XLII. On the Swallow. 
To Mr. Tilloch. ' 
29th August, 1818. 
DEAR sr,—Lvrenpine to have collated my former observa- 
tions on the Swallow with the various occurrences of the present 
year, I had purposely postponed any communication regarding 
these interesting visitors, till I had either corroborated the facts 
I had observed, or corrected any misconceptions in my former 
notes, to render the subject of your request on the cover of the 
Magazine for May last, as perspicuous and free from doubt 
as my opportunity for observation could possibly admit. I would 
even for that reason have deferred writing you on this subject till , 
their final departure for the season, had not a most singular de- 
viation from all former habits of a particular class of these myste- 
rious and undefined migrants, induced me to forward the present 
notice, leaving you to judge how far an insertion of the case may 
be conducive to obtaining further information from others, so as 
‘to ascertain whether this remarkable event has been local or ge- 
neral, The circumstance I allude to is the final departure of the 
white-tailed swallow, in the first week of the present month, un- 
der circumstances rather extraordinary, leaving the chimney swal- 
low behind. 
The first swallow that made its appearance here this season 
was of the chimney species, and first seen carelessly skimming 
much higher in the atmosphere than usual, on the forenoon of 
the 15th of April. It continued in’ that elevated situation till the 
19th, when it was joined by two others of the same kind. These 
kept close company all that day, but on the 20th the two disap- . 
peared, leaving the solitaire to float about apparently without 
any object in view till the evening of the 28th. During ail this 
time the mornings and evenings had continued frosty ; a complete 
thaw, however, came on in the afternoon of the 2Sth, accompa- 
nied with a warm black shower, and this was followed on the 
morning of the 29th by a general arrival of all the various kinds 
of swallow that frequent this quarter. 
Prior to their arrival, 1 had observed with great pleasure a 
sparrow take possession of a swallow’s nest, which had stood out 
the winter in the east corner of a bed-room window; and was in 
full expectation of seeing the repetition of a tragedy that had 
been acted some years before in this neighbourhood. Similar to 
the above, a sparrow had taken early possession of a swallow’s 
nest, and had laid some eggs previous to the swallow’s appearing 
to claim her castle. ‘The sparrow firmly seated, and thus attached 
to the sheltering shade of its approaching brood, resisted the 
claim of the swallow: a stout battle ensued, in which the swal- 
low 
