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. Tlie 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 
Avitli the earth, and the plants, and the trees, never alighting, ex- 
cept witliin a chimney. They feed entirely on the wing, sup- 
plying their young also, w'hen 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 tlicir 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 tliey 
pick them up as they skim tire earth. Their activity is Avonder- 
ful, for they are on tlie wing earlier and later tlian any otlier of 
their busy tribe. Often of a summer’s evening one sees them 
pass Avhen it is quite dark — near nine o’clock — and the next morn- 
ing they Avill 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 then* chimneys against lliem, 
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 quaiTcl 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 
