers ; the greatest 
objection against them, however, is the rubbish they collect in 
the chimneys. Still one cannot quarrel with them ; for their rapid 
wheeling flight, and eager twitter about the roof of a house, gives 
it a very cheerful character through the summer. They will not 
