ances been more remarked this year than other years? How did the
birds obtain food during the three weeks of bitter cold weather when
they were not seen in October?"[132]

On the 10th of December 1843, a specimen of the Swallow, _an adult bird,
not a young of the season_, (an important circumstance,) in full plumage
and good condition, was shot at Goole, in the West Riding, and was sent
to Mr R. J. Bell, of Derby, a good ornithologist,[133] who records the
fact. In 1852, that excellent naturalist, Mr Hewitson, of Oatlands, saw
two Chimney-swallows at Eshar on the 18th of November, and on the 21st
had four martins about his house.[134] In 1855, Mr E. Vernon Harcourt
reports the occurrence of several Martins skimming about at Uckfield on
the 23d of November; and on the 6th of December several Chimney-swallows
about the house at Hastings.[135] In the same season flocks of Martins
were hawking vigorously, in the vicinity of Penzance, to the 28th of
November, as witnessed by Mr E. H. Rodd.[136] Captain Hadfield again,
writing in 1856, gives extracts from his journals, whereby he records
having seen Swallows and Martins as late as November 3, 1841, December
2, 1842, November 13, 1852, November 22, 1853, November (about the
middle) 1854, and November 24 (Swallows) and December 2 (Martins) 1855.
Of the last-mentioned occurrence he gives the following interesting
note:--"Dec. 2, 4 P.M. Observed eight Martins flying round the garden,
and occasionally alighting on the perpendicular face of the wall of a
house near my garden gate, to which they would cling for a few seconds,
and then, dropping off, whirl round, returning to the same spot,
seemingly quite unconscious of my presence and that of several others:
they seemed bent on effecting an entrance under the eaves of the house,
by a small opening they had discovered near a water-pipe that had been
carried through the wall: they were, I believe, all young birds of the
season, as they appeared small, their tails being also shorter than in
the adults; they were weak on the wing, but that may have arisen from
their being benumbed by the cold, the thermometer standing at 44 deg. only
at the above hour. There had been a bright sun during the greater part
of the day, but I had observed a white frost in the morning. I conclude
that these late birds were merely seeking a roosting-place for the
night, and not a place of concealment for the winter, although I might
have been excused, accordin