THE RETURN OF THE SWALLOW. 85 



i st April. In Ireland the first reported is at Ballina, 13th April. 

 The committee appointed by the British Association to report on 

 the migration of birds have now issued nine reports full of valu- 

 able observations largely gathered from lighthouse and lightship 

 keepers on our coasts, but much requiring the redaction and 

 epitomising of the whole promised by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, of 

 Edinburgh. I shall only refer to the two last reports. In 1886 the 

 earliest swallows are two reported at Bull Point (Bristol Channel), 

 23rd March. From the Nash Light, Cardiff, on 26th March, it 

 is reported that " a swallow rested on lantern from 6.30 till 7 a.m., 

 and then flew north-east " — an undoubted arrival. On the east 

 coast of England the first reports are from Whitby and Hunstan- 

 ton on 13th April, but no great numbers anywhere until end of 

 month. This coincides with the report from the River Dee 

 (North Wales) of 23rd April — "flocks whole day flying east." 

 From Scotland the first reports are Corsewall, 24thx\pril; Rhinns 

 of Islay, 27th; North Ronaldshay, 2nd May; and Bell Rock, 

 3rd. In Ireland they appeared simultaneously at the Fastnet and 

 Coningbeg (off south coast) on 12th April. One remarkable 

 return should be noted. It is from the Swin Middle (mouth of 

 Thames), dated July nth, 12th, 14th, 15th, and 16th, and reports 

 numbers from east to west — on the 14th five flocks of about 

 twenty each between 3 and 4 a.m. These were arrivals nearly 

 three months after the usual time and in the very height of the 

 breeding season, and I should like to have this accounted for. In 

 1887 the first reported anywhere are from Coningbeg lightship on 

 30th March, and at Killybegs, Donegal, 3rd April. In England 

 there are simultaneous reports on nth April from the Galloper 

 (off Kent), Hanois (Guernsey), and Langness (Isle of Man). In 

 Scotland the first are from Corsewall, 17 th April, and Pentland 

 Skerries, nth May. This spring, correspondents in our news- 

 papers have reported swallows at Caticol, Arran, on 16th March, 

 and large numbers at Lenzie from 23rd March onwards — both of 

 which reports I take the liberty of doubting. 



Swallows seem to begin their northward movement from their 

 trans-Mediterranean retreats very early in spring. They are seen 

 at Gibraltar early in February; at Malta and in Greece early in 

 March; in Palestine in the middle of March; and in Italy about 

 the 20th. Folk-lore has much to say of them and of their move- 



