This Wood Swallow, besides being the commonest species of the genus, must I think be rendered a general favourite with the Australians, not only from its singular and pleasing actions, but by its often taking up its abode and incubating near the houses, particularly such as are surrounded by paddocks and open pasture-lands skirted by large trees. It was in such situations as these in Van Diemen’s Land, at the commencement of spring, that I first had an opportunity of observing this species; it was then very numerous on all the cleared estates on the north side of the Derwent, about eight or ten being seen on a single tree, and half as many crowding one against another on the same dead branch, but never in such numbers as to deserve the appellation of flocks: each bird appeared to act independently of the other; each, as the desire for food prompted it, sallying forth from the branch to capture a passing insect, or to soar round the tree and return again to the same spot; on alighting it repeatedly throws up and closes one wing at a time, and spreads the tail obliquely prior to settling. At other times a few were seen perched on the fence surrounding the paddock, on which they frequently descended, like Starlings, in search of coleoptera and other insects. It is not, however, in this state of comparative quiescence that this graceful bird is seen to the greatest advantage, neither is it that kind of existence for which its form is especially adapted; for although its structure is more equally suited for terrestrial, arboreal and aërial habits than that of any other species I have examined, the form of its wing at once points out the air as its peculiar province: hence it is, that when engaged in pursuit of the insects which the serene and warm weather has enticed from their lurking-places among the foliage to sport in higher regions, this beautiful species in these aërial flights displays its greatest beauty, while soaring above, in a variety of easy positions, with white-tipped tail widely spread. Another very extraordinary and singular habit of the bird is that of clustering like bees on the dead branch of a tree, as represented in the Plate; this feature was not seen by me, but by my assistant Mr. Gilbert, during his residence at Swan River, and I have here given his account in his own words. “The greatest peculiarity in the habits of this bird is its manner of suspending itself in perfect clusters, like a swarm of bees; a few birds suspending themselves on the under side of a dead branch, while others of the flock attach themselves one to the other, in such numbers that they have been observed nearly of the size of a bushel measure.”