MIGRATION AND FLIGHT. 105 
that the airy travellers keep over the land as much 
as possible ; but, if the straightest course was pre- 
ferred, they might, by crossing the Bay of Biscay, 
perform it in less time. And that Swallows do, at 
least occasionally, take this line, we know, from the 
very curious fact of one settling on the rigging^ and 
caught on board a vessel bound to the French port of 
Havre, beneath the wing of which was found a very 
small slip of paper, on which was written, in French, 
“ The ship Armide, Captain Borgnet, going to Mar- 
tinique, latitude 48° 33' north, longitude 10° 39' 
west.” On reference to the map, it will be seen that 
this point is nearly in a straight line, drawn from 
the Land’s End in England to the western coast of 
Africa. 
It might be supposed, taking place as these 
journeys do with Swallows, twice in the year, that 
frequent opportunities would occur of seeing their 
arrival or departure in flocks, but with the exception 
of straggling parties of ten or twelve at a time, few 
have been fortunate enough to see them either come 
or go; whence it has been inferred that they pursue 
their course at night. And that this is the case, we can 
give tolerably good evidence from actual observation. 
Happening to be at Fecamp, a sea-port at the foot 
of the highest cliffs in France, immediately opposite 
the English coast, on the 14th of September, 1833, 
we had ascended the heights to visit the ruins of an 
old chapel before sunrise. On looking towards the 
sea, the first object presenting itself, was a flight of 
about one hundred Swallows, evidently just making 
the land, and whirling in a hurried manner over the 
upper ledge of the precipice. On the supposition 
