house-martins

Echoing the king's pleasure, Banquo calls attention to the little birds — swallows or house-martins — that are nesting everywhere:

In the Night Kitchen Greenblatt, Stephen 2008

Strong sunshine glared upon the oversaling tiles, and white buckled walls, and cracky lintels; but nothing showed life, except an old yellow cat, and a pair of house-martins, who had scarcely time to breathe, such

Mary Anerley Richard Doddridge 2004

They are by no means so common as the other species; for there are few towns or large villages that do not abound with house-martins; few churches, towers, or steeples, but what are haunted by swifts; scarcely

Domestic Pleasures, or, the Happy Fire-side Frances Bowyer Vaux

How are house-martins distinguished from the others, pray, mamma??

Domestic Pleasures, or, the Happy Fire-side Frances Bowyer Vaux

I have not seen any swallows or house-martins yet, but no doubt they will make their appearance in a few days.

Country Walks of a Naturalist with His Children W. Houghton

Near here, too, are the house-martins, and further on the swallows and other birds, who build under the projecting eaves of houses; of all the nests, these look the most safe and cosy.

The Children's Book of London

Over the grey-blue water hundreds of house-martins dipped and darted and chattered; my umbrella blew inside out, a few scared birds near me tossed up into the sky and fell down again, joining the hundreds circling and curtseying in the wind and the rain.

Highways and Byways in Surrey Eric Parker 1912

The swallow, probably the male bird, is the _excubitor_ to house-martins and other little birds; announcing the approach of birds of prey.

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland II Various 1887

The dam betakes herself immediately to the business of a second brood as soon as she is disengaged from her first, which at once associates with the first broods of house-martins, and with them congregates, clustering on sunny roofs, towers and trees.

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland II Various 1887

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 also dip and wash a little.

The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland II Various 1887