_ «7 aa , 
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. ~ 159 
walls or eaves, and since those within utter at the same time 
a little inward note of complacency. 
When the hen has sat hard all day, she rushes forth just as 
it is almost dark, and stretches and relieves her weary limbs, 
and snatches a scanty meal for a few minutes, and then returns 
to her duty of incubation. Swifts, when wantonly and cruelly 
shot while they have young, discover a little lump of insects 
in their mouths, which they pouch and hold under their tongue. 
In general they feed in a much higher district than the other 
species; a proof that gnats and other insects do also abound to 
_a considerable height in the air; they also range to vast dis- 
tances, since locomotion is no labor to them who are endowed 
with such wonderful powers of wing. ‘Their powers seem to 
be in proportion to their levers; and their wings are longer in 
proportion than those of almost any other bird. When they 
mute, or ease themselves in flight, they raise their wings, and 
make them meet over their backs. 
At some certain times in the summer I had remarked that 
swifts were hawking very low for hours together over pools 
and streams; and could not help inquiring into the object of 
their pursuit that induced them to descend so much below 
their usual range. After some trouble, I found that they were 
taking caddis-flies, May-flies, and dragon-flies, that were just 
emerged out of their aurelia (or chrysalis) state. I then no 
longer wondered that they should be so willing to stoop fora 
prey that afforded them such plentiful and succulent nourish- 
ment. 
They bring out their young about the middle or latter end 
of July; but as these never become perchers, nor, that ever I 
could discern, are fed on the wing by their dams, the coming 
forth of the young is not so notorious as in the other 
species. 
On the 30th of last June, I untiled the eaves of a house 
where many pairs build, and found in each nest only two 
