Mr. H. Seebohm on the Birds of Natal &^c. 339 



the sand-hills between the sea and the lagoons at the mouth 

 of the Umgeni river. Most of the adults were in splendid 

 glossy blue plumage, having just completed tlieir moult, but 

 most of the birds of the year had only moulted about half 

 their quills, and would probably not be in a condition to 

 migrate for at least a fortnight. 



Our Swallows arrive in North Africa very early, during 

 the last half of February, in Southern Europe during the first 

 half of March, but in Central Europe not until the last half 

 of March. It is perfectly certain that the Natal Swallows, 

 if they leave during the first half of April, even allowing 

 them only a few days in which to accomplish a journey of 

 five or six thousand miles, must go to some part of North 

 Europe or to North-west Asia, since the Swallows which 

 breed further south have arrived at their breeding-grounds 

 before the South African birds have left their winter-quarters. 

 So far as it goes, this evidence is conclusive that, in the case 

 of the Palsearctic Swallow, the individuals which go furthest 

 north to breed go furthest south to winter. 



Our Swallow, as probably every other species of Hi- 

 rundinidse, only moults once in the year. After having 

 migrated six or seven thousand miles to their breeding- 

 grounds, spent nearly six months in the stormy summer of 

 Northern Europe, again migrated six or seven thousand miles 

 back to their winter- quarters, and spent another six months 

 during the rainy season of Natal, it is a wonder that the poor 

 birds have any feathers left. Some of the birds which I shot 

 had been in a lamentable condition; the old feathers that 

 still remained had faded to a rusty brown and were worn to 

 shreds. The plumage of the young birds though they had 

 only run the gauntlet of one journey and one summer, is so 

 much more tender than that of adults, that they were in the 

 worst condition ; the old feathers were no better than rusty 

 rags. 



The most interesting fact in connection with this single 

 moult of the Swallows is, that it takes place in March instead 

 of September. The natural inference to be drawn from such 

 a circumstance is, that the Swallows belong to the southern 



