in the Neighbourhood of Sydney. 275 



at the time, the birds did not seem in the slightest degree 

 alarmed, but continued with their labours as if the sand had 

 been placed there for their especial benefit. The male in this 

 case did most of the work; but the female frequently assisted him. 

 The burrows are scarcely two inches in diameter, being only 

 just large enough to admit the owner when stooping, and look 

 not unlike the entrance of a mouse-hole ; they are by no means 

 always straight, but twist and turn from side to side according 

 to the nature of the soil ; their length varies from ten to thirty 

 inches. 



17. HiRUNDO FRONTALIS, Quoy and Gaim.; Gould, Handb. 

 B. Austral, i. p. 107. 



Although the present species is strictly migratory, yet it is no 

 easy task to determine the exact date of its arrival or departure, 

 owing to the number of stragglers which remain with us during 

 the whole of the year. 



I believe, however, that the visitants arrive early in July, or 

 perhaps late in June, and leave us again in the end of January 

 and February. After their arrival, and again just before their 

 departure, they may be seen in great numbers flying to and fro 

 over the fields, and often skimming the water-holes and lagoons, 

 but keeping very high, sometimes almost out of sight, during 

 the middle of the day. 



I have frequently observed them, in company with the Fairy 

 Martin {Lagenoplastes ariel) flying over the lawn of the inner 

 domain in Sydney. Tree-Swallows [Hylochelidon nigricans) also 

 accompany this species in seai'ch of food. We met with all three 

 species mixed up in one immense flock, during December 1864, 

 at Lake Bathurst ; here they were following in our wake as we 

 walked through the rushes on a small island, obtaining a rich 

 feast on the small Libellula which flew up in countless numbers 

 at every step we took. The pupa-cases of these insects were 

 lying piled up between the rushes to the height of two, and even 

 three feet, while the edges of the island at dusk were alive with 

 the pupse crawling out of the water. 



The proper breeding-season of Hirundo frontalis is during 

 the months of August and throughout to the end of December; 



