ON TILE MARTIN. 17

apon the roofs of high buildings, and prepare for their
departure to a warmer country; for, as all the insects
here die in the winter, they would have nothing to live
on if they were to stay. They take several short
flights in flocks round and round, in order to try their
strength, and then, on some fine calm day, they set
out together for a long journey southwards, over sea
and land, to a very distant country.”

‘“ But how do they find their way ?” said William.

“We say,” answered his father, “that they are
taught by instinct; that is, God has implanted in
their minds a desire of travelling at the season which
he knows to be proper, and has also given them an
impulse to take the right road. They steer their course
through the wide air, directly to the proper spot.
Sometimes, however, storms and contrary winds meet
them, and drive the poor birds about till they are
quite spent, and fall into the sea, unless they happen
to meet with a ship, on which they can alight and rest
themselves. The swallows from this country are
supposed to go as far as the middle of Africa to spend
the winter, where the weather is always warm, and
insects are to be met with all the year. In spring,
they take another long journey back again to these
northern countries. Sometimes, when we have fine
weather very early, a few of them come too soon; for
when it changes to frost and snow again, the poor
creatures are starved for want of food, or perish from
the cold. Hence arises the proverb,

One swallow does not make a summer.

But when a great many of them are come, we imay be
sure that winter is over, so that we are always very
glad to see them again. The Martins find their way
back over a great length of sea and land to the very
same villages and houses where they were bred. This
has been discovered by eatching some of them, and
marking them. They repair their old nests, or build
new ones, and then set about laying eggs and hatch-