the Hirindines at Allesley Rectory in 1829. 131 
which he has collated [collected ?], but that I have antici- 
pated him.” 
As these faets, &c., collected by an accurate observer, can- 
not be without interest, and may in all probability throw some 
additional light on a subject by no means fully cleared ups 
I sincerely hope L. E. O. may still be induced to communi- 
cate them, together with his remarks, through the medium of 
your Magazine. ‘¢ Two heads are,” proverbially, ‘better than 
one;” and ‘ Natural History ought to be studied as a col- 
lection of facts, not as the history of our guesses or opi- 
nions.” * 
I take this opportunity of mentioning the date of the first 
and last appearances of our Hirtndines for the present year 
(1829), in order that such of your readers as think it worth 
while, may be able to fill up the blank space unavoidably left 
in the table above alluded to, which was printed in March 
last. 
First seen. Last seen. 
Swallow - - April 17. - - - October 14, 
Marten - - April 23. - - - October 14. 
Sand Marten - April 29. 
Switt - - May 3. - - - August 3. 
The swifts were mostly gone in this neighbourhood by the 
end of July; perhaps the wet ungenial season hastened their 
departure. The swallows too, and martens, i.e. the main 
body of them, retired early. Having paid more than usual 
attention to the departure of these interesting birds this 
autumn, I may, perhaps, be pardoned for stating the par- 
ticulars more in detail. The swallows and martens, then, 
had become scarce with us by the end of September: I ob- 
served a few of both species, ‘October 3d; and a few swallows 
only, on the 4th and 6th; both species again on the 8th; 
and on the 9th we had a large assemblage of swallows soar- 
ing and sporting in the middle of the day about the church 
and over the village, apparently enjoying themselves as in the 
height of summer ; but [ cannot positively say that there were 
any martens among them, though I suspect there might have 
been. This flight, I have little doubt, consisted of the later- 
hatched broods; and the young swallows, before their tail 
feathers are fully developed, when flying high in the air, are 
not always readily to be distinguished from their congeners. 
Not one individual could I see on the 10th, though a much 
warmer day than the preceding. Many appeared again on 
* See note, by Forster, in Kalm’s Travels, vol.ii. p.9., second edition, 
where the reader will find some curious statements in proof of the position, 
that swallows, in northern countries at least, retire under water for the 
winter, and haye actually been found in such situations in a torpid state! 
K 2 
