92 MIGRATION AND FLIGHT. 



from actual observation. Happening to be at Fecamp, 

 a seaport at the foot of the highest cliffs in France, im- 

 mediately opposite the English coast, on the 14th of 

 September, 1833, we had ascended the heights to visit 

 the ruins of an old chapel before sunrise. On looking 

 towards the sea, the first object presenting itself was a 

 flight of about one hundred Swallows, evidently just 

 making the land, and whirling in a hurried manner over 

 the upper ledge of the precipice. On the supposition, 

 that these birds had quitted the British shores about an 

 hour before dawn, they would naturally have arrived at 

 the point where they were thus seen landing: others pro- 

 bably had come in before; as in the course of the morn- 

 ing we saw, on the roof of a large building in the town, 

 which was exposed to the full force of the sun's rays, 

 an infinitely greater number of Swallows collected toge- 

 ther than we had observed throughout the whole of the 

 season. 



That this is the practice of many other birds indeed 

 is well known, particularly of those which are in the 

 habit of feeding at night. In the fen countries, for 

 instance, which, on account of their ditches and marshes, 

 are favourite haunts for water-birds in almost every still 

 night, more especially about the time of their usual 

 journeys, either to or from the fens, the whistling sound 

 of thousands of wings, or the shrill notes of call, by 

 which these vast flights are kept together in the dark- 

 ness of night, may be heard overhead. 



Birds too, in their longer flights, no doubt avail them- 

 selves of different currents in the air; for we know that 

 often, when the lower stream of air is blowing from the 

 west, another stream far above may be blowing from 

 another direction; this may be frequently seen by the 

 motion of the upper clouds moving in contrary directions 

 from those at a lower level. Those most beautiful of 

 all the feathered race, the Birds of Paradise, (not only 

 distinguished by their brilliant plumage, but from their 

 being singularly decorated with tufts or trains of light, 



