248 
BRITISH BIRDS* 
OF THE SWALLOW. 
Of all the various families of birds, which refort 
to this ifland for food and lhelter, there is none 
which has occafioned fo many conjectures refpeCt- 
ing its appearance and departure as the Swallow 
tribe Of this we have already hazarded our 
opinion in the introductory part of our work, to 
which we refer our readers* The habits and 
modes of living of this tribe are perhaps more con- 
fpicuous than thofe of any other. From the time 
of their arrival to that of their departure they feem 
continually before our eyes. — The Swallow lives 
habitually in the air, and performs its various 
functions in that element ; and whether it purfues 
its fluttering prey, and follows the devious wind- 
ings of the infeCts on which it feeds, or endeavours 
to efcape the birds of prey by the quicknefs of its 
motion, it defcribes lines fo mutable, fo varied, fo 
interwoven, and fo confuted, that they hardly can 
be pictured by words. — “ The Swallow tribe is of 
all others moll inolfenfive, harmlefs, entertaining, 
and focial ; all except one fpecies attach them- 
felves to our houfes, amufe us with their migra- 
tions, fongs, and marvellous agility, and clear the 
air of gnats and other troublefome infeCts, which 
would otherwife much annoy and incommode us. 
Whoever contemplates the myriads of infeCts that 
fport in the fun-beams of a fummer evening in this 
