May, 1889. migration of swallows and martins. 
97 
ON THE AUTUMN MIGRATION OF SWALLOWS 
AND MARTINS.* 
BY W. WARDE FOWLER. 
Ever since I was lucky enough, in September, 1885, to see 
something of the passage of migrating birds over the Alps of 
the St. Gotliard district, I have kept a careful watch on the 
movements of birds in that month ; and more particularly on 
the journeying of the Swallows and Martins. These birds 
are comparatively easy to observe on migration, for they are 
almost always on the wing, and, even when they settle, usually 
prefer a conspicuous and airy place, such as a house roof, a 
church tower, or a tree from which the leaves have already in 
part fallen. Most other small birds seem to pass from our 
woods and hedgerows in some quiet and mysterious way, and 
to find their way to the coast gradually and silently, rarely 
startling the observer by allowing him to see them in packs, 
or in such rapid movement as could be recognised at once as 
travel. But the Swallows and Martins, if they are closely 
watched towards the end of September, may be observed, not 
only gathering and exercising themselves before their 
departure, but actually performing their daily journey; and 
only patience and good opportunities are needed to enable us 
to discover something of the methods by which these journeys 
are conducted. 
As a classical student, my experience has been, that if I 
fancy I have discovered something new in that department of 
learning, I almost always, sooner or later, find to my chagrin, 
that someone else—usually a German—has been on the 
ground before me. But no one seems as yet to have given his 
whole mind to this migration of the Swallow tribe, or at least 
to have recorded his observations in any easily available book 
or periodical. I am speaking, be it clearly understood, of 
England and Englishmen ; for we seem to know a good deal 
more of the course of migrating birds after they have left our 
island, than of the nature of their travel while they are still 
within it. We know something from the “ Migration Reports” 
of their passage along the eastern and western coasts of the 
island ; but very little of their movements on the south 
coast, and almost nothing of the process by which they 
gather in the interior and find their way to the sea. What 
little I have noticed myself on the coast of Dorset, and inland 
in Oxfordshire, I propose to set down in this paper. 
* Part of a paper lately read to tbe Oxford Natural History 
Society. 
