G9 

 SWALLOWS. 



BY 0. S. ROUND, ESQ. 



Those interesting birds, the Swallow tribe, (Jlirandines,) have at all 

 times claimed the peculiar attention of naturalists. Among the rest the 

 Rev. Gilbert White, whose "Natural History of Selborne" is so well known, 

 gave up almost all his leisure time, for a considerable period of his life, 

 to the contemplation of their habits and , probable retreat. It is very 

 surprising to observe how a favourite idea once gaining a hold upon the 

 imagination, is retained under the most adverse circumstances. Mr. White 

 had a theory of his own that Swallows, or at least a great part of them, 

 never left England at all; but hiding, like bats and dormice, or even 

 retiring under water, spent thus, in a dreamy sort of condition, the 

 uncomfortable months of winter. Now, if he had harped upon this subject 

 with regard to the weak summer birds of passage, he might have had 

 some show of reason on his side, but to fix upon the Swallow tribe, 

 • whose wonderful power of wing is so well-known and acknowledged, seems 

 nothing less than infatuation. He was indeed to a certain degree sceptical 

 with regard to the Willow Wrens and Whitethroats, but these seemed 

 merely to engage his attention en passant. 



No man has actually seen Swallows depart from our coasts, because 

 their migration is probably taken in the deep of the evening to the coast, 

 and at the dawn of day, or before it, they are traversing the ocean; but 

 that they do so migrate there can now be little or no doubt. Read 

 Caillee's travels to the interior of Africa, and see what he says, that 

 during one winter he saw flights of the very same species of Swallow 

 •which we have in England. Look at the numerous instances of Swallows 

 settling on the rigging of ships at sea, at the almost actual transits of 

 flights of Swallows, which have been seen both in autumn and spring. 

 Why, I remember perfectly well, when a boy, seeing a flight of perhaps 

 fifty Swallows pass over our house very early in April, for we were 

 expecting daily to hear the Cuckoo, and this must have been in the second 

 week in April at the latest; they were flying very high and in a north- 

 easterly direction, as well as I remember. 



The Swallow, (Hirundo rustica,) properly so called, is that kind which is 

 characterized by having the two outside feathers of the tail much longer 

 than the rest; these are the same in the cock and hen, only the cock's 

 are, I think, somewhat the longest: the Swallow-tailed Butterfly is so 

 called from an analogous formation of its lower wings. The most unob- 

 servant must be familiar with this bird, which only stays with us as long 

 as the warm weather lasts, arriving in the third week in April, and 

 departing about Michaelmas. His shape is very elegant, and his plumage, 

 vol. vir. , L 



