150 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



20th September 1906, three or four were seen. They 

 were very wild, but an adult and a young bird were 

 captured. On the following day two were seen ; and on 

 4th October, one, a bird of the year, was obtained. In 



1907, on 27th September, I saw one very distinctly ; but 

 it, too, was very wild, and sought the recesses of the 

 face of the cliffs on being approached. On 31st May 



1908, George Stout had an excellent view of an adult 

 male. 



I was much puzzled by the appearance of the first 

 example that came under notice. It was a bird of the 

 year, and hence in plain and unattractive plumage. I 

 found it on the face of a comparatively low cliff, and 

 my attention was especially drawn to it from the fact 

 that it raised its tail to such an extreme degree as to 

 be almost parallel with its back. In flight, the white on 

 the basal portion of all but the two central tail-feathers 

 is displayed and is very conspicuous. 



HiRUNDO RUSTicA, Swallow. — The Swallow is 

 another of those species which, contrary to the general 

 rule, is more abundant in spring than in autumn. 



In spring it often appears in considerable rushes, and 

 its passages cover a long period. The earliest date for 

 its advent at this season is 17th April ; but the bird does 

 not occur in any numbers until the end of the first week 

 of May, after which many appear at intervals until the 

 end of the first week in June, and in smaller numbers to 

 the end of the month. No doubt a number of the 

 Swallows visiting the isle at this season are non- 

 breeding birds. A few have appeared in July, but there 

 are as yet no August records. 



The autumn visitors consist of small parties or 

 single birds, both old and young, which arrive at 



