112 
Notes on the Swallow. 
I have known quite sixty nests, some containing eggs, 
and the others young birds, of which the eggs were destroyed 
and all birds killed, in one season, by weasels, mice, etc., and 
goodness knows how many more were destroyed that I did 
not happen to know of. Then there are the trying periods 
of migration, many scores of birds are killed by dashing into 
lighthouses, others occasionally alight on boats at sea in 
an exhausted condition. The Swallow has to face even a 
greater enemy than most soft -billed birds on .account of feeding 
entirely on insects whilst on the wing— /that enemy is the 
weather — softbills that obtain their food on trees and upon the 
ground will stand a better chance of living tlhrough unsea- 
sonable periods during the spring months, than those that feed 
entirely on the wing. The Swallow has been written of, 
as a bird that knows not frost or snow, meaning, I suppose 
that this species is associated in the minds of people, with 
lovely warm sunshine, and clear blue skies, but how ridiculous. 
No doubt it should only be associated with that true 
genial spring weather, but if we think of the type of weather 
that has taken place during the spring months some years, 
we shall see that Nature can be very cruel, and the very 
unseasonable weather that has occurred in the past is just 
as likely to occur again at some future time. 
I -am incorporating with these notes some general re- 
marks on the effect of inclement weather, etc., on this and 
other insectivorous species. 
Some three years ago, I think it was, we had an un- 
usually cold, cheerless, wet spring, the rain continuing for 
some weeks, ending in a summer flood during June. At this 
time. Sedge Warblers had eggs, and many other species which 
build in ditches -and in situations around and near the river, 
had their nests destroyed, and no doubt Sand Martins in their 
holes in certain parts of the river banks, had a very bad 
time of it, as the water rose rather rapidly; the Reed Warb- 
lers not breeding until July would escape. 
The floods drove all the vermin out of the ditches up 
into the woods that sloped down towards the river, and here 
they played havoc with the birds. I found quite a number 
of nests of Blackbirds, Thrushes, and Hedg*5 Sp-r.rrows witft 
eggs destroyed and out of several nests thai had contained 
