HIRUNDINII)^. 



155 



THE SWAT.LOW. 



IIiRLNDO RUSTiCA, Linnaius. 



This well-known summer-visitor usually arrives in the southern 

 portions of our islands during the first half of April, and thence- 

 forward it is generally distributed, although somewhat scarce and 

 local in the extreme north, and decreasing in the north-west. It 

 visits the Outer Hebrides, and will probably be found to breed there, 

 exceptionally, as is the case in the Orkneys and Shetlands. 



The Swallow occurs in the Fteroes in May, and has been known 

 to stray to Iceland, Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. It nests in 

 Scandinavia up to 70° N. lat., but not quite as far as the Arctic 

 circle in Russia; eastward and southward, its breeding-range extends 

 over Europe, Asia north — as a rule — of the great mountain ranges, 

 and Northern Africa ; while during winter it is found through- 

 out the Indian region as far as Burma and the Malayan peninsula, 

 and all over Africa. My space will not permit a discussion of its 

 allies, and I must refer my readers to Mr. R. B. Sharpe's excellent 

 remarks in the 'Cat. Birds Brit. Mus.' vol. x., especially those on 

 pp. 126-127 ; merely observing that, by way of Asia, a connection 

 appears to be established near Lake Baikal with the Xorth Ameri- 

 can Swallow, //. crythrogaster of Boddaert, better known as // Iior- 

 reoruw. The latter, although found in Greenland, does not cross 

 the Atlantic to us, nor has our bird been observed further west than 



