34 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



some alighted on the ship on the following day, when 

 they proved their expertness in both finding and capturing 

 insects, a "gamma" moth not being too much for them. 

 On the 29th one was taken off" the lantern at 3 a.m. 



HiRUNDO RUSTiCA, Swallow. — Swallows, old and 

 young, were flying together to the south-south-west on 

 26th September, and 2nd, 13th, 14th, and i6th October; 

 and to the west on 26th September and 14th October. 

 The chief movements were on 13th and 14th October, 

 when parties, some of them one hundred strong, passed 

 southwards, all flying low over the surface of the water. 

 On the latter date, they were observed passing both 

 westwards and southwards — i.e., making for and depart- 

 ing from the English coast ! The earliest hour for these 

 migrants was 7.45 a.m., and the latest 2 p.m. 



Chelidon urbica. House - Martin. — The first and 

 greatest movement of this bird was observed on 9th 

 October, when, after a decided fall in temperature, 

 numbers were passing from north-west to south-east, 

 from 9 A.M. to I P.M., some of the parties containing as 

 many as fifty individuals. Smaller numbers passed in 

 the same direction on the 13th. On the 14th and i6th 

 small flocks were moving from east to west in the fore- 

 noon. On the 1 6th several went north-west during the 

 morning. 



CoTiLE riparia. Sand - Martin. — On 15th October 

 the watch reported that he had seen twenty "swallows " 

 passing south-south-west at 5.45 a.m., and of these, 

 seven alighted on the rail and rested for ten minutes. 

 They were quite tame and allowed a close approach, and 

 were described as being "brown above and white 

 below." 



Passer montanus. Tree- Sparrow. — From 23rd 



