THE COMMON SWALLOW. 
385 
at different periods during their stay, seen swallows on wing 
at so late an hour that they could hardly be distinguished. 
This occurred more especially throughout the month of June, 
1832, which was remarkably cold and wet. On several evenings 
towards the end of the month, I saw swallows fly about at a 
quarter past 9, p.m. The wants of the nestlings doubtless 
prompted this late flight, and in some instances it was of no avail, 
as during the time young swallows were seen to fall dead from 
the nest, owing, it was conjectured, to starvation ; this, too, in a 
locality where food should have been comparatively abundant. 
On the 12th of June, 1838, I observed a swallow flying about 
Wolf-hill at half-past 9 o'clock in the evening. The day through- 
out had been moderately warm, without rain. 
In Mr. Prancis Bailey's account of the eclipse of the sun, 
July 8th, 1842, as witnessed by him at Pavia, he remarks, that 
“the darkness during the time of total observation, was not so 
great as I had anticipated. I had caused a lighted candle to be 
prepared in order to be ready in case of need; but I eventually 
extinguished it, as I found I could read very small print and note 
the time by my chronometer without its assistance. Prior to the 
commencement of the eclipse, I had observed a great number 
of swallows flying about ; but towards the middle of the eclipse 
they had all vanished, and did not make their appearance again 
till a few minutes after the first ray of light emanated from the 
sun, when they were as active, and soon became as numerous as 
ever." — Athenaeum, 1843, p. 19. At the annular eclipse of the 
sun. May 15th, 1836, it was observed near Belfast that the birds 
not only ceased to sing, but hurried to trees, &c., as if night had 
suddenly come on. The instant cessation of their singing was 
remarked to be peculiarly striking. The swallows did not every- 
where disappear on this occasion, for Mr. Macgillivray tells us 
he thought it singular, that although “ the rooks and sparrows 
had gone to bed, thinking it was night, the swallows continued 
flying about as usual." — Br. Birds, vol. iii. p. 565. 
Variety of plumage. We occasionally see varieties in the colour 
of the swallow. In the month of July, 1815, a pure-white bird was 
vol. i. 2 c 
