398 hirundinidjE. 



mentioned, that on the 24th of September, 1834, I observed an 

 unusually large colony of these birds congregated at Toome bridge, 

 no other species of Hirundo being in the vicinity. On the 8th 

 of October, when riding near Belfast, a very strong south-west 

 wind prevailing, about twenty martins in a loose flock flew across 

 the road, and proceeded for some time against the wind, at not 

 more than from fifteen to twenty yards' distance from the ground. 

 Probably, owing to the wind being too strong against them, they 

 at length wheeled round, and rose very rapidly until they attained 

 a great elevation. While in the act of mounting still higher, 

 they disappeared from my sight, having all the time the wind with 

 them. These birds were beheved to be migrating. Feeling the 

 effects of a powerful contrary wind, they may (as some persons 

 believe the Hirundines generally do,) have ascended thus high in 

 search of a more favourable current. On this occasion, however, 

 the clouds, which were moderately high, were borne onwards in 

 the same direction as the wind that swept the earth. 



The martin is generally stated to remain in England to a later 

 period than the swallow, but I do not recollect any year in which 

 the swallow was not the last of its genus to depart from the north 

 of Ireland. Mr. Poole mentions his having seen tne house-martin 

 near Wexford, so late as the 3rd of November in one year, and 

 the 16th in another (1847): a swallow was seen by him on tin's day 

 also. On the 1st of November, 1846, a martin appeared at 

 Holywood, co. Down; and a swallow, on the 16th of that month, 

 at the same place. At Seaview, on the borders of Belfast bay, 

 so late as the 20th of November, 1845, I, for a long time saw 

 three of the Hirundines disporting themselves. They were either 

 H. urhica or young H. rustica, I felt all but certain, the former 

 species, though the white plumage above the tail was not dis- 

 tinctly seen. They had not the long tail-feathers, but the size and 

 mode of flight indicated their species : on the 28th of this month, 

 a friend observed, at the same place, an adult H. rustica posses- 

 sing these feathers. Mr. Hyndman, when at Tory island, off the 

 north of Donegal, in August, 1845, was shown a specimen of 



