374 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



Although in the year 183G the swallow did present itself in one 

 locality near Belfast on the 15th or lGth of April, the species was 

 generally late in arrival, and remarkably scarce. When walking for 

 upwards of two hours on the morning of the 1st of May through 

 a well-wooded and cultivated district where these birds usually 

 abound at this season, not one was to be seen. On the 2nd of that 

 month, when going fourteen miles along the southern side of the bay, 

 and again on returning, swallows appeared only at one place, where 

 a few were in company. On the 3rd, 4th and 5th I walked for miles 

 along the banks of the river Lagan, a favourite resort of these birds, 

 and not one was seen. In 1837 also they were very late in coming, 

 and, as in the preceding summer, very scarce*. In the following year 

 and subsequently they made their appearance as usual. The earliest 

 observed by myself in 1838 were two, which on the 15th of April 

 kept flying over the grassy margin of Belfast Bay. It was a most 

 untoward day for them, being excessively cold with occasional 

 heavy showers of snow, and blowing a hurricane. The storm effect 

 was such as I never before witnessed, for as the in-coming tide 

 flowed over the banks, the wind swept the spray (caught from the 

 top of the small waves) before it over the shallower portion of the bay, 

 presenting the appearance of a dense hail-shower, careering for miles 

 over the surface of the sea. In the summer of 1840 again, swallows 

 were remarkably scarce in the north of Ireland. This was attri- 

 buted by an ornithological friend to the inclement summer of the 

 previous year having been unfavourable to their breeding — he con- 

 sidered that there were fewer young birds in 1839 than he had ever 

 before known. On making a tour through the west of Ireland in the 

 summer of 1 840, I observed that the Hirundinidce generally were very 

 scarce there f. 



species. The sand martin, which is the earliest comer, was probably the 

 bird alluded to. On the 10th day of that month I saw single swallows in 

 two localities near Belfast. 



* When travelling from Holyhead to Shrewsbury on the 12lh of May 

 1837, and on the following day thence to London, I remarked that swallows 

 were everywhere very scarce. Being seated outside the coach, an excellent 

 opportunity for observation was afforded. 



f May 17, 1842. Although the month of April this year was so remarka- 

 bly fine and warm, swallows were a fortnight later than usual in making their 

 appearance in the north of Ireland. It is very remarkable too, that from the 

 first day of their arrival about Belfast until the 14th inst., or during three 

 weeks, there was no apparent increase to their numbers. On the two fol- 

 lowing days, however, a sudden increase in all directions took place, and 

 without any marked change in weather or wind. 



The practice of hunting the wren, as it is called, in the south of Ireland, 

 and the children carrying the victims about the streets on St. Stephen's-day, 

 and chanting a song for the purpose of collecting money, as noticed at p. 143, 

 had in some respects an analogue in Greece in the case of the swallow. " The 

 children in Rhodes greeted the latter as herald of spring in a little song *. 

 Troops of them carrying about a swallow sang this from door to door, and 

 collected provisions in return." 



1 Above thirty simple and most pleasing lines, given in Hase's ' Public and 

 Private Life of the Ancient Greeks,' English Translation, p. 24. 



