VOL. vn.] NOTES, 177 



at about 20 miles. per hour. The Swallows swept by fairly- 

 low (about 40 ft.) and rapidly, their speed being certainly 

 up to 100 miles per hour. Alighting was quite exceptional. 

 Normally the migrating parties were small, but stretched 

 to some distance on either side of the rock. The chain- 

 like character of the migration is especially emphasized, 

 the links being formed of these small parties and even by 

 solitary individuals and is likened to a broad procession, 

 loosely and unevenly marshalled. Larger communities were 

 only observed as the result of a damming back of the stream 

 by such conditions as fogs, dense haze and drizzle, strong 

 head- wind, etc., etc., and Professor Patten concludes that 

 this chain-like procession is the normal character of both 

 diurnal and nocturnal movements and so-called " rushes " 

 are abnormal and largely artificial. 



The direction taken by these migrants was during Septem- 

 ber and the first week of October, 1911, almost invariably 

 between north and west (usually north-west), i.e., towards 

 the Irish coast. In 1912 the direction was the same up 

 till the latter part of September, when it changed to south- 

 east, i.e., seawards. In the two former cases the wind was 

 chiefly north-west, and in the latter east and south-east, 

 but Professor Patten leaves the question as to whether 

 the wind was a determining factor in the direction taken an 

 open one. He considers that it is probable in the case of 

 the Swallows that these were quasi -immigrants to Ireland 

 derived from a stream coasting south down Cardigan Bay 

 and, owing to the continuous westward trend of the coast 

 and having overshot their mark, they almost immediately 

 sighted the coast of Ireland and made for it {cf. Irish Nat. 

 1912, pp. 65 and 143). He finally concludes that all these 

 species pass the Tuskar almost entirely by day and that 

 nocturnal movements are quite exceptional. 



The other species seen passing this station by day as 

 well as by night include Chaffinches, Greenfinches, and 

 Linnets (the latter apparently more by day than by 

 night), Wheatears, Willow-Warblers, Chififchafis, and Spotted 

 Flycatchers. 



