386 hirundinidjE. 



seen flying about Stranmillis near Belfast, during ten days. In the 

 same month of 1819, one of that colour was killed in Down or 

 Antrim : in Donegal another has been obtained.* One was re- 

 marked throughout the summer of 1833 (?) at Portaferry, co. Down. 

 It returned in the following season to the same place, but no white 

 or pied progeny appeared in either year. A brood of four pure-white 

 swallows was reared in the summer of 1838 in an outhouse at Hills- 

 borough Park, in the last named county :— white ferrets {Mustela 

 furo) inhabited the ground floor just beneath this nest. "In the 

 autumn of 1843 (?) a white individual was observed flying about in 

 company with a number of other swallows near Dublin ; and in the 

 same season, another appeared in the glens, co. Antrim.t In the 

 summer of 1848, varieties occurred in three instances near Belfast. 

 One of a very pale whitish-fawn colour was taken from a nest in 

 Malone ; another, a young bird of the year, was presented to the 

 Museum by Richard Bateson, Esq., of Belvoir Park: — it is of a light 

 fawn colour of various shades ; the wings and tail being almost 

 white on the upper surface. In the old court-house, Newtownards, a 

 nest of what were called " white swallows " was procured. I have 

 always remarked that in particular seasons, birds are more prone 

 to assume variety in the colour of their plumage than in others. 

 I was not therefore surprised at the receipt of the following note 

 from Mr. R. Chute, of Blennerville, Kerry in Oct. 1848 :— " I got 

 a very pretty swallow lately ; its body, head, and all the under 

 parts buff; the wings and tail white. It was shot near Listowel : 

 I think it is this year's bird." 



Departure. When wind and weather are favourable for migra- 

 tion, swallows, including many of the first brood, leave the neigh- 

 bourhood of Belfast towards the end of August, but about the 

 middle of September is the chief time of their departure. Until 

 the middle of October some remain every year. Mr. Templeton 

 notes his having observed a few on the 30th and 31st of October, 

 1813. On the 14th of November, 1815, one was repeatedly 

 seen flying about Stranmillis near Belfast, where also on the 28th 

 of October, 1819, three appeared after a severe fall of snow and 

 * Mr. J. V. Stewart. f Mr. J. R. Garrett. 



