134 SWALLOW. 



departure; and others not until the middle of October. One 

 was seen at Penzance, in Cornwall, on the 30th. of November, 

 1845; one at Eedcar, in Yorkshire, on the 3rd. of December, 

 in the same year, careering over the sea the day dull and 

 gloomy: one at Groole, in the West-Hiding, on the 10th. of 

 December, 1843. In 1849, some remained about Plymouth 

 until the 23rd. of October. Others at Springfield, near Temple 

 Balsall, Warwickshire, on the 18th. of November, 1847, as 

 seen by the Rev. W. Bree, of Allesley. 



Mr. J. B. Ellman relates, in the year 1848, 'On the 13th. 

 of November I saw two young Swallows. On the 14th. the 

 same again. On the 17th. 1 saw another. On the 18th. the 

 same again. On the 28th. I saw nine. On the 29th. the 

 same again. These were the last I saw. None of these were 

 our Swallows, which departed long before.' This is consistent 

 with what may often be observed, namely, in the words of 

 the Rev. William Bree, that 'after the general flight has de- 

 parted, and not a Swallow is to be seen, a few will often 

 appear again after a considerable interval, later in the season.' 

 These doubtless are those which are on their way from some 

 more northern district, in which possibly they may have been 

 themselves detained by their young brood. Mr. Bree proceeds, 

 speaking of the year 1848, 'I lost sight of the Swallows on 

 the 5th. of October, on which day I observed a few. Ten 

 days elapsed, and not a Swallow to be seen in this neigh- 

 bourhood. On the 16th., however, I observed one flit across 

 the window, as I was dressing in the morning; on the 17th. 

 two appeared; and on the' 18th., though it was very cold, i 

 and snow had fallen in the morning, five or six Swallows, 

 and one House Martin, were to be seen sporting throughout 

 the greater part of the day on the south side of the house, , 

 and between the church and the sheltered walk of trees, 

 occasionally perching and sitting in a row on the sill of one 

 of the south attic windows of the house. In this situation j 

 they allowed us to approach them through the chamber from ' 

 behind, the window being closed. They were evidently all of 

 them young birds, which had but recently left the nest, and 

 had as yet no great experience of the world. They remained 

 with us on the 19th. and 20th., joined, on the latter day, 

 by a second Martin, one of which, however, before evening, 

 was found dead on the sill of the window, having perished 

 probably from cold, to the no small grief of some members 

 of the family, to whom they had become objects of considerable 



