144 The Irish Naturalist, August, 



September 25. None seen. 



September 26. (of. p. 70). A good many Swallows and 

 a fair number of House -Martins all going southwards. 



September 27. None seen. 



September 28 (cf. p. 70). At Greenore Point (see Map) a 

 good many Swallows and some Sand-Martins passed south- 

 wards during the day at intervals. 



September 29-30 and October i and 2. A few Swallows 

 each day all going southwards. 



October 3 to 8. None seen migrating. 



October 9. A few Swallows going southwards. 



October 10. None seen. 



October 11. Two small flocks of Swallows with two 

 House-Martins passed southwards. 



October 12 (cf. p. 71). At Carnsore Point (see Map) 

 two biggish flocks of Swallows, with a few House-Martins 

 amongst them, passed apparently southwards and out over 

 the sea, but it was diflicult owing to the trend of the 

 coast to make certain of the exact direction. I had not a 

 compass with me. 



October 13. At Greenore Point a big flock of Swallows 

 passed southwards. 



It will be seen by comparison that my observations do 

 not tally with those made by Mr. Delap, and it is, I think, 

 impossible to say, without other contemporaneous obser- 

 vations made at different points, what these Swallows were 

 really doing. Owing to its magnitude, there seems some 

 chance that the migration of September i8th may have 

 been noted elsewhere, and if so that may provide a key 

 to the problem. One often sees birds migrating apparently 

 in the wrong direction, and I think this must generally be 

 due to some local condition. My idea at the time was that 

 these Swallows were passing eastwards along the south coast 

 of Ireland, and did not realise that they had turned the 

 "corner," and consequently proceeded northwards until some 

 time after they had passed Wexford Harbour, but this is 

 mere theory without observation from other points. I 

 believe that Professor Patten was at the Tuskar Rock on 

 September 18, and it would be interesting to know what he 

 observed on that date. 



326 High Holborn, London. 



