Page:White - The natural history of Selborne, and the naturalist's calendar, 1879.djvu/132

110 O'Hara's hall against the roof. Had he known European swallows, would he not have mentioned the species?

The house-swallow washes by dropping into the water as it flies: this species appears commonly about a week before the house-martin, and about ten or twelve days before the swift.

In 1772 there were young house-martins in their nest till October 23rd.



The swift appears about ten or twelve days later than the house-swallow: viz., about the 24th or 26th April.

Whin-chats and stone-chatters stay with us the whole year.3

Some wheat-ears continue with us the winter through.

Wag-tails, all sorts, remain with us all the winter.4

Bullfinches, when fed on hempseed, often become wholly black.

We have vast flocks of female chaffinches all the winter, with hardly any males among them.