SWALLOW. 341 



the palms of Africa." This is a brief, but a true outline of 

 the Swallow's history, told in detail by so many authors,* 

 but by none with greater success than by Gilbert White, whose 

 monograph of the species and of what were then deemed the 

 other British Hirundinidce, as regards this country, exceeds 

 in minute accuracy the accounts given by all others, most of 

 which are overladen by a mass of nearly useless observations. 

 The Swallow is known to all as a periodical visitor to 

 Europe, and more records are preserved of its first appearance 

 in spring, than of that of any other bird. These seem to 

 give the first week of April as the average time of its 

 arrival in this country, but it takes several days how many 

 cannot be stated to reach the northern parts of our island, 

 while the lapse of a fortnight may be safely reckoned ere 

 the great body of returning wanderers begins to follow the first 

 comers, and the influx continues for at least a month. In 

 looking for the Swallow's appearance it must be borne in mind 

 that certain spots in nearly every district are yearly visited 

 some days sooner than other places, even in close vicinity. 1 

 The spots so selected are not always the most sheltered, and t 

 indeed differ apparently in nothing from the surrounding 

 country, yet they must possess some advantages, possibly as 

 regards the supply of food, or perhaps of a kind at which we 

 can hardly guess. The character of the season must also 

 be taken into consideration, but this seems to have far less 

 influence than is commonly supposed, though it often affects 

 the birds most disastrously after they have reached this 

 country. Unlike most of our spring visitors, the Sylviidte 

 especially, the males of which usually precede the females 



* Mr. Ruskin is one of the latest writers who has taken this bird for hi.s 

 theme, and he has discoursed upon it with his wonted force of expression. 

 Unfortunately an imperfect knowledge of facts renders his eloquent essay (Love's 

 Meinie, Lecture 2. The Swallow. Keston : 1873) as ridiculous to the expert as it 

 is misleading to the tiro, while the charge lodged against the Author of the 

 present work will be seen by every ornithologist, who is also a French scholar, to 

 be utterly groundless. 



f This is true of nearly all migratory birds, and is one of the chief causes 

 that invalidate so many of the countless published records of their supposed 

 first appearance, since casual observers are seldom aware of the fact, and few of 

 those who regularly watch the arrival of our visitors make allowance fur it. 



