about him; who pursue 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 rising in a perpendicular line in
perfect security. This bird also will sound the alarm, and strike at
cats when they climb on the roofs of houses, or otherwise approach the
nests. Each species of hirundo drinks as it flies along, sipping the
surface of the water; but the swallow alone, in general, washes on the
wing, by dropping into a pool for many times together: in very hot
weather house-martins and bank-martins dip and wash a little.

The swallow is a delicate songster, and in soft sunny weather sings both
perching and flying: on trees in a kind of concert, and on chimney tops:
is also a bold flyer, ranging to distant downs and commons even in windy
weather, which the other species seem much to dislike; nay, even
frequenting exposed seaport towns, and making little excursions over the
salt water. Horsemen on wide downs are often closely attended by a
little party of swallows for miles together, which plays before and
behind them, sweeping around them, and collecting all the sculking
insects that are roused by the trampling of the horses' feet: when the
wind blows hard, without this expedient, they are often forced to settle
to pick up their lurking prey.

This species feeds much on little _Coleoptera_, as well as on gnats and
flies; and often settles on dug ground, or paths, for gravels to grind
and digest its food. Before they depart, for some weeks, to a bird, they
forsake houses and chimneys, and roost in trees; and usually withdraw
about the beginning of October; though some few stragglers may appear on
at times till the first week in November.

Some few pairs haunt the new and open streets of London next the fields,
but do not enter, like the house-martin, the close and crowded parts of
the city.

Both male and female are distinguished from their congeners by the length
and forkedness of their tails. They are undoubtedly the most nimble of
all the species: and when the male pursues the female in amorous chase
they then go beyond their usual speed, and exert a rapidity almost too
quick for the eye to follow.

After this circumstantial detail of the life and discerning [Greek text]
of the swallow, I shall add, for your farther amusement, an anecdote or
two not much in favour of her sagacity:--

A certain swallow built for two years together on the han