THE

TASl\lANIAN

NATURALIST.

3S

Hni"al of Swallows in Casmania.

By E. A. ELLlOTT.

IN
~

order to ascertain the time taken by the Welcom Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) to spread o\'er the Islal1d after its return to Tasmania in the spring from its winter quarters on the l\lainland, a number of , swallow-cards' were sent to numerous correspondents during the years 195-6-7. The result of the returns is gi\'en in the table below.
Montague Smith ton Stan1e\' L1 verstolle Devonport George Town Boobyalla Ringarooma Westbury Lal1nCestoll Lyruington, N. Cullenswood (St. Mary's) Epping Carupbell Town Ross Oat1ands Ke1vedoll (Swansea) Triabl1llna Richmond Forcett Carnarvon Hythe--Sol1thport Kingston Hobart Kemptoll Bothwell Great Lake \\'aratah Zeehan Strahan 30-S-06 11-9-06 23-S-06 15-S-06 21-8-06 16-S-06 2S-8-06 24-S-06 30-8-06 26-8-06 23-8-06 1-9-06 3-9-06 4-9-06 17-S-06 22-8-06 4-9-06 23-8-06 6-9-06 10-9-06 2-9-U6 129-06 6-9-86 3-9-06 2-9-06 10-9-06 11-9-06 22-S-07 S-9-07 3-9-07 27-8-07 17-8-07 4-9-07 29-8-07 30-8-07 3-9.07 19-9-07 26-8-07 19-8-07 25-8-07 8-9-07 6-9-07 3-9-07 9-9-07 5-9-07 29-07 30-8-07 6-9-07 12-9-07 7-9-07 5-9-07

27-8-05 15-8-05 13-S-05 29-8-05 17-S-05 lS-8-05 26-8-05 25-S-05 25-8-05 26-8-05 26-8-05 25-8-05 2S-8-05 28-S-05 31-8-05 3-9-05 26-8-05

16-10-05 5-9-05 1-905

Examination of the above table proves that the swallows do not arrive in the State in a general body but rather in small flocks, and they may appear on the East Coast in the neighbourhood of Swansea before they are seen on the North Coast. Confusion sometimes is caused through only one or two birds being seen, and it is evident that a small number stay in the State during the whole year; on the 2nd July, I909, I saw one flying in the streets of Hobart, and have heard of others from - time to time being seen elsewhere. During I906 the swallows dispersed themseh-es oYer the Island in a fairly regularly manner, but in the following year, possibly owing to the very cold and wet spring, great variation in their mO\'ements was noticeable-records from places close together showing perhaps a fort night between the dates of arrivals. Certainly these birds do not arrive in a body as when they leave on their migration in the autumn-this latter sight I once witnessed, there being a very large stream of birds, : stretching from horizon to horizon, flying to the northwards.