CHAPTER IX 



THE MIGRATIONS OF THE SWALLOW, HIRUNDO RUSTICA ^ 



The various seasonal movements of the familiar Swallow 

 afford an excellent type of those performed by the great 

 majority of the smaller birds, which are Summer Visitors 

 to Great Britain and Ireland, and whose breeding range 

 also extends to higher latitudes on the continent of 

 Europe, though not reaching to the extreme north, nor 

 to Iceland. 



In our islands the Swallow is, however, not merely 

 a summer visitant, but also a bird of passage 

 traversing our shores in spring and autumn on its way 

 to or from its summer quarters in Northern and 

 Western Europe. Its winter quarters are in Africa, 

 chiefly to the south of the Great Desert. 



Spring Immigration of Summer Visitants. — The 

 records relating to the Swallow's return in spring are so 

 numerous and complete as to enable one to speak with 

 authority as to the date of the bird's successive arrivals 

 on our shores, and also to trace with some degree of 

 accuracy its gradual spreading over the country. 



* The preparation of these complete and particular accounts has proved 

 to be a most difificult undertaking. This arises from the fact that a number 

 of the movements treated of are so intricately interwoven with, or so insen- 

 sibly merge into one another, or are performed under such obscure con- 

 ditions, as to render their discrimination and interpretation matters 

 demanding most careful consideration. 



