FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 129 



Hirundo rustica (The Barn Swallow). 



A single bird seen at Berewood, 10 April ; others seen the 

 following day on the Hants-Dorset borders, and a further 

 single bird at Wareham on 12 April, and the same bird or 

 another on the 13th April in the same place. This bird was 

 present in its usual numbers on 25 April, when we did a drive 

 over 100 miles through Dorset, so presumably between 13th 

 and 25th April the main body of migrants arrived. 



On 26 April this bird was present in the Poole district in 

 some numbers. 



The downward migration seems to have started the latter 

 end of August. 



On August 29 E .H .0 . noted 20 to 30 near the Railway Station 

 at Swanage, and on August 30 a company of 6 at Corfe Castle. 

 On September 12 there were a fair number still in the Poole 

 district, but on September 13 two only were observed in the 

 Cranborne district. On September 20th 5 or 6 were seen in the 

 Canford district ; a few were seen at Bloxworth on October 14. 

 Chelidon urbica (The House Martin). 



The downward migration seems to have been as follows : 



5 September, 30 to 40 at Wimborne. 



12 September, 40 or 50 at Poole, sitting on wire round a 

 tennis court. 



26 September there was a flock between 250 and 300 strong 

 in Wimborne, and on the 27th a flock at Wareham 30 strong, 

 and two or three at Bloxworth on October 14. 



Cotyle riparia (The Sand Martin). 



On July 26 we observed a single straggler at South Haven, 

 Poole Harbour. 

 Gecinus viridis (The Green Woodpecker). 



On 23 May this bird had hollowed a large hole in a rotten 

 birch at Canford about four feet from the ground. 



On June 14 E.H.C. put his tent up to this nest (note again 

 here, that where no food is stated it could not be identified). 



E.H.C.'s notes are as follows : 



I started at 12.10. One of the birds started " yaffling " 

 and kept up " yaffling " at intervals of a minute or so, finally 



