REPORTS. 



171 



testimony to the general appearance of the Cuckoo in all parts of 

 Guernsey on April 23rd, is, 1 consider, very interesting. With the close 

 of the month of June, the Cuckoo's voice practically ceases to be heard 

 in the land although, as is well known, the bird remains with us for some 

 weeks longer. Mr. Hocart tells me that June 22nd was the last day on 

 which he heard the bird at the Vale, and Mr. Tourtel gives June 30th for 

 himself at Torteval. At St. Martin's the Vallon trees, below the Courtes 

 Fallaises, is a favourite haunt of the Cuckoo, and at this spot T have 

 frequently loitered in the gathering twilight at the end of June and the 

 beginning of July to listen to the rich full note coming from one of the 

 tree-tops. On July 1st of this year, for instance, at 8.30 o'clock in the 

 evening, I was sauntering along the old £>athway when a bird started 

 singing and only stopped after saying " cuckoo " 140 times. I heard a 

 bird there again on July 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th. At 7.45 a.m. on the 9th, 

 my old friend, I presume, said u cuckou " 72 times, and at 8 o'clock on 

 the evening of the same day I heard him for the last time when all he 

 could manage was a few calls in a very husky voice. The next day, 

 July 10th, Mr. G. J. Tourtel heard a bird at the same spot and this is 

 the latest date for hearing the Cuckoo of which I have reliable 

 information. 



April 13th in 1905. -Mr. E. I). Marquand.] 

 July 13th m 1907.— Rev. R. H. Tourtel.] 

 SwallOW.— On April 12th, my brother-in-law, Mr. G. F. Alles, and myself 

 saw a Swallow skimming over a field near Les Naftiaux, at S. Andrew's. 

 I did not chance to see any again until April 22nd, but on the 26th and 

 29th they were plentiful at Moulin Huet. At L'Ancresse Mr. Hocart 

 first saw some on April 21st, a date he considers as rather late. As 

 regards their departure, Mr. Hocart wrote : — " The bulk of them left the 

 Vale during some rough cold days at the middle of September, but a few 

 were still seen daily until October 16th, when I saw the two last." Of 

 the departure of the main body I have no personal observations to report, 

 but I noticed while out driving in the country for several hours, both on 

 October 10th and 11th, that very few Swallows were about. I saw some 

 in different places on Sunday, the 23rd, at Petit Port on the 25th, at Les 

 Blanches on the 28th, and a solitary one along the Fort road on the 31st. 

 This I thought was going to be my latest date for seeing Swallows this 

 year, but exactly a fortnight later, on November 14th, a couple were 

 seen flying about at the top of George -road. 



[April 6th in 1909.— Mr. E D. Marquand.] 

 [November 14th in 1910.— Mr. B. T. Rowswell.] 

 House Martin. — About this pretty little member of the Swallow tribe I 

 have been supplied with no notes, so only can give you the result of my 

 own observations. With many people Swallows proper, House Martins 

 and Swifts, are all Swallows, and yet each have very distinctive 

 characteristics. The House Martin, for instance, is smallest of the three, 

 and has a short blunt tail. Then, in addition, the snow-white patch of 

 feathers on the back near the tail easily distinguishes it from the other 

 members of the family. The first I saw this year was a solitary one 

 flying about over the Moulin Huet cliffs on April 29th, and I did not see 

 any more until May 9th, when another was observed at the same place, 

 after which they became normally plentiful for the season. Throughout 

 October I continued to see House Martins from time to time. On the 

 23rd for example several were sporting themselves in a gully at Petit 

 Port, and 1 saw some again at Les Blanches on the 28th and at Moulin 

 Huet on the 31st. On November 15th I saw one (the last) at the top of 

 George Road at 10 a.m. 



April 3rd in 1905.— Mr. E. D. Marquand.] 

 November 17th in 1908.— Mr. B. T. Rowswell.] 

 Swift. — Mr. George J. Tourtel, of St. Martin's, was the first to observe the 

 arrival of the "Black Swallows" this year. On April 29th he saw one 



