Swifts use this and two similar houses not very far off for breeding purposes, a good many nesting in them, and others, as in Sark, amongst the cliffs.  Young Le Cheminant had a few Swifts’ eggs in his small collection, probably taken from this very house, as the Swift is certainly, as Mr. MacCulloch says, rare in other parts of Guernsey.  In Alderney the Swift is tolerably common, and a good many pairs were breeding about Scott’s Hotel when I was there this year (1878).  Probably a good many Swifts visit the Islands, especially Alderney, for a short time on migration, principally in the autumn, as once when I was crossing from Weymouth to Guernsey, on the 18th of August, I saw a large flock of Swifts just starting on their migratory flight; they were plodding steadily on against a stormy southerly breeze, spread out like a line of skirmishers, not very high, but at a good distance apart; there was none of the wild dashing about and screeching which one usually connects with the flight of the Swift, but a steady business-like flight; they went a little to the eastward of our course in the steamer, and this would have brought them to land in Alderney or Cape la Hague.

Professor Ansted included the Swift in his list, but oddly enough, considering the remark of Mr. Gallienne above quoted, marks it as only occurring in Guernsey.  There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

88.  SWALLOW, Hirundo rustica, Linnaeus.  French, “Hirondelle de Cheminee.”—­According to Metivier’s ‘Dictionary,’ “Aronde” is the local Guernsey-French name of the Swallow, which is a common summer visitant to all the Islands, and very generally distributed over the whole of them, and not having particular favourite habitations as the Martin has.  It arrives and departs much about the same time that it does in England, except that I do not remember ever to have seen any laggers quite so late as some of those in England.  A few migratory flocks probably rest for a short time in the Islands before continuing their journey north or south, as the case may be; the earliest arrivals and the latest laggers belong to such migratory flocks, the regular summer residents probably not arriving quite so soon, and departing a little before those that pay a passing visit; consequently the number of residents does not appear at any time to be materially increased by such wandering flocks.

Professor Ansted includes the Swallow in his list, but only marks it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark.  There is no specimen of any of the Hirundines in the Museum.

89.  MARTIN. Chelidon urbica, Linnaeus.  French, “Hirondelle de fenetre.”—­The House Martin is much more local than the Swallow, but still a numerous summer visitant, like the Swallow, arriving and departing about the same time that it does in England.  It is spread over all the Islands, but confined to certain spots in each; in Guernsey the outskirts of the town about Candie Road, and the rocks in Fermain and Petit Bo Bay, seem very favourite nesting-places.  In Alderney there were a great many nests about Scott’s Hotel and a few more in the town, but I did not see any about the cliffs as at Fermain and Petit Bo in Guernsey.