376 hirundinidjE. 



ricane. As the in-coming tide flowed over the banks, the wind 

 swept the spray (caught from the top of the small waves) before 

 it, over the shallower portion of the bay, presenting the appearance 

 of a dense hail-shower, careering for miles along the surface of 

 the sea. In the summer of IS 40 again, swallows were remark- 

 ably scarce in the north of Ireland. This was attributed by an 

 observant friend to the inclement summer of the previous year 

 having been unfavourable to their breeding, — it was considered 

 that there were fewer young birds in 1839 than he had ever 

 before known. On making a tour through the west of Ireland in 

 the summer of 1840, I remarked that the Hirundinida generally, 

 were very few in number. Although the month of April in 1842, 

 was so remarkably fine and warm, swallows were a fortnight 

 later than usual making their appearance in the north of Ireland. 

 It is remarkable too, that from the first day of their arrival about 

 Belfast until the 14th of May, or during three weeks, there was 

 no apparent increase to their numbers. On the two following 

 days, however, a sudden increase in all directions took place, and 

 without any particular change in weather or wind. In 1843, the 

 first was seen here on the 6th of April; in 1844, on the 9th ; and 

 in 1845, on the 5th of that month. In the north, the common 

 swallow has continued to be very scarce for a number of years 

 to the summer of 1845 inclusive, appearing otherwise in a few 

 choice localities only, or when congregated for migration. In 

 1846, an increase was apparent; in 1847, a still greater one, 

 though in some localities not one was yet to be seen; in 1848, not 

 only an extraordinary augmentation took place, but everywhere 

 for several miles around Belfast, swallows were as numerous during 

 the summer and autumn as I ever saw them at any period. 



Food. Dr. Jenner * states, that swallows on and for some time 

 after their arrival, feed principally on gnats, but that their more 

 favourite food, as well as that of the swift and martin, is a small 

 beetle of the Scarabseus kind, which on dissection he " found in 

 far greater abundance in their stomachs than any other insects." 

 Two species of gnat, Culex pipiens and C. bifwrcatus, are particu- 



* Phil. Trans., vol. cix. p. 24. 



