For as soon as an hawk appears, with a shrill alarming note
he calls all the swallows and martins 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 sea-port towns, and
making little excursions over the salt water.
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