If) :\Ir. ^^\ r.. Sclat-T on the 



Flycatclior, the Enolisb Swallow, the Egyptian Kite, throe 

 Harriers, the White Stork, four Sand Plover?^, aivl a niiiTiber 

 of Sandpipers and otlier Waders are the best known and the 

 most common of this group of birds. The English Swallow 

 first arrives at the neighbourhood of Cape Town at the end 

 of October, and becomes common in November ; it remains 

 here till March, and has entirely disappeared by the middle 

 of April. In North Africa Swallows arrive very early during 

 the latter half of February ; in South Europe during the 

 first half of March, and in C*entral Europe not until the last 

 half of March; while in England the immigration is at its 

 height in the middle of April. 



A thesis, maintained by Seebohm in this connection, is 

 that the individuals of a species which go furthest south in 

 winter go furthest north in summer to breed; and the fact 

 that the Swallows do not leave South Africa till the beginning 

 of April seems to lend some support to this view, as those 

 which reach North Africa in February and March from the 

 south cannot be the same individuals that leave South Africji 

 a month later. 



As is, no doubt, well known to you, all Swallows have 

 only one moult in the year just before returning northwards 

 from their winter quarters, so that during the greater part of 

 their stay in South Africa they are in exceedingly worn 

 plumage, until just before leaving for the north again. 



But it is among the Shore-Birds and Waders that the 

 greatest number of northern migrants are found. During 

 the African summer every vlei and every river-bank swarms 

 with Buffs, Sandpipers, and Plovers, most of which moult 

 into non-breeding plumage on their arrival, and again often 

 into breeding dress before their departure ; and among 

 the specimens in the South African Museum there are a 

 good many collected, either early in October or late in 

 February or March, showing either full or partial breeding 

 jdumage either just before the non-breeding plumage is 

 assumed or just after the second moult is again taking place. 



All these Northern Migrants reach South Africa in the 

 spring-time of the Southern Hemisphere, when the resident 



