2226 Birds. 



is worthy of being recorded, inasmuch as it offers an easier explanation of this tem- 

 porary disappearance than that of supposing these early visitors to return either to 

 their winter hiding-places or to warmer climates. On a cold wet day, while walking 

 near some mills, my attention was arrested by the continued twittering of swallows : 

 none had been seen for many days, neither were any now to be seen in the air above 

 me : led by the sound, at last, after some research, I found about twenty of these birds 

 seated upon the grate which prevents drifted wood and rubbish from passing down the 

 mill-race to the water-wheel. The poor creatures were miserable objects, and, shiver- 

 ing with wet and cold, were sitting in close contact. To watch them more narrowly, 

 I gradually approached within a few yards, without any token of alarm being mani- 

 fested. It was evident that they had thus congregated in a calm and sheltered situa- 

 tion for the express purpose of procuring food : there was a constant watchfulness 

 kept up over the river ; and whenever an insect moved upon its surface, one or two 

 swallows rushed forth to make a capture : this was most effectually accomplished ; for 

 each bird, going open-mouthed, fearlessly dashed its breast upon the water, and easily 

 secured the object of its pursuit. The supply of food was by no means plentiful ; and 

 it was evident that weakness and torpor, conjoined with earnest watchfulness for every 

 passing insect, enabled me to observe this interesting group of swallows at my leisure. 

 There is another device to which the swallow has recourse on a cold April day, — too 

 cold to allow of many insects being on wing: it alights suddenly on the ground, se- 

 cures its prey among the grass or in a piece of dung, then rises, skims away, and re- 

 peats this operation several times within a limited area. The swift was five days 

 earlier than its usual time ; the 30th of April is the earliest date of its arrival, in a 

 long series of observations : a pair of these birds were seen for several hours on that 

 day ; but the weather becoming cold, no more were observed till nearly a week after- 

 wards. Once or twice I have known the swift arrive on the 1st of May. In 1829 it 

 appeared on that day. The following fact is extracted from my note-book of that 

 date : " Three swifts seen on wing early in the morning. During the day a specimen 

 was brought to me in a state approaching to torpidity : it was found suspended by its 

 claws in a lodging-room. I immediately placed the captive in a similar position 

 upon a stretched cord, in a cool part of a sitting-room, when slight symptoms of re- 

 turning activity were manifested. In this situation the bird was suffered to remain 

 about three hours, but not content with this slow progress I placed it upon a warm 

 hearth : in a few minutes the bird fluttered and attempted to rise from the floor, and 

 after this momentary excitement presently died. Perhaps the too rapid application of 

 heat produced a higher degree of reaction than its exhausted state was able to sustain. 

 Temperature during the day, max. 50°, min. 43°. Hills tipped with snow yesterday." 

 The lesser whitethroat is the most uncertain of our summer migrators : for many years 

 we never met with a single specimen, though forty years ago it appears to have been 

 tolerably frequent, arriving regularly about the 26th of April, and resorting to the 

 hedgerows and gardens in the neighbourhood of the town. Some few years after this 

 species entirely quitted the district, and we were never able to meet with it again till 

 1834, when a single pair were observed. In 1837 we first saw it on the 11th of May ; 

 in 1845, as early as the 30th of April ; in 1846, May 1st. Since 1834 we have usually 

 had about five pairs around the town ; but within the last three years this species be- 

 gan to be less frequent, and during the present spring I have observed but a single 

 pair, and they remained with us only a short time. The spotted flycatcher was rather 

 later than usual, about the 1 111) of May (IK<1(>) being its usual dale : we have had it 



