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not help enquiring into the object of their purfuit, that 
induced them to defcend fo much below their ufual 
range. After fome trouble, I found that they were taking 
phryganea, ephemerce^ and libellul<2 (cadew-flies, may- 
flies, and dragon-flies), that were juft emerged out of 
their aurelia-ftate, I then no longer wondered that they 
fhould be fo v/illing to ftoop for a prey, that yielded them 
fuch plentiful and fucculent nouriftnnent. They bring 
out their young about the middle or latter end of July; 
but as thefe never become perchers, nor, that ever I could 
difcern, are fed on the wing by their dams, the commg 
forth of the young is not fo notorious as in the other 
fpecies. On the 30th of June laft, I untiled the eaves 
of a houfe where many pairs build, and found in each 
iieft only two naked, fquab pulli. On the eighth of July 
I repeated the fame enquiry, and found they had made 
very little progrefs towards a fledged ftate ; but were ftill 
naked and helplefs. From whence we may conclude, 
that birds, whofe way of life keeps them perpetually on 
the wing, would not be able to quit their neft till the end 
of the month. Swallows and martins, that have nume- 
rous families, are continually feeding them every two or 
three minutes ; while fwifts, that have but two young to 
maintain, are much at their leifure, and do not attend 
on their nefts for hours together. 'Sometimes they 
purfue and ftrike at hawks that come in their way ; but 
not with that vehemence and fury that fwallows exprefs 
on the fame occalion. They are out all day long in wet 
days, feeding about, and difregarding ftill rain: from 
whence 
