Booth : Migration of the Common Swallow. 87 
to these stray late birds, as they may be sterile or otherwise 
non-breeding birds which will probably only journey as far 
north as the southern nesting limit of their species. But when 
we get a little further north, say in the Transvaal, we find the 
Swallow not uncommon in April. I will quote two extracts 
from ‘ Reports of the Migration Committee of the South 
African Ornithologists’ Union,’ under the heading of European 
Swallow (Departures). At Modderfontein, Mr. A. Haagner, 
one of the best known South African field-ornithologists, 
reports for 1908, ‘ March 1st, saw them first massing on this 
date. Flocks seen flying north on the nth, 17th and 30th 
March. Last few stragglers seen April 6th. Very cold, 
south winds.’* At Komatipoort in the same state, Major 
J. S. Hamilton reports for 1909, * March 8th, massing. April 
20th, last flock ; April 26th, last one seen.’f A little further 
north, in the Matopo District, Southern Rhodesia, apparently 
the northern movement commences earlier, and, with passing 
birds, lasts later. Mr. L. B. Mouritz writes :J ‘ A very common 
summer visitor, which, in 1912, occurred as late as April 24th, 
when a small party, journeying northwards, passed over 
Lucydale. In February there are movements going on 
amongst our Swallows. On the morning of the 7th I noticed 
scores at dawn all perched on mealie stalks in an old cultivation, 
and, from lassitude, evidently travellers — our full complement 
of birds being scattered about the country as usual. On the 
2 1st I noticed again several small parties of fifty or sixty 
which were evidently on migration. The main body of our 
local birds left for northern parts between the 12th and 15th 
of March.’ At Bulawayo, Rhodesia, Mr. E. C. Chubb, Curator 
of the Museum there, writes of H. rustica, ‘ The greater number 
of them left about the beginning of April, although a few 
were seen as late as April 27th and 28th.’ § Further north 
again, in British East Africa, inland from Mombasa, Mr. G. H. 
Gurney writes, || * Large flocks of H. rustica appeared on the 
Kapiti Plains in the fourth week of March, all on northward 
migration.’ 
O11 the other side of the great African Continent, and in the 
north-west, Mr. W. A. Bannerman has made a special study 
of the ornithology of the Canary Islands, and writes in The 
Ibis, 1919, p. 315, ‘ The Swallow is a regular bird of passage 
in spring and autumn, but is especially numerous in spring.’ 
His two earliest spring records are in February, one on Feb- 
ruary 5th (1909), and the other February 28th . (1887) ; then 
there is a jump to March 31st (1913), and another to April 
* Journal S. African Ornith. Union, Vol. IV., No. 2, p. 69 (1908). 
f Journ. of the S. African Ornith. Union, Vol. VI., No. 1, p. 4 (1910). 
+ The Ibis, 1915, p. 537. § The Ibis, 1909, p. 155. 
|| The Ibis, 1909, p. 507. 
1922 Mar. 1 
