146 THE BIEDS OF KENT 



brown, shading off on the under parts, tail and wings to 

 a not very pure white ; and the bird is stated to have 

 looked brilliant in the sunshine." 



On October 23, 1856, Captain H. W. Hadfield, of 

 Tonbridge, records the "last Swallow observed by me 

 in this neighbourhood ; it was flying about the church 

 steeple, where I had previously noticed a few for some 

 days." 



Mr. J. Jenner Weir, writing in October, 1857, says : 

 " I have seen at Pembury the nest of the Swallow under 

 the eaves of a house. Unlike that of the Martin (Hirundo 

 urbica), the nest was not attached or closed at the top, 

 but supported underneath by the bend of a zinc water- 

 spout." 



On April 23, 1859, Mr. M. Hutchinson " saw a pair of 

 Swallows hawking over the round pond at Blackheath," 

 and on September 21, 1859, he found hundreds of Swal- 

 lows resting on Blackheath. " On April 22, 1861, a 

 Swallow was flying high over Shooter's Hill ; April 26, 

 one Swallow at Blackheath ; April 28, one Swallow at 

 Chislehurst and one by the round pond in Blackheath 

 Park ; April 29, three were hawking on the heath ; April 

 30, two at Eltham Moat and one on the pond at Kilbrooke 

 Farm ; May 9, one Swallow at Blackheath. The early 

 Swallows could not stay at home for want of food. I 

 generally first meet with them on the old ponds. The 

 season has been too cold to develop sufficient insect-life. 

 At 5.15 p.m., on Friday, April 8, 1864, 1 saw one Swallow 

 flying over St. Germain's Place, Blackheath ; its flight 

 was due east, weak and weary. On Thursday afternoon, 

 April 21, I saw a pair of Swallows and four Martins 

 flying about the round pond in Blackheath Park. In the 

 afternoon of Tuesday, April 26, I saw a House-Martin 



