t 264 ] 
dug down from above on his back, and rifing in a per- 
pendicular line in perfect fecurity. This bird allb will 
found the alarm, and ftrike at cats, when they climb on 
the roofs of houfcs, or otherwife approach their riehs. 
Each fpecies of hirundo drinks as it flies along, fipping 
the furface of the water; but the fwallow alone wafJjes 
on the wing, by dropping into a pool for many times 
together. The fwallow is a delicate fongfter, and in 
foft weather fings both perching on trees and on chim- 
ney tops and flying: is alfo a bold ranger to diftant 
downs and commons even in windy weather, which the 
other fpecies feem much to diflike ; nay, even frequent- 
ing expofed fea-port towns, and making little excurflons 
over the falt-water* Horfe-men, on wide downs, are 
often clofely attended by a little party of fwallows for 
miles together, which plays before and behind them, 
fweeping around and colledling all the ikulking infecfls 
that are roufed by the trampling of the horfes feet: when 
the wind blows hard, without this expedient, they are 
often forced to fettle to pick up their lurking prey. 
This fpecies feeds much on little coleoptera as well as on 
grafs and flies ; and often fettles on dug grounds for gra- 
vel, to grind and digeft its food. Before they depart, 
for fome weeks, to a bird, they forfake houfes and chim- 
nies, and rood in trees, and ufually withdraw about the 
beginning of Odlober, though fome few flragglers may 
appear at times to the firft week in November. Some 
few pairs haunt the new and open ftreets of London 
next the fields ; but do not enter, like the houfe-martins, 
the 
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