THE SWALLOW. 179

lofty buildings; the nest is composed of dried grass, silk-
thread, feathers, etc., which the bird collects while on the
wing; having only two young to feed, they are much at
leisure. They are most active creatures, rising early, and
retiring to rest later than any other bird; just before
they retire, whole groups of them assemble high in the air,
darting about with wonderful rapidity, and uttering their
peculiar and joyous scream, which, though certainly un-
musical, is anything but unpleasing, so much does it ex-
press of freedom and happiness. The Swedes have bestowed
the name of ring-swala on the swift, from the perpetual
circles it makes in its flight.

White, in his ‘ Natural History of Selborne,’ gives a very
amusing account of a young swift which had fallen from its
nest, and been captured by some children, when full fledged,
but incapable of flight ; he fed and nursed the little creature
for nearly a fortnight, exercising it by degrees in the art of
flying, which it learned but slowly. At length, finding that
the swifts had not many more days to remain in England, he
détermined to take his nursling to a level meadow, and try
its powers of flight in the open air. He thus describes the
pretty termination of his schooling :—‘I had carried it
through two or three rooms lying on the palm of my hand,