FIRST APPEARANCE OF MIGRATORY BIRDS IN 1806. 



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Ilirundo rustica first appeared at Woodford, in Essex, 

 April 2, and became common towards the latter end 

 of the month. 



Hirundo vrbica, first seen April 26, long before it 

 became common. 



lynx torquil/a 9 first heard and seen May 1. 



Cuculus canorus, the cuckoo, first heard May 3. 



Motncilla atricapilla, seen May 8. 



Motacilla luscinia, the nightingale, heard May 18. 

 Swallows of both kinds became numerous. 



Motacilla rubetra*, the whinchat, observed Ma$ 20. 

 Through this evening, an unusually great number of 

 flies, flying in a vortex, were observed in the garden till 

 late in the evening The iris lurida in flower. The 



of swallows, observes carefully the times of day when they are 

 mostly out on the wing; for I have observed, that in fine settled 

 weather they are more numerous at certain times of day. The Swift, 

 for example, lays snug in its nestling place, in the cool, under the tiling 

 of houses, and in steeples, during the heat of the day, and comes 

 forth in the morning and evening; we may then observe these birds, 

 in large' companies, on the wing, uttering their peculiar shrill cry. 

 I have observed, too, that swallows and martins come out in greater 

 numbers towards three o'clock in the afternoon, in fair weather : in 

 showery weather they avail themselves of the clear intervals. 

 Whatever the cause may be, it is certain, that at times, for whole 

 hours together, few swallows are seen about ; and then, again, they 

 are numerous everywhere. 



* Probably appeared much sooner, though not observed : its 

 migration in England is only from northward to southward; like 

 the stonechat motacilla rubecola, it remains all the year in the more 

 southern parts of England. 



