May, 1880. MIGRATION OF SWALLOWS and martins. 
99 
were passing ; but it is more likely, I think, that I simply 
failed to notice what was going on. The flight of these birds 
is so deviating that its general direction may very easily be 
missed, and, in fact, it is almost indispensable that the 
observer should be posted on some commanding height in 
order to appreciate it. I have seen the same kind of migra¬ 
tion going on in the Midlands since that visit to Lulworth, 
but found it very difficult to follow and make sure of, owing 
to the want of such a point of vantage as that noble ridge of 
down. 
Possibly the flatness of our midlands is the reason why so 
little is known of the actual lines of migration of the 
Swallow tribe within this island, and before they cross the sea. 
Are there any such regular lines, apart from those along our 
coasts ? Do the birds alter their course according to wind 
and weather ? Do they always travel in parties, and if so, 
how are those parties formed ? Are they the birds of a 
single district, town, or village ? Where do they rest at night 
—if, that is (as I believe) they do not usually travel by night ? 
At what point, or in what neighbourhood, do they cross the 
sea to France ? 
I do not think it would be easy to [find an ornithologist 
who would be prepared to answer any of these questions 
except at hap-hazard, or who has any precise records of 
observation on which he could base an answer. These things 
go on under our very eyes, yet we know nothing about them. 
I wrote a short letter to “ Nature,” describing what I had 
seen at Lulworth, and this letter was copied into the “ Field ” 
by Mr. Harting, who edits the Natural History column in 
that paper ; yet to the best of my belief, no one has since 
then gone further into the matter. I made some little 
effort to organise a small army of observers for last September, 
and tried to enlist some ornithological boys at Marlborough ; 
but boys in their holidays are not disposed to lurk about by 
themselves in the cause of science, and rarely have the 
patience needed for such work. I had hoped that, coming 
from all parts of the kingdom to a common centre just at 
that time, they might have brought with them a good many 
reports of what the birds were doing in their various neigh¬ 
bourhoods ; which, when duly tabulated, might in course of 
time have produced valuable results. I do not despair, 
however, of getting something of this kind done, and would 
suggest the experiment to schools and colleges which meet at 
that time of year. 
Of course I was on the look-out myself again last 
September, and though I saw little, that little was very 
