74 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



Hawk makes a regular visit, to prey upon the birds which rest on 

 the rock. (See oui- first Eeport for 1879, ' Zool.,' May, 1880, 

 p. 190.) 



Swift. — At Ushenish, North Uist,* June 13th, 1 p.m., five 

 Swil'ts seen flying south, with S. wind, and haze. 



Note. — Mr. R. Service notes the species as unusually abundant 

 in 1880. He observed a large flock of Swifts on Aug. 4th, 

 proceeding in a southerly dii-ection. The most of the local birds, 

 however, still remained on the 11th. 



Swallows, Hirundinidce. — Swallows were no longer seen after 

 July 16th, at the Point of Ayre, Isle of Man, on which day twenty 

 young were noticed, until again on Aug. 15th, when eight were 

 seen flying about. At Turnberry, from thirty to forty were seen 

 during the daytime on Aug. 26th, in light E. airs; and again 

 fifty to sixty on Aug. 31st, and forty to fifty on Sept. 2nd. 

 Numbers were also seen at Mull of Galloway and at Loch Ryan. 

 Swallows collected on Oct. 4th and flew away S.W., whilst at 

 Portpatrick great numbers were seen resting and then flying off 

 S. on Oct. 15th. This S.W. corner of Scotland appears to be a 

 point of departure of the species, and of several others ; and I 

 would invite special attention at stations all along the ^Yigton 

 coast-line. f All the above observations on the autumn move- 

 ments of Swallows were made dm-ing the daytime, and in hght 

 E. to N.E. winds. A rush appears to have taken place end of 

 August and beginning of September, and a later one as late as 

 the middle of October. 



Note. — In 1879 the most northerly station was Ardnamurchan, 

 and the appearance of Swallows much more general. The 

 earliest record in 1879 of autumn migration was on July 29th, 

 and the latest Sept. 25tli, as against this y-ear, July 16th and 

 Oct. 15th. Careful attention to the collecting of migrants at 

 these Wigton headlands would surely result in some interesting 

 data. Mr. Robert Service writes me that all the headlands, also 

 along the Stewartry coast-line, are gathering-places for the 

 land-birds before proceeding southward. At daybreak, in 



* Though this dates early, I cannot but assign it here, and not to a spring 

 movement. 



f See K. Gray and Thos. Anderson's ' Birds of Ayrsliire and Wigton- 

 shire,' p. 5. 



