the Hir/mdmes at Alleslei/ Rectory m 1829. 131 



wliich he has collated [collected ?], but that I have antici- 

 pated him." 



As these facts, &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 up, 

 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 ^irundines 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 m March 

 last. 



First seen. Last seen. 



Swallow - - April 17. - - - October 14. 



Marten - - April 23. - - - October 14. 



Sand Marten - April 29. 



Swift - - 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 I 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 JCalni's Travels, vol. ii. p. 9., second edition, 

 ■^here 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 have actually been found in such situations in a torpid state J 

 ' K 2 



