ll
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t h e c o u n t iy th r o u g h o u t th e y e a r, f o r we o n c e o b ta in e d a n im m a tu r e sp e c im e n in th e
D e lt a o n t h e 2 5 th F e b r u a r y . I n N u b ia i t a p p e a rs to h e th e o n ly Swallow, th e r e
r e p la c in g H . sa v ig n ii, f o r o n o u r r e tu r n jo u r n e y in 187 0 we d id n o t m e e t w ith a s in g le
s p e c im e n o f t h e l a t t e r b ird s o u th o f G irg e h , w h e re iu th e h e g in n in g o f M ay th e s e tw o
sp e c ie s w e re e q u a lly a b u n d a n t .”
T h e l a t e B a ro n v o n I l e u g l in s t a t e s :— “ I n th e b e g in n in g o f M a r c h to e a rly in
¡May, a n d b e tw e e n A u g u s t a n d O c to b e r, th i s b ird is fr e q u e n tly s e e n in c om p a n ie s o n
m ig r a tio n , o f te n m ix in g w ith o th e r spec ie s a lo n g th e N ile a n d th o R ed Sea, a n d ev e n on
th e t r u e s tep i)c s. O u th o 1 5 th o f N o v em b e r, 1857, I e v e n o b se rv ed o n th e S om a li co a s t
a flig h t o f m ig r a tio g C liim n ey -Sw a llow s. A m o n g s t th e C h im n e y -Sw a llow s w h ic h a r e
fo u n d d u r iu g th e s um m e r in th e l i e d Sea, I h a v e n e v e r o b se rv ed I I . c a h ir ic a .” V o n
I l e u g l i n o b s e rv e d th e C om m o n Sw a llow n e a r T a d ju r a , a n d ¡Mr. B la n fo rd say s t h a t it
a b o u n d e d o n th e sh o re s o f A n n c s le y Bay in th e m id d le o f J u n e . N e ith e r o f th e above -
n am e d n a tu r a lis ts , how e v e r, s ta te s p o s itiv e ly t h a t th e y fo u n d th e spec ie s n e s tin g .
M r. IV y a tt d id n o t n o tic e th i s Sw a llow in th e S in a itic P e n in s u la b e fo re th e Gth o f
A ])ril, w h e n h e s p e n t tvv'o d ay s b y th e s id e o f th e G u lf o f A k a b a h . l i e th e n saw sev e ral
c om in g from a c ro s s th e g u lf o r fo llow in g i t , a l l o f th em g o in g in a n o r th e r ly d ire c tio n ,
m a k in g fo r P a le s tin e b y th e A r a b a h .
Co lo n e l Y e rb u ry s ta te s t h a t th e Sw a llow v is its A d e n in ro u g h w e a th e r ; i t m a y com e
a t a n y tim e in th e y e a r, h u t o n ly rem a in s a few d ay s . L ie u t. I I . E . B a rn e s w rite s :—
“ T h e C h im n e y -Sw a llow is u o t v e r y com m o n , a n d , a s a ru le , is o n ly fo u n d im m e d ia te ly
a f te r ro u g h w e a th e r ; b u t som e few do rem a in to b re e d , a s I fo u n d a n e s t c o n ta in in g
tlu-ee e g g s u n d e r th e v e r a n d a h in th e u p p e r s to ry o f o n e o f th e h o te ls a t S te am e r P o in t.
T h e a p p e a ra n c e o f th e s e h ird s is n o t c o n fin e d to a n y p e r io d ; I fin d from m y n o te s t h a t I
h a v e o b se rv ed th em in M ay , J u ly , A u g u s t, a n d D e c em b e r.”
T h e l a te C o n su l Sw in h o e s ta te s t h a t o n o n e o f h is v o y a g e s to C h in a h e n o tic e d a
few Sw allow s n e a r A d e n o n th o 5 th o f N o v em b e r, “ a p p a r e n tly b o u n d fo r th e In d i a n
c o a s t.” T b a t o n e m ig ra tio n -lin e o f th e C om m o n Swallow is a lo n g th e N ile V a lle y
seems c e rta in , a s i t h a s b e e n o b ta in e d b y E m in P a s h a a t IV ad o Ia i o n th e 3 0 tli o f
S e p tem b e r, a n d a t L id o o u th e 3 0 th o f O c to b e r. C a p ta in S h e lle y h a s a lso re c o rd e d i t as
fo u n d b y S ir J o h n K i r k a t L am o in E a s t A fric a , o n th e P a n g a u i l l iv e r , a n d in U g o g o .
T h e l a t e D r . F is c h e r m e t w i th th e sp e c ie s a t M a u r u i a u d U k a ram o , a n d a g a in a t
K a ra ts c h o n g o o u th e 2 n d o f M a r c h , d u r in g h i s la s t e x p e d itio n to th e V ic to ria N y a n z a .
D r . B o h ra re c o rd s th e Sw allow s as c o c u rrin g a lo n g th e L u a la h a in g r e a t flocks in O c to b e r.
“ T o S o u th e rn A f ric a ,” M r. L a y a rd w r ite s , “ th e E u ro p e a n Swallow is a r e g u la r a n d
com m o n v i s it a n t to th e Cajie C o lo n y , th r o u g h o u t th e w h o le o f w h ic li i t is d is tr ib u te d .
I l l 18G7 th e firs t b ird a r r iv e d in Cajie T ow n on tb e 2 7 th o f J u ly , a n d w e h a v e n o tic e d a
lew s tr a g g le r s a s l a t e a s th e 2 n d o f A p r il. A lth o u g h th e sp e c ie s s ta y s w i th u s fo r th e
g r e a te r p a r t o f th e y e a r, i t does n o t a iip e a r to b re e d , a n d w e b e lie v e t h a t a ll th e y o u n g
b ird s w h ic h a r e se e n iu S. A f ric a a r e n o t n a tiv e s b u t a r e v is ito rs from th e n o r th .”
C a p ta in S h e lley say s t b a t i t was b y f a r th e m o s t a b u n d a n t Swaliow in C ap e T ow n , a n d ,
in d e e d , w h e re v e r h e w e n t i t w a s e x c e e d in g ly com m o n . D r. B ra d s h aw n o tic e d i t v e ry
p l e n tifu lly o n th e O r a n g e R iv e r. IV e h a v e se e n a c o n s id e ra b le n um b e r o f sp e c im e n s
from a l l p a r ts o f th e C a p e C o lo n y a n d N a ta l, a n d M r. A y re s h a s m e t w ith th e spccievS
n e a r P o tc b c fs tro om in J a n u a r y . l i e s a y s : “ I fo u n d th e s e Swallows, m o s tly y o u n g
b ird s , c o n g r e g a tin g o n th e m im o s a s in c om p in y w i th I I . c u c u lla ta .” I n th o L y d e n b u r g
d i s tr i c t o f th e T ra n s v a a l h e s ta te s t h a t th i s Sw a llow “ a p p e a ra d in f a ir n um b e r s am o n g s t
t h e m o u n ta in s d u r in g th e s um m e r m o n th s , a n d v e r y p ro b a b ly b r e d am o n g s t th e
ro c k s .”
T h e fo llow in g in tc re .s tin g n o te a p p e a rs in M rs . M o n te iv o ’s e x c e lle n t l i tt l e w o r k on
D e la g o a B ay :— “ I t was in t h e b e g in n in g o f M a r c h , a n d th e r a in h a d p o u re d in to r r e n t s
a ll n ig h t, a n d c o n tin u e d th e w h o le o f th o n e x t d a y , tlie w in d b low in g a p e r f e c t h u rr ic a n e ,
th e th e rm om e te r su d d e n ly d ro p p in g to G3°. A b o u t 11 a .m . a d re n c h e d m ise ra b le
Sw a llow flow in to tb o h o u s e a n d p e r c h e d h im s e lf o n o n e o f th e p a r titio n s o f th e ro om s ;
th e n o n e flew in to th e k itc h e n , a n d m y h o y c a u g h t i t a n d b r o u g h t i t to m e . I h e ld
th e p o o r m i te in m y h a n d s fo r a l i tt l e w h ile , to w a rm h im , a n d th e n l e t h im fly u p to h is
c om p a n io n in m is fo rtu n e , b y w h o s e sid e h e a t o n c e n e s tle d d ow n . I n a few m in u te s
m o re b e g a n to com e in , a t firs t s in g ly , th e n h y .tw o s a n d th r e e s , som e f lu t t e r in g lieli)-
le s s ly am o n g t h e w h ite w in d ow - c u rta in s a n d b e a t in g th em s e lv e s a g a in s t th e g lass.
T h e se I c a u g h t a n d l e t fly n p to th e i r frie n d s , a u d w a s s u rp r is e d to fin d t h a t th e y w e re
n o t in th e le a s t a la rm e d a t b e in g to u c h e d , h u t se em e d to l ik e th o w a rm th o f th e h a n d ,
a n d w o u ld pci’c h q u ite co n fid in g ly o n m y fmgei*, a n d n o t a t t em p t to m o v e w h e n I
s tro k e d t h e i r l i tt l e h e a d s .
“ ¡Many w e re b r o u g h t m e h a l f d e a d b y w om e n a n d b o y s , wh o h a d p ic k e d th em u p
f rom th e g ro u n d , a n d w h o a l l u -anted a ‘ p e n ’ (th re e p e n c e ) fo r t h e m ; b u t fo r a n sw e r I
o n ly p o in te d to m y fa s t-fillin g h o u s e , so th e y l a u g h e d a u d l e t m e k e e p th e b ird s , w h ic h
soon re c o v e re d in th e d ry ro om . On o p o o r l i t t l e th in g I fo u n d su sp e n d e d in a la rg e
s p id e r’s w e b , a n d , a l th o u g h th e w in g s o f a Swallow seem so p ow e rfu l, i t iv as q u ite u n a b le
to e x tr ic a te itse lf. T h e y c o n tin u e d to com e iu a l l d ay , a n d b e fo re 5 o ’c lo c k m o re th a n
a h u n d re d h a d ta k e n s h e lte r , a n d th e tw i t te r in g a n d fu s s t h a t w e n t o n w e re m o s t
am u s in g . IV lie n i t b e g a n to g row d a r k th e y p a c k e d th em s e lv e s u^) fo r th e n i g h t o n th e
j)a r titio n s a s c lo se a s th e y co u ld p o s s ib ly c row d to g e th e r , tw o a u d tlir e e d e e p . M o s t o f
th em w e n t to ro o s t w ith th e i r ta ils s p re a d o u t, p e r h a p s in o rd e r to d ry th em th o ro u g h ly ,
a n d th e ro u n d w h ite sp o t o n th e t ip o f e a c h f e a th e r h a d a v e r y c u r io u s a p p e a ra n c e w h e n
th e y w e re a ll a s le e p a u d q u ie t. I f u l ly e x p e c te d to fin d th e b o ttom row d e a d from
suiTocation th e n e x t m o rn in g , b u t o n ly th r e e h a d fa lle n v ic tim s , a n d th e s e I im m e d ia te ly
s k in n e d . T h e y s ta y e d w itli m e t i l l a b o u t n o o n , o n e o r tw o o c c a s io n a lly f ly in g o u t a n d
r e tu r n in g , a p p a r e n t ly to r e p o r t o n th e s t a t e o f t h e w e a th e r, a u d th e n a ll le is u re ly to o k
t h e i r d e p a r tu r e , no d o u b t v e ry g la d to sec th e s u u a g a in s h in in g b r ig h tly . I f e lt q u ite
s o rry w h e n lu y l i tt l e v is ito r s d e p a rte d , b u t w a s g la d th e y ch o se th e i r c o u n tryw om a n ’s
h o u s e in t h e i r tim e o f n e e d , fo r th e y p ro v e d to b e E n g lis h Sw a llow s .”
I n th e N ew c a s tle d i s tr i c t o f N a ta l C o lo n e l B u tl e r a n d C a p t. S a v ile l l e i d firs t
3 z