117 



THE SWALLOW. 



Hirundo rustica (L.). 



Swallows arrived along the whole o£ the south coast. A 

 single bird was observed in Sussex on the 27th o£ March, 

 while a few were reported in Devonshire, Hampshire, Somer- 

 setshire, Wiltshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Yorkshire 

 between the 1st and the 10th of April. 



There was a very large wave of immigration between the 

 11th and 14th, and the first arrival of the Swallow was noted 

 in thirly-five ont of the fortj-eight counties that sent in 

 reports. By the 15th the species was numerously distributed 

 all over the country, having reached Northumberland on the 

 12th and Cumberland on the 13th. 



From the 18th of April to the 16th of May daily observa- 

 tions of passing Swallows were received from the Nab light- 

 vessel, Hampshire, the records varying from a few birds seen 

 between the hours of 6 A.M. and 3 p.m. to numbers observed 

 all day on the 30th April, and between the 14th and 16th 

 of May. After the first great rush mentioned above it was 

 difficult to trace with any certainty the passage of the 

 succeeding waves of immigrants, as by the end of April 

 the whole country was thickly populated with Swallows. 



On the night of the 29th another large migratory move- 

 ment was observed in Devonshire, and there was likewise a 

 great increase in Suffolk. Arrivals continued all through 

 the month of May, as was shown by the records from the 

 various lights as well as by the notes of land observers. 

 Many were seen passing in Cornwall on the 4th, a few on 

 the south coast of Sussex on the 9th, and many at the same 

 place on the 16th, on which date there was a marked increase 

 in the number of Swallows in Northumberland. On the 



