8 



Nile Valley to the interior of South-eastern Africa. Captain Shelley observed the 

 species in Egypt and jS"ubia in April and May, when it was aj^parently making its way 

 northward, and he found no evidence of its breeding in those countries. Von Ileuglin 

 records it as a bird of passage only in N.E. Africa and Arabia, going north in February 

 and March, and returning southward from August to the beginning of October, passing 

 either singly or in large flocks, sometimes in company with other Swallows. A specimen 

 was obtained by Mr. Blanford at Koomayli on the 2nd of February. 



We cannot find any evidence of the capture of the species in Eastern Africa, and 

 yet it appears to pass south by the East Coast route, for it was discovered by the late 

 Mr. J. S. Jameson during his expedition to Mashona Land. It was met with on the 

 Quae-quae River on October 23rd ; and Mr. Ayres says that " for two or three days, from 

 about 9 to 10 A.M., considerable numbers of Martins were flying up the river in a south- 

 easterlj'' direction at a great height, only now and then one coming Avithin range; they 

 were apparently migrating." 



We have never seen a Senegambian specimen, but M. de Piochebrune says it is 

 common there in winter, and gives a number of places where it has been observed. He 

 states that it arrives there in October. Mr. Keulemans, who accompanied Dr. Dohrn on 

 his expedition to West Africa, states that he shot a single specimen on Prince's Island, 

 and he entertains no doubt as to the correctness of the identification. The specimen 

 was too much injured to be preserved, and this is the only certified occurrence of the 

 species in that part of West Africa. 



The House-Martin is a very familiar summer visitant to the British Islands, and it 

 is quite a feature in the suburbs of London and other large cities. It arrives a few days 

 later than the Common Swallow, towards the middle or end of April, leaving again in 

 September and October. It often rears two, or even three, broods, and some of the later 

 batched birds are found with us in October, and several young specimens captured in tliat 

 month are in the British Museum. The latest date on which Martins have been seen by 

 the authors in this country was the 22nd of November, when Sharpe saw a flock of about 

 a dozen individuals passing over the park at Avington, in Hamjjshire. These birds were 

 Avending south in the late evening, bat as they circled at a great height above the house 

 for a few moments, several shots Avere fired at them by Captain Shelley and some others 

 of the party, Avho had just returned from shooting, but the birds were out of range and 

 not one specimen could be procured. Of the identity of the species, hoAvever, there was 

 not the smallest doubt. Mr. Seebohm even records the occasional occurrence as late as 

 December, and Mr. HoAvard Saunders possesses a specimen sliot at Ileigate in the same 

 month. In Scotland and the north of England the Martins leave somewhat earlier than 

 in the south, and mostly disappear in September, Avhereas in the latter part of the country 

 they depart early in October. Their autumn flight is heralded by large numbers of 

 the birds assembling together with SwalloAvs and Sand-Martins on the telegraph-wires, 

 and often in the early autumnal mornings many hundreds of Swallows and Martins con- 

 gregate on the slated roofs of houses Avhioh the sun has begun to warm ; here they sit, 



