372 REPORT— 1901. 



Beginning about the middle of February, it becomes more pronounced irt 

 March, and ceases with the close of that month. The birds return by 

 tlie routes taken in autumn and winter, chief of which is that between 

 the south-eastern counties, with Wexford as a centre, and the southern 

 provinces of Wales and shores of the Bristol Channel ; while during March 

 there are return flights cross the Irish Sea to North Wales and South- 

 western Scotland. Generally the birds set out after dark, but Skylarks are 

 occasionally recorded as migrating during the day, those from the southern 

 portion of Ireland jnaking for the south-east, while those from the 

 Wicklow coast proceed due east. The night movements are often per- 

 formed in company with Thrushes, Blackbirds, and Starlings. The winter 

 visitants to the Hebrides leave for the mainland of Scotland about the 

 same time, and call for no special remark. 



10. Sprinff Passage from SoiUhern to Northern and Central Enrope 

 along the British Coast. — These movements take place during March and 

 early April, and are not easily distinguished from some others that are in 

 progress at the same time. It is probable, however, that the bulk of the 

 Skylarks arriving at this time on the southern coast of England are en 

 route for North-western Europe. After reaching this island they move 

 northwai'd along the coast, and finally quit the country in company with 

 those which have been wintering in Great Britain and Ireland, as well as 

 with other emigrants and transient visitors. 



The Migrations ov the Swallow {Hirundo rustica). 



The familiar Swallow may be taken as a typical example of a Summer 

 Visitant to the British Islands, whose breeding range reaches a high 

 latitude in Europe, though not e::tending to the extreme north of the 

 Continent, nor to Iceland, In our islands it is to be regarded, however, 

 not merely as a summer visitant, but also as a Bird of Passage, traversing 

 our shores in spring and autumn on its way to or from its summer quarters 

 in Western Europe. Its winter quarters are known to be in Africa, 

 chiefly to the south of the Great Desert. In preparing the following 

 compendium of its emigrations I have not limited myself to the records 

 furnished by the various Light-stations, since the majority of observa- 

 tions there made do not discriminate between the Swallow and the two 

 species of Martin also visiting our islands ; but I have availed myself as 

 well of the voluminous records chronicled in serial literature, often by 

 expert ornithologists. 



Sjyring Immigration of Shimmer Visitants. — On this subject the 

 records are so numerous and complete as to enable me to speak with 

 authority as to the date of the Swallow's successive arrivals on our shores, 

 and also to trace with some degree of accuracy its gradual spreading over 

 the country, which has hitherto been a desideratum. During March a 

 few solitary birds annually appear, sometimes very early in the month, 

 and though these may be regai-ded as somewhat erratic visitors, no year 

 of the inquiry (1880-87) is wanting in authentic records of their 

 appearance. In all there are twenty-one records of March Swallows, of 

 which ten were observed on the south-west coast of England, four in 

 Ireland, three in the south-east of England, and two each in South-eastern 

 and South-western Scotland. It is not till April that the vanguard of 

 the host reaches our shores, and a careful analysis of dates shows that 

 the average time of its appearance in different parts of our islands is as 

 follows : Eor South-western England the beginning of the first week ; for 



