!
re s p e c tin g th e Sw allow a s o b s e rv e d b y h im a t C om ib ra d u r in g th e l a s t fifte e n y e a r s ,
sh ow in g t h a t t h e a v e ra g e d a te fo r a r r iv a l is th e lO tli F e b r u a r y , a u d fo r d e p a r tu r e t h e
1 3 th O c to b e r.”
I n T a n g ie r M r . F a v i e r s t a t e s t h a t i t b re e d s , a u d iu a u tu m n mxm b ers o f m ig r a n ts
jo in th e r e s id e n t b i r d s a u d a l l d e p a rt fo r th e i r w in te r h om e . T h e s p rin g m ig r a tio n
ta k e s p la c e in J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y , w h e n g r e a t flig h ts p a s s n o r thw a rd . M r. T y rw liitt
D r a k e re c o rd s th e Sw a llow a s o c c u rrin g a ll th e y e a r ro u n d in T a n g ie r a n d E a s t e r n
M o ro c c o ; b u t th is , a s w ill b e se e n , is n o t F a v ie r 's o p in io n . I n A lg e r ia , a c c o rd in g to
L o c h e , i t is a s p r in g a u d a u tu m n m ig r a n t p rin c ip a lly , b u t also b re e d s in th e c o u n try .
I n th e P ro v in c e o f C o n s ta n tin e , M r. D ix o n re c o rd s th e sp e c ie s a s o n e o f th e m o s t w id e ly
s p re a d o f A lg e r ia n b ird s , a n d q u ite a s la te a b re e d e r a s th e H o u s e -M a r tiu .
C a p ta in l l e id s ta te s t h a t d u r in g h is v is it to T e n e ritfe h e n o tic e d th e firs t a p p e a ra n c e
o f th e Sw a llow a t B u e n a Y is ta on t h e 2(ith o f F e b r u a r y , a n d w h e n i t r . M e a d e -lV a ld o
v is ite d th e C a n a r y I s l a n d s h e fo u n d th e C om m o n Sw a llow in th o u s a n d s . I n th e A zo res
M r . G o dm a n sa y s i t is a n o c c a s io n a l v is ita n t, a n d M r. S a lv in s ta te s t b a t o n t h e 2Hth o f
M a y som e Sw allow s c am e o n b o a r d th e s h ip a b o u t 1 80 m ile s to tb e e a s tw a rd o f tb o
a b o v e -n am e d is la n d s .
I n C o rsica, M r. J o h n 'VYliitehead sa y s t h a t th e Sw a llow b re e d s a b u n d a n tly . H e
saw i t firs t on th e 1 6 th o f M a r c h , a n d n o tic e d a few g o in g s o u th o n th e 1 6 th o f N o v em b e r.
M r. B a s il B ro o k e o b s e rv e d t h e sp e c ie s in S a rd in ia , a n d w r i t e s :— “ A r riv e s in sm a ll
n um b e r s a b o u t th e e n d o f F e b r u a r y o r e a rly in M a r c h , f r om w h ic h tim e th e y k e e p
g ra d u a lly in c r e a s in g in n um b e r s . Y 'o u n g b ird s w e re h a tc h e d a b o u t th e 9 th o f A p r il.”
M r . C. ‘W r ig h t g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te :— “ A r riv e s in M a l t a in g r e a t n um b e r s e a rly in
M a r c h , a n d m a y b e s e e n in to w n a n d c o u n try t i l l M a y . A t t h e e n d o f A u g u s t o n i ts
r e tu r n s o u thw a r d i t a g a in m a k e s i t s a p p e a ra n c e , a n d is p le n t i f u l ly s p re a d o v e r th e is la n d
t i l l O c to b e r.”
T h e Sw a llow is fo u n d e v e ryw h e re in I t a ly a n d S ic ily . C o u n t S a lv a d o ri sa y s i t is
a v e ry c om m o n s um m e r re s id e n t, a n l v i n g in M a i'c h a n d A p r il a u d le a v in g iu S e p tem b e r
a n d O c to b e r. P ro fe s so r G ig lio li r em a rk s o n th e c u r io u s w a y in w h ic h th e b ird is
a b s e n t in c e r t a in p a r ts o f I t a l y a n d S ic ily . T h u s P ro fe s so r D o d e rle in fo u n d v e ry few
n e s tin g n e a r P a le rm o , a n d D r . G ig lio li liim s e lf h a s o b se rv e d th e sam e t h i n g a t N a p le s .
H e a t t r ib u t e s th e f a c t to th e c o n s tru c tio n o f t h e h o u s e s in C e n tr a l I t a ly , w h ic li afford
n o s h e l t e r in g e a v e s f o r t h e n e s tin g o f th e spec ie s.
I n G re e c e i t is a s um m e r v is ito r , b re e d iu g th r o u g h o u t th e c o u u try in sm a ll n um b e rs .
P ro fe s so r B r u s in a s ta te s t h a t i t is fo u n d in C a tta ro a n d M o n te n e g ro g e n e ra lly , b u t i t was
n o t o b se rv e d a t C e tin je . ¡Messrs. E lw e s a n d B u c k le y fo u n d t h e sp e c ie s e v e ryw h e re
com m o n in T u rk e y , a n d L o rd L ilfo rd s a y s t h a t i t is e x c e e d in g ly a b u n d a n t in C y p ru s .
D r . G u illem a rd saw t h e firs t in 1 8 8 7 o n th e 2 1 th o f F e b ru a ry , a n d in 1 8 8 8 o n th e
1 3 th o f th e s am e m o n th .
T h e Sw a llow o f P a le s tin e h a s g e n e ra lly b e e u c o n s id e re d to b e I I . sa v ig n ii, th e r e s id e n t
sp ec ie s o f E g y p t . I n th e B r i t is h M u s e um a r e th r e e s p e c im e n s c o lle c te d b y C a n o n
T r is tr am in P a le s tin e , a n d th e s e a r e n o t th o t r u e I I . c a h ir ic a o r H . sa v ig n ii o f E g y p t,
h u t a r ic h ly co lo u re d fo rm o f I I . ru s tic a . AYhetlicr th e d a r k c o lo u r o f th e P a le s tin e b ird
is d u e to to to rh rc c d in g w i th I I . s a v ig n ii i t is d iffio u lt to p roT o ; a n d a s C a n o n T r i s t r am
sp e a k s o f th o b ird a s r e s id e n t in th e c o u n try th e w h o le y e a r, i t m a y w e ll b e t h a t
J I . ca h ir ica was tlic o rig in a l in h a b i t a n t o f th e c o u n try , a n d h a s b e c om e m o d ified in to a n
in te rm e d ia to ra c e b y in t e rb r e e d in g w itli in d iv id u a ls o t I I . ru s tic a , w h ic h s e ttle in th e
c o u n try o n i t s r e tu r n from its w in te r - q u a r te r s . YVo g iv e C a n o n T r i s t r am ’s n o te in i ts
e n tir e ty , m e re ly r e c o rd in g o u r o p in io n t h a t th e b ird re f e r r e d to is n o t th o “ O r ie n ta l
C h imne .v-Swailow,” b u t o n ly a d a r k fo rm o f I I ru s tic a , w h ic h w e a r e p r e p a r e d to
m a t c h a n y d av b y E n g lis h sp e c im e n s . C a n o n T r is tr am w r ite s a s follows “ T h e
C h iu in e y -Sw a llow rem a in s th e w h o le y e a r, a n d is fo u n d b o th o u th e co a s t (in th e
m a r itim e p la in s ) a n d th r o u g h o u t th e l e n g th o t th e .Io rd a n Y’a lle y . N o o n e c a n observe
th i s h ird in th e H o ly L a n d w ith o u t b e in g s a tis ftcd o f i ts d is tin c tn e s s from I I . ru s tic a .
I t is t r u e we c a n g iv e n o o th e r d ia g n o s is tl ia n th e d iffe ren c e o f c o lo ra tio n o n th e low e r
p a r ts , th e s e b e in g c l ic s tn u t in s te a d o f w liite o r lirow n is li w liite ; b u t o f th e h u n d r e d s o f
Swallows o f b o th sexe s to h e s e e n th r o u g h o u t th e w in te r, n o t o n e o f th o c om m o n so rt
co u ld h e d e te c te d . T h e r e is n e i th e r fa d in g n o r in te n s ify in g o f tlie c h e s tn u t low e r
p lum a g e a t a n y tim e o f t h e y e a r. S p e c im e n s s h o t a t a ll s e a so n s a r e p re c is e ly s im ila r.
I n s p rin g t h e i r n um h o rs r a p id ly in c re a s e , a n d from th e m id d le o f J I a r c h th e y b e c om e
d is tr iim te d o v e r t h e w h o le c o u n try , tlie h ig h e r a s w e ll a s th o low e r g ro u n d s , w h ile
a lo n g w ith th em a p p e a r m a n y o f o u r c om m o n sp ec ie s. I n th e h ig h e r g ro u n d s th o se ,
p e rh a p s , p r e d om in a te ; in t h e low e r c e r ta in ly th e I I . c a h ir ic a is m o s t n um e ro u s . 1
n e v e r c o u ld d e te c t th e tw o s o rts in te rb r e e d in g , th o u g h th e n e s t a u d e g g s a r c p re c is e ly
s im ila r. H a v in g n o c liim n c y s p ro v id e d fo r tliem , r a f t e r s o f o u th o u s e s , w h e re su c h c a n b e
fo u n d , b u t esp e c ia lly le d g e s iu ca v e s, a r e th e f a v o u rite u e s t in g - p l a c e s ; a n d I to o k liv e
n e s ts o f tb o H . c a h ir ic a a tta c h e d to l i tt lo p ro je c tin g s to n e s u n d e r th o v a u lte d ro o f o f a
well in c o n s ta n t u se , a b o u t tw o f e e t from th e g ro u n d , a u d b u i l t in a row . C o n v e u ie n t
sitiu a tio n s m u s t h a v e b e e n sc a rc e th e r e ( i t w a s n e a r ICcdcsli) ; fo r we b a d to s to o p u n d e r
tb e ro o f to d raw w a te r, a n d a lm o s t to u c h e d th e n e s ts w i th o u r b e a d s a s we w ith d rew .
I n S o u th e rn l lu s s ia , a c c o rd in g to v o n N o r dm a n n , th e Sw a llow a p p e a r s a s e a rly a s
th o 8 th o f A p r il, a n d h e c o n s id e rs t h a t th o tim e o t a r r iv a l in S o u th e rn K u s s in is a t l e a s t
from 10 to 20 d a y s in a d v a n c e o f th o ir a d v e n t a t S t. P e te r s b u r g . I I o b e liev e s t h a t ou
m ig r a tio n th e y do u o t follow th e c o a s ts , b u t ily a c ro s s th e B la c k Sea. N e a r O d e s sa h e
h a s se e n s tra g g le rs a s l a te a s th e e n d o f O c to b e r.
T)r. l l a d d e s ta te s t h a t i t is a c om m o n s um m e r r e s id e n t in tlie C.aucasus a s h ig h as
■1000 fe e t, h u t is n o t so p l e n t i f u l a s in o th e r p a r ts o f E u ro p e . I n A s t r a k h a n i t w a s fo u n d
by H r . I l e n k e to b e a v e r y com m o n s um m e r v is ito r , e sp e c ia lly in th e step p e s.
M r. B la n fo rd sa y s t h a t th e Swallow w a s “ c om m o n th r o u g h o u t P e r s i a in th e sum m e r,
a n d b re e d s a t h e ig h t s fr om a b o u t tOOO fe e t to a b o u t 8 0 0 0 . A t K a lu g a n a n d J a l k th e
b ird s a p p e a re d to b e a r r iv in g in M a r c h , a n d o n d is s e c tio n i t w a s e v id e n t t h a t th e y we re
c om m e n c in g to b re e d .”