MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 98 



Arrival of Swallows in Lancashire. — The following are the dates of their 

 arrival here this year; — April 16th. Swallow, (Ilii-undo rustiea,) and Sand 

 Martin, (i/", riparia.) I observed only a pair of Swallows, and a single 

 Sand Martin; I first saw them about two, p.m., flying over the Leeds and 

 Liverpool canal: wind north-west; situation exposed to the north. On the 21st. 

 the House Martin, {S. urbica,) made its appearance on the eastern side of 

 the valley: wind still north-west. — Wm. Naylor, Evfield House, Accrington, 

 Lancashire, April 21s^., 1851. 



As our delightful companion, Gilbert White, remarks, (letter 23,) ^^If ever 

 I saw anything like actual migration, it was" last Monday, April 14th., while 

 travelling, in the afternoon, on the railway from Boulogne to Paris. I had 

 not previously observed any Hirundines in England; the weather being there 

 cold and wintry; but coming on to the continent, was like stepping suddenly 

 from March into Jime. The afternoon was delightful, and my observation 

 was as follows: — Every five or ten minutes we met a party of thirty or forty, 

 or more, Martins, (Jfirundines urhicce,) flying in a north-westerly direction, 

 namely, towards the Straits of Dover; in search, I suppose, of the narrowest 

 passage across to England; for, I believe, it is allowed that the Swallow tribe 

 are x&cy sparing of their pains in crossing the sea. It was remarkable how 

 steadily the most of these parties kept on their course, as though they had 

 an object in view, and the few exceptions to this rule happened at villages, 

 when some were engaged in hawking for insects, and enjoying the beauty 

 of the declining day. I may remark, in confirmation of my view, that, although 

 I watched them carefully, I did not detect a single one flying in a contrary 

 direction. I am aware that this would be early for Martins in England; but, 

 perhaps they would not immediately cross the channel, but wait a few days, 

 until a more genial climate invited them. — Cuthbert Collingwood, Paris, 

 April 20fh., 18ol. 



SHisnllnHpniiH fintirri 



Earliness of the present "Spring. — As some proof, if any is wanting, of 

 the earliness of the season, I found in this neighbourhood, Potentilla 

 fragariastrum in flower on February 24th. On the same day, Ficaria verna; 

 a week later, Veronica hederifolia; also Alyssum maritimum. On the first of 

 March, Frogs made their first appearance, and spawn was plentiful in the 

 ditches by the 4th. The Sand Lizard, {Lacerta agilis,) I first saw on the 

 16th., much earlier than usual in this place. I have seen a paragraph in 

 the papers, calling attention to the fact, that this year the Common Primrose, 

 {Primula vulgaris,) was very backward, while on the contrary, the same 

 flower in the gardens was more than usually forward and luxuriant. As far 

 as this neighbourhood is concerned, I believe that the Primrose is not as 

 plentiful as usual, although I do not perceive any diflference in the garden 

 variety. — J. A. Robinson, Southport, Lancashire, March 17th., 1851. 



