THE COMMON SWALLOW. 375 



Cave-hill, also in view, displayed snow in its ravines, proving, as 

 it were, that even two swallows do not make a summer. For ten 

 days afterwards, one of these birds was observed to remain with- 

 out a companion. On the 6th of April, a swallow was observed 

 between Antrim and Ballymena. But, though individuals arrived 

 so early that year, those which followed to complete the summer 

 number, were remarkably late in coming. In the first week of 

 April, they have been seen in other instances. The second week 

 of that month is the ordinary period, and they may often be ob- 

 served upon the tenth day.* 



Although in the year 1836, the swallow was noticed in one 

 locality near Belfast on the 15th or 16th of April, the species was 

 generally late in arrival, and remarkably scarce. During a walk of 

 upwards of two hours, on the morning of the 1st of May, through 

 a well- wooded and cultivated district, where these birds usually 

 abound at this season, I could not see one. On the 2nd of that 

 month, when proceeding fourteen miles along the southern side 

 of the bay, and returning the same distance, swallows appeared 

 only at one place, where a few were in company. On the 3rd, 4th 

 and 5 th, not one was seen for miles along the banks of the river 

 Lagan, a favourite resort. In 1837 also, they were very late in 

 corning, and, as in the preceding summer, very scarce, f Iu the 

 following year and subsequently they made their appearance as 

 usual. The earliest observed by myself in 1838 were two, which 

 on the 1 5th of April kept flying over the grassy margin of Belfast 

 bay. It was a most unfavourable day for them, being excessively 

 cold, with occasional heavy showers of snow, and blowing a hur- 



* Newspaper paragraphs occasionally announce a very early arrival. In the 

 Belfast Commercial Chronicle of April, 1835, it was stated that swallows had been 

 seen about Lame on the 2nd of the month. The contributors of such notices, how- 

 ever, rarely discriminate between the different species of Eirundo, but apply the 

 term swallow, generically, to the three species. The sand-martin may have been 

 alluded to. On the 10th day of that month, I saw single swallows in two localities 

 near Belfast. 



f When travelling from Holyhead to Shrewsbury on the 12th of May, 1837, and 

 on the following day thence to London, I perceived that swallows were everywhere 

 very few in number. In Wales, one or two swifts only were observed. They ap- 

 peared near Corwen, not one being seen at Llangollen, where I had remarked them 

 to be particularly abundant in July, 1835. An excellent opportunity for observation 

 was afforded from the outside of the coach. 



