swallow, is 7 inches in length, and wholly black, with the glofs of polished steel, except the belly and under tail coverts, which are white: the tail is very little forked: the legs, bill, and claws are brown. It inhabits St Domingo, and others of the Weft India Islands, in May, June, and July; and is faid to imitate a lark in its fong. See fig. 1. 6. HIRUNDO ERYTHROCEPHALA, the read-headed fwallow, has a red head, with a fhort flat duf ky bill: the back is dufky, the feathers edged with white: the under parts of the body white, the tail coverts pale brown: the wings are both dufky; as is alfo the tail, which is a little forked. It inhabits India; and is only the fize of a fmall humming bird. have a ftrong grafp with their feet, by which they cling to walls. Their bodies being flat, they can enter a very narrow crevice; and where they cannot pafs on their bellies, they will turn up edgewife. In London a party of fwifts frequents the Tower, playing and feeding over the river juft below the bridge: others haunt fome of the churches of the Borough next the fields; but do not venture, like the house martin, into the clofe crowded part of the town. The Swedes have beftowed a very pertinent name on this fwallow, calling it ring-favala, from the perpetual rings or circles that it takes round the fcene of its nidification. As thefe birds are apt to catch at every thing on the wing, many have taken them by a bait on a cockchaffer tied to a thread, which they have swallowed as freely as a fish theirs. In the Ifle of Zant, the boys are faid to get on an elevated place, and merely with a hook baited with a feather, have caught five or fix dozen of them in a day. Befides cur ifland, the swift is known to inhabit the whole of the European continent; and has also been noticed at the Cape of Good Hope, and Carolina in North America. Hence, moft likely, it is a general inhabitant of both the old and new continent. 3. HIRUNDO BORBONICA, the wheat fwallow, is about the fize of the fwift: the plumage above is blackish brown; beneath grey, marked with longitudinal brown fpots: the tail is even at the end the bill and legs are black. This fpecies inhabits the Ifle of France; frequenting places fown with wheat, and glades of woods; affecting elevated fituations, and frequently feen perched on trees and ftones. It follows herds of cattle for the fake - of the flies which furround them; and is frequently seen in the wake of fhips in great numbers, in the road near the ifle, for the fame purpose. It is often obferved in the evenings about the clefts in the mountains, where it is faid to pass the night; and where it makes its neft, which is compofed of ftraw and feathers. It lays two eggs, of a grey colour dotted with brown. 4. HIRUNDO CAYENNENSIS, the white coloured Swallow, is about the fize of the martin: the head and bill are black; the chin and throat white, paff ing from the last in a narrow collar round the neck; between the bill and eye is a ftreak of white, which forks off into two; one paffing a little above, and the other a little way beneath the eye: the reft of the plumage is black, with a glofs of violet; but the greater coverts, nearest the body, are brown, edged with white: the quills and tail are black; the laft forked: the legs are black; and all the four toes placed before as in the fwift, and covered with feathers to the claws. This bird makes its neft in the houses at Cayenne. It is of a large fize, in fhape of a truncated cone; 5 inches one way by 3 the other, and 9 inches in length. It is compofed of the down of dog's bane, well woven together; the cavity divided obliquely about the middle, lengthways, by a partition, which spreads over that part of the neft where the eggs lie, which is pretty near the bafe: a small parcel of the fame foft down, forming a kind of plug, is placed over the top, serving to keep the young brood from the impreffion of the air; whence we may fuppofe them to be very tender. (5.) HIRUNDO DOMINICENSIS, the St Domingo 1 7. HIRUNDO ESCULENTA, the edible fwallow, according to Buffon, is lefs than the wren, and only two inches and a quarter in length. The bill is black; the upper parts of the body are brown, the under whitifh; the tail is forked, and each feather of it tipped with white: the legs are brown. See fig. 2. Mr Latham thinks, that the fize as above defcribed is by much too fmall, as Mr Marfden fays that the bird "appears to be the com. mon martin;"" and (fays Mr Latham) we are much inclined to think that it is at least of that fize, from the eggs which accompany the neft in the British Mufeum, which are as big as thofe of the martin, and of the fame colour." This conjecture of Mr Latham's is now confirmed by the description lately given in the Tranfactions of the Batavian Society in the Island of Java, vol. iii. "The hirundo efculenta is of a blackifh grey colour, inclining a little to green; but on the back to the tail, as well as on the belly, this blackifli colour gradually changes into a mouse colour. The whole length of the bird from the bill to the tail is about 44 inches, and its height from the bill to the extremity of the middle toe 34. The diftance from the tip of the one wing to that of the other, when extended, is 10. The largest feathers of the wings are about 4 inches in length. The head is flat; but, on account of the thickness of the feathers, appears round, and to be of a large fize in proportion to the reft of the body. The bill is broad, and ends in a fharp extremity, bent downwards, in the form of an awl. The width of it is increafed by a naked piece of fkin, fomewhat like parchment, which, when the bill is fhut, lies folded together; but which, when the bill opens, is confiderably extended, and enables the bird to catch with greater cafe, while on wing, the infects which ferve it for food. The eyes are black, and of a confiderable fize. The tongue, which is not forked, is shaped like an arrow. The ears are flat, round, naked spots, with fmall oblong openings, and are entirely concealed under the feathers of the head. The neck is very fhort, as well as the legs and the bones of the wings. The thighs are wholly covered with feathers; and the very tender lower parts of the legs, and the feet themselves, are covered with a skin like black parchment. Each foot has 4 toes, 3 of which are before and one turned backwards. They are all detached from each other to the roots; and the middle one, together with the claw, is fully as long as the lower part of the leg. Each toe is furnished with a black, tharp, crooked claw mountainous parts of Spain; building in the holes of rocks. It is found alfo on the borders of the Rhone, in Savoy, the isle of Malta, Alps of Switzerland, and rock of Gibraltar. It comes into Savoy the beginning of April, and frequents the ponds and marthes for 15 or 20 days; after which it retires to the mountainous parts to breed. It flies higher than our swift; but feeds on the fame food, and its flesh is accounted a delicate morfel. This fpecies is not numerous. Scopoli fays it builds on the fummit of the mountains of Tyrol. 10. HIRUNDO MONTANA, the crag-fwallow, is about the fize of the martin, and in its upper plumage like the fand-martin: the under part of the body is rufous; the tail is fcarcely forked; the legs are covered with grey down mixed with brown; the bill and the claws are black. These birds inhabit the rocks and crags about Mont Blanc, (cidevant Savoy;) arriving there the middle of April, and departing the 15th Aug.for the most part; fometimes a few ftragglers remain till the 10th Oct. This, fpecies is alfo found in the mountains of the late French provinces of Auvergne, and Dauphiné; and fpecimens have been received from Gibraltar. claw of a confiderable length, by which the animal can with great facility attach himself to crags and rocks. The tail is fully as long as the body together with the neck and the head. When expanded it has the form of a wedge, and confifts of ten large feathers. The 4 first on each fide are long; and, when the tail is clofed, extend almoft an inch beyond the reft. The other feathers decrease towards the middle of the tail, and are equal to about the length of the body."-The bird above defcribed by Buffon feems to be a variety of this species. But the most curious part of the natural history of this bird confifts in the neft, which is composed of fuch materials as render it not only edible, but one of the greatest dainties of the Afiatic epicures. These nefts (fee BIRDS-NESTS, 4.) are found in vaft numbers in certain caverns, in various ifles in the Soolo Archipelago, fituated betwen lon. 117° and 120° and lat. 5° and 7°, particularly in three small ifles, or rather rocks; in the caverns of which the nefts are found fixed to the stones in aftonishing numbers. They are also found in amazing quantities on a small island called Toc, in the ftraits of Sunda; the caverns of which are lined with the nefts: but nowhere in II. HIRUNDO NIGRA, the black fwallow, meagreater abundance than about Croce, near the S. fures near 6 inches in length: the colour of the end of Sumatra, 4 miles up a river of that name. bird is wholly black, and the tail is forked. It inBut they are not peculiar to the above places: for habits St Domingo and Cayenne; but it is not nu they are likewise common from Java to Cochin- merous. It is often feen to perch on dead trees; china on the N. and from the point of Sumatra and only inhabits dry favannahs inland. It fcoops W. to New Guinea on the E. where the fea is faid out a hole in the earth, half a foot long, with the to be covered with a viscous fubftance like half-mouth very fmall, fo as juft to permit entrance: in melted glue, which the bird is fuppofed either to take up from the furface with its bill during flight, or to pick it from the rocks when left there by the waves. Of these nefts, it is faid the Dutch alone export from Batavia 1000 pickles, upwards of 1300lb. English weight, every year, which are brought from the ifles of Cochinchina, and thofe lying to the E. of them. It is furprising, that, among other luxuries imported from the eaft, these nests should not have found a way to our tables; being yet fo fcarce in England as to be kept as rarities in the cabinets of collectors. The bird itfelf at Sumatra is named Layonglayong. 8. HIRUNDO FRANCICA, the grey-rumped fwallou, is in length 44 inches; having the upper parts of the body blackish, the rump and under parts whitish or grey. This fpecies inhabits the ifle of France, but not in great numbers. It is found chiefly near fresh waters. It flies fwift; and is feldom observed to perch. It is supposed to reft in the woods at night, being feen about the fkirts of them towards evening. It is generally very lean, and not good food. 9. HIRUNDO MELBA, the white-bellied fwift, is in length 84 inches, and weighs 2 oz. 4 dr.; the bill is half an inch long, fomewhat bent, and black: the upper parts of the body are of a grey brown; the wings and tail deepeft, with a glofs of red and green in fome lights: the throat, breaft, and belly, are white; on the neck is a collar of grey brown, mixed with black: the fides are dufky, and white mixed; lower part of the belly and under tail-coverts, the fame as the back: the legs are ficfh-coloured, and covered with feathers on the fore part and infide: all the toes are placed forward, as in our fwift. This bird inhabits the this cavity it conftructs the neft and rears its young. 12. HIRUNDO PELASGIA, the aculeated fallowv, is fomewhat lefs than our chimney fwallow: its plumage is brown, but at the throat whitish, and all the tail feathers are terminated by a bare pointed fhaft. It inhabits Carolina and Virginia in the fummer time, and builds in dry fituations in the chimneys of houfes and cottages. 13. HIRUNDO PURPUREA, the purple swallow, is in length 7 inches, and the whole body is of a deep violet, very gloffy: the quills and tail are of the fame colour, but ftill deeper, and the laft forked: the legs and claws are blackifh, and the bill is black. The colour of the female is dusky brown, with a flight tinge of violet. This fpecies is found in fummer in Carolina and Virginia; coming in May, and retiring at the approach of winter. The people are very fond of them, and make little conveniencies of boards on the outfides of their houses for the birds to build in, as is done for fparrows in England; being defirous to keep them near, as they are of much ufe in alarming the poultry of the approach of the hawk and other birds of prey; not only fhrieking violently on the appearance of thefe enemies, but attacking them with all the efforts of our martins in Europe. See fig. 3. 14. HIRUNDO RIPARIA, the SAND MARTIN, OF Shore bird, is 44 inches in length, with the whole upper parts of the body of a moufe colour, the throat and under parts white, the bill and legs blackifh. It is common about the banks of rivers and fandpits, where it terebrates a round and regular hole in the fand or earth, which is ferpentine, horizontal, and about two feet deep. At the inner end of this burrow does the bird depofit, in a good degree of safety, her rude neft, confifting of fine Qq2 grafies graffes and feathers, ufually goofe-feathers, very inartificially laid together. "Though at firft (fays Mr White) one would be difinclined to believe that this weak bird, with her foft and tender bill and claws, fhould ever be able to bore the ftubborn fand-bank without entirely difabling herfelf; yet with these feeble inftruments have I feen a pair of them make great dispatch; and could remark how much they had scooped that day by the freth fand which ran down the bank, and was of a different colour from that which lay loofe and bleached in the fun. In what Ipace of time these little artifts are able to mine and finish these cavities, I have never been able to discover; but it would be a matter worthy of observation, where it falls in the way of any naturalift to make his remarks. This I have often taken notice of, that feveral holes of different depths are left unfinished at the end of fummer. To imagine that these beginnings were intentionally made in order to be in the greater forwardnéfs for next spring, is allowing perhaps too much forefight and rerum prudentia to a fimple bird. May not the cause of these latebra being left unfinished arife from their meeting in thofe places with ftrata too harsh, hard, and folid, for their purpose, which they relinquish, and go to a fresh fpot that works more freely? Or may they not in other places fall in with a foil as much too loofe and mouldering, liable to founder, and threatening to overwhelm them and their labours? One thing is remarkable-that, after fome years, the old holes are forfaken and new ones bored; perhaps because the old habitations grow foul and fetid from long use, or because they may fo abound with fleas as to become untenantable. This fpecies of fwallow is ftrangely annoyed with fleas; and we have feen fleas, bed-fleas (pulex irritans), fwarming at the mouths of thefe holes, like bees on the ftools of their hives. The fand-martin arrives much about the fame time with the fwallow; and lays, as the does, from four to fix white eggs. But as this fpecies is cryptogame, carrying on the bufinefs of nidification, incubation, and the fupport of its young in the dark, it would not be eafy to afcertain the time of breeding, were it not for the coming forth of the broods, which appear much about the time, or rather fomewhat earlier than thofe of the fwallow. The nestlings are fupported in common, like thofe of their congeners, with gnats and other small infects; and fometimes they are fed with libellule (dragon flies) almoft as long as them felves. This hirundo is faid to lay only once in a year, and to produce it's young more early than the reft of its tribe: though, from this laft circumftance, it would feem probable that they breed at least a fecond time, like the houfe-martin and fwallow. It does not always take pains to make an hole for a neft; frequently laying in cavities of quarries, and in hollows of trees, where it is convenient. When they happen to breed near hedges and inclofures, they are often difpoffeffed of their breeding-holes by the houfe fparrow, which is on the fame account a fell adverfary to houfe martins. Thefe hirundines are no fongfters, but rather mute, making only a little harth noife when a perfon approaches their nefts. They seem not to be of a fociable turn, never with us congregating with their congeners in the autumn. They have a pe culiar manner of flying; fitting about with odd jerks and vacillations, not unlike the motions of a butterfly. Doubtlefs the flight of all hirundines is influenced by, and adapted to the peculiar fort of, infects which furnith their food. Hence (fays Mr White) it would be worth inquiry to examine what particular genus of infects affords the principal food of each refpective species of swallow. 15. HIRUNDO RUFA, the rufous-bellied favallow, is of the same fize with the martin, and has the upper parts of the body of a giofly black; the under rufous, growing paler towards the vent: the forehead is whitish; and the bill and legs are dufky. Thefe are found at Cayenne, and often as far N. as New York. They build in houses, without any mixture of mud; fabricating the neft with mofs, dried plants, and short bits of sticks, all united with a fort of gum, fo as scarce to be broken, and lined with feathers, fufpending it from the beams and rafters, fides of walls, and eaves of houses. It is fometimes a foot and a half in length; and is fixed by one of its fides, the opening being made near the bottom. The female lays 4 or 5 eggs; and the young go out as foon as their legs will fupport them. 16. HIRUNDO RUSTICA, the common or chimney swallow, is distinguished from all the other fpecies by the fuperior forkinefs of its tail, and by the red fpot on the forehead and under the chin. The crown of the head, the whole upper part of the body, and the coverts of the wings, are black, gloffed with a rich purplish blue, and moft refplendent in the male: the breaft and belly white, and in the male tinged with red: the tail is black; the two middle feathers are plain, the others marked tranfverfely near the ends with a white spot: the exterior feathers of the tail are much longer in the male than in the female. The food is the fame with that of all the genus; viz. infects. For taking thefe in their fwifteft flight, their parts are admirably contrived; their mouths are very wide to take in flies, &c. in their quickest motions; their wings are long, and adapted for diftant and continual flight; and their tails are forked, to enable them to turn the readier in pursuit of their prey. This fpecies is the first comer of all the British hirundines; and appears in general on or about the 13th of April, though now and then a ftraggler is feen much earlier. This fpecies, though called the chimney favallow, by no means builds altoge ther in chimneys, but often in barns and out-houses against the rafters; as Virgil long ago remarked, (Georg. lib. iv. 306.) In Sweden fhe builds in barns, and is called ladu fwala, the barn swallow. In the warmer parts of Europe, where there are no chimneys to houfes except they are English built, the conftructs her neft in porches, gate-ways, gal. leries, and open halls. But, in general, with us, this fpecies breeds in chimneys; and haunts those ftacks where there is a conftant fire, for the fake of warmth; generally preferring one adjoining to the kitchen, and difregarding the perpetual smoke of that funnel. Five or fix or more feet down the chimney, does this little bird begin to form her neft about the middle of May, which confifts, like that of the houfe martin, of a cruft or shell composed of dirt or mud, mixed with short pieces of ftraw to render it tough and permanent; with this difference, HIR ) HIR Every fpecies of hirundo drinks as it flies along, ( 309 'difference, that, whereas the fhell of the martin is nearly hemifpheric, that of the fwallow is open at the top, and like half a deep difh. This neft is lined with fine graffes, which are often collected as they float in the air. Wonderful is the addrefs (Mr White obferves) which this adroit bird shows all day long in afcending and defcending through fo narrow a pass. When hovering over the mouth of the funnel, the vibration of her wings acting on the confined air occafion's a rumbling noise like thunder. It is probable that the dam fubmits to this inconvenient fituation, fo low in the shaft, in order to fecure her brood from rapacious birds, and particularly from owls, which frequently fall down chimneys, perhaps in attempting to get at thefe neflings. This bird lays from 4 to 6 white eggs, dotted with red fpecks; and brings out her first brood about the laft week in June, or the firft in July. The progreffive method by which the young are introduced into life is very curious: Firft, they emerge from the thaft with difficulty enough, and often fall down into the room below: for a day or fo they are fed on the chimney top, and are then conducted to the dead leaflefs bough of fome tree, where, fitting in a row, they are attended with great affiduity, and may then be called perchers. In a day or two more they become fliers, but are ftill unable to take their own food: therefore they play about near the place where the dams are hawking for flies; and when a mouthful is collected, at a certain fignál given, the dam and the neftling advance, riling towards each other, and meeting at an angle; the young one all the while uttering fuch a little quick note of gratitude and complacency, that one must have paid very little regard to the wonders of Nature, who has not remarked this feat. The dam betakes herself immediately to the rearing of a 2d brood, as foon as the is difengaged from her first; which the at once affociates with the firft broods of house martins; and with them congregates, clustering on funny roofs, towers, and trees. She brings out her fecond brood towards the middle and end of Auguft. All the fummer long is the swallow a moft inftructive pattern of unwearied industry and affection; for from morning to night, while there is a family to be fupported, the spends the whole in fkimming close to the ground, and exerting the moft fud den turns and quick evolutions. Avenues, and long walks under hedges, and pasture fields, and mown meadows where cattle graze, are her delight, efpecially if there are trees interfperfed; because in fuch spots infects moft abound. When a fly is taken, a fmart fnap from her bill is heard, refembling the noife at the fhutting of a watchcafe; but the motion of the mandibles is too quick for the eye. The swallow, probably the male bird, is the excubitor to houfe martins and other little birds, announcing the approach of birds of prey. For, as foon as an hawk appears, with a Thrill alarming note he calls all the swallows and martins about him; who purfue in a body, and buffet and strike their enemy till they have driven him from the village, darting down from above on his back, and rifing in a perpendicular line in perfect fecurity. This bird will found alfo the alarm, and ftrike at cats when they climb on the roofs of houses, or otherwise approach the nefts. 17. HIRUNDO TAHITICA, the Otaheite favallo, is 5 inches long; its body is of a brown black colour, with a fhining bluish glofs; the breast of a fulvous purple; the abdomen of a footy brown; the bill, tail, and legs are black. It inhabits the mountainous parts of Otaheite. See fig. 4. 18. HIRUNDO URBICA, the MARTIN, is inferior in fize to the chimney fwallow, and its tail much lefs forked. The head and upper part of the body, except the rump, are black gloffed with blue: the breast, belly, and rump are white: the feet are covered with a fhort white down. This is the fecond of the fwallow kind that appears in our country; and of its manners and economy we "They have the following curious account in the Rev. Mr. White's Natural Hiftory of Selborne. begin to appear about the 16th of April; and for fome time they in general pay no attention to the business of nidification: they play and sport about, either to recruit from the fatigue of their journey, if they do migrate at all; or elfe that their blood may recover its true tone and texture after it has been fo long benumbed by the severities of winter. About the middle of May, if the wea ther ther be fine, the martin begins to think in earnest of providing a manfion for its family. The cruft or fhell of this neft feems to be formed of fuch dirt or loam as comes most readily to hand, and is tempered and wrought together with little bits of broken ftraws to render it tough and tenacious. As this bird often builds against a perpendicular wall without any projecting ledge under, it requires its utmost efforts to get the first foundation firmly fixed, so that it may fafely carry on the fuperftructure. On this occafion the bird not only clings with its claws, but partly fupports itself by ftrongly inclining its tail againft the wall, making that a fulcrum; and thus fteadied, it works and plafters the materials into the face of the brick or ftone. But then, that this work may not, while it is foft and green, pull itself down by its own weight, the provident architect has prudence and forbearance enough not to advance her work too fast, but by building only in the morning, and by dedicating the reft of the day to food and amufement, gives it fufficient time to dry and harden. About half an inch feems to be a fufficient layer for a day. Thus careful workmen, when they build mud-walls (informed at firft perhaps by this little bird) raise but a moderate layer at a time, and then defift; left the work fhould become top-heavy, and fo be ruined by its own weight. By this method, in about 10 or 12 days is formed an hemifpheric neft, with a fmall aperture towards the top, frong, compact, and warm; and perfectly fitted for all the purposes for which it was intended. But then nothing is more common than for the houfe fparrow, as foon as the shell is finished, to seize on it as its own, to eject the owner, and to line it after its own manner. After fo much labour is bestowed in erecting a manfion, as nature feldom works in vain, martins will breed on for feveral years together in the same nest, where it happens to be well fheltered and fecure from the injuries of the weather. The shell or cruft of the neft is a fort of ruftic work, full of knobs and protuberances on the outfide; nor is the infide of thofe that I have examined fmoothed with any exactness at all; but it is rendered foft and warm, and fit for incubation, by a lining of small ftraws, graffes, and feathers; and fometimes by a bed of moss interwoven with wool. In this they tread or engender, frequent ly during the time of building; and the hen lays from 3 to 5 white eggs. At firft, when the young are hatched, and are in a naked and helpless condition, the parent birds, with tender affiduity, carry out what comes from their young. Were it not for this affectionate cleanlinefs, the neftlings would foon be burnt up and deftroyed in fo deep and hollow a neft, by their own cauftic excrement. In the quadruped creation the fame neat precaution is made ufe of, particularly among dogs and cats, where the dams lick away what proceeds from their young. But in birds there feems to be a particular provifion, that the dung of neftlings is enveloped in a tough kind of jelly, and therefore is the eafier conveyed off without foiling or daubing. Yet, as nature is cleanly in all her ways, the young perform this office for themselves in a little time, by thrufting their tails out at the aperture of their neft. As the young of fmall birds presently arrive at their , or full growth, they foon become impatient of confinement, and fit all day with their heads out at the orifice, where the dams, by clinging to the neft, fupply them with food from morning to night. For a time the young are fed on the wing by their parents; but the feat is done by fo quick and almost imperceptible a flight, that a perfon muft have attended very exactly to their motions, before he would be able to perceive it. As foon as the young are able to shift for themselves, the dams immediately turn their thoughts to the bufinefs of a fecond brood: while the first flight, fhaken off and rejected by their nurfes, congregate in great flocks, and are the birds that are feen cluftering and hovering, on funny mornings and evenings, round towers and fteeples, and on the roofs of churches and houfes. Thefe congregatings ufually begin to take place about the firft week in Auguft; and therefore we may conclude that by that time the first flight is pretty well over. The young of this fpecies do not quit their abodes all together; but the more forward birds get abroad fome days before the reft. Thefe approaching the caves of buildings, and playing about before them, make people think that feveral old ones attend one neft. They are often capricious in fixing on a nefting place, beginning many edifices, and leaving them unfinished; but when once a neft is completed in a fheltered place, it ferves for feveral feafons. Those which breed in a ready. finifhed houfe, get the ftart in hatching, of thole that build new, by 10 days or a fortnight. Thefe induftrious artificers are at their labours in the long days before four in the morning: when they fix their materials, they plafter them on with their chins, moving their heads with a quick vibratory motion. They dip and wash as they fly fometimes in hot weather, but not so often as fwallows. Martins love to frequent towns, especially if there are great lakes and rivers at hand. They are by far the leaft agile of the British hirundines; their wings and tails are short, and therefore they are not capable of fuch furprising turns, and quick and glancing evolutions as the swallow. Accordingly, they make ufe of a placid eafy motion, in a middle region of the air, feldom mounting to any great height, and never sweeping long together over the furface of the ground or water. They do not wander far for food; but affect sheltered districts, over fome lake, or under fome hanging wood, or in fome hollow vale, efpecially in windy weather. They breed the latest of all the fwallow kind; in 1772, they had neftlings on to October the 21ft, and are never without young as late as Michaelmas. As the fummer declines, the congregating flocks increase in numbers daily, by the conftant acceffion of the fecond broods; till at laft they swarm in myriads upon myriads round the villages on the Thames, darkening the face of the sky as they frequent the aits of that river, where they rooft. They retire, the bulk of them I mean, in vaft flocks together about the beginning of October; but have appeared of late years in a confiderable flight in this neighbourhood, for one day or two, as late as November the 3d and 6th, after they were fuppofed to have been gone for more than a fortnight. They therefore withdraw, with |