398 
HIRUNDINIM. 
mentioned, that on the 24th of September, 1 834, I observed an 
unusually large colony of these birds congregated at Toome bridge, 
no other species of Hirundo being in the vicinity. On the 8th 
of October, when riding near Belfast, a very strong south-west 
wind prevailing, about twenty martins in a loose flock flew across 
the road, and proceeded for some time against the wind, at not 
more than from fifteen to twenty yards* distance from the ground. 
Probably, owing to the wind being too strong against them, they 
at length wheeled round, and rose very rapidly until they attained 
a great elevation. While in the act of mounting still higher, 
they disappeared from my sight, having all the time the wind with 
them. These birds were believed to be migrating. Peeling the 
effects of a powerful contrary wind, they may (as some persons 
believe the Hirundines generally do,) have ascended thus high in 
search of a more favourable current. On this occasion, however, 
the clouds, which were moderately high, were borne onwards in 
the same direction as the wind that swept the earth. 
The martin is generally stated to remain in England to a later 
period than the swallow, but I do not recollect any year in which 
the swallow was not the last of its genus to depart from the north 
of Ireland. Mr. Poole mentions his having seen the house-martin 
near Wexford, so late as the 3rd of November in one year, and 
the 16th in another (1847): a swallow was seen by him on this day 
also. On the 1st of November, 1846, a martin appeared at 
Holy wood, co. Down ; and a swallow, on the 16 th of that month, 
at the same place. At Seaview, on the borders of Belfast bay, 
so late as the 20th of November, 1845, I, for a long time saw 
three of the Hirundines disporting themselves. They were either 
II. urbica or young H. rustica, I felt all but certain, the former 
species, though the white plumage above the tail was not dis- 
tinctly seen. They had not the long tail-feathers, but the size and 
mode of flight indicated their species : on the 28th of this month, 
a friend observed, at the same place, an adult H. rustica posses- 
sing these feathers. Mr. Hyndman, when at Tory island, off the 
north of Donegal, in August, 1845, was shown a specimen of 
