SWALLOW 153 



1889, in a wood amongst beech trees. It was observed to 

 fly from its perch at intervals after flies, the white feathers 

 in its tail being then very conspicuous. The wood was 

 swarming with Golden-crested Wrens, and also Woodcock, 

 which had evidently just arrived. 



The bird was sent to London for comparison, and its 

 identity fully established, as Mr. J. H. Gurney exhibited 

 it at the Zoological Society's meeting for that purpose ; 

 it was too heavily shot for the sex to be determined. 

 (Gurney, Nat. 1890, p. 14 ; Field, i8th January 1890 ; Zool. 

 1891, pp. 362-3, 471.) 



The specimen is now in the collection of Sir Vauncey 

 Crewe of Calke Abbey, Derbyshire. 



SWALLOW. 



Hirundo rustica (Z.). 



Summer visitant, generally distributed, abundant. Arrives in 

 mid-April and departs at the end of September, a few remaining 

 until October. 



In its connection with Yorkshire history, the earliest 

 reference to the Swallow, of which I am aware, is contained 

 in a letter from the erudite Dr. Martin Lister to the celebrated 

 John Ray, and is dated York, February 8th 1675, thus : — 



" Dear Sir, .... One and the same Swallow [Hirundo 

 rustica], I have known, by the abstracting daily of her eggs, 

 to have laid nineteen successively, and then to have given 

 over." (" Correspondence of John Ray," p. 117.) 



Thomas Allis wrote, in 1844, ^-s follows : — 



Hirundo rustica. — Chimney Swallow, — Common, Dr.Farrar remarks, 

 respecting the whole tribe, that, probably the same cause, or causes, 

 which have diminished the number of Cuckoos this season, may also 

 have had their influence on these birds, as he seldom remembers having 

 seen so few as up to the date of his communication, June 6th 1844 



One of our familiar and most eagerly looked-for summer 

 visitants is the Swallow, which usually arrives in Yorkshire 

 from the loth to the middle or third week of April, varying 

 slightly as the season is early or late ; in the south of the 



