166 OUR IRISH SONG BIRDS. 



in equatorial regions, for he has " no winter in his year." 

 Europe, Asia, Africa, all can boast of his presence ; in 

 this latter country a few remain at the oases all the 

 year round. Yet it has been rightly decided that the 

 countries in which migratory birds nest and breed are 

 really their homes ; and so our northern climes are 

 the homes of our summer migrants, though they may 

 pass half the year in regions far south. In Ireland 

 the Swallow is more plentiful than either the House 

 or the Sand Martin ; but the latter bird generally 

 makes his appearance a little earlier in the year. In 

 England the usual date of the Swallow's arrival is about 

 the 1 5th of April ; in Ireland * it is generally seen much 

 about the same time. Mr. Thompson mentions the 

 3Oth of March as the earliest date of its appearance 

 near Belfast ; the middle of April, however, seems to be 

 the time at which it may be reasonably expected. 



Mr. Harting, in his Summer Migrants, quotes a very 

 interesting table of the mean date of arrival of the birds 

 of the Swallow tribe, as prepared by Mr. Forster, and 

 submitted by him to the Linnaean Society ; it will be 

 found in the Appendix to this book. 



Another account thus deals with the arrivals of this 

 species : Spain, February; Malta, March; Italy, March 

 31; Black Sea, April; Palestine, middle of March; 

 North of France and Belgium, April 5 to 15 ; South of 

 Sweden, 22nd April to first week in May ; the Dovrefjeld, 

 1st June. It may be seen from these lists that the bird 

 may be confidently expected here on or before the I5th 

 April in ordinary years. 



The well-known note of the Swallow is said to sound 

 very much like the word "tweet," uttered in a quick and 



