EDITORIAL GLEANINGS.
Mr. W.L. Sclater, the Director of the South African Museum, has contributed an article to the January number of the 'The Educational News' of Cape Town on the "Migration of Birds in South Africa." Mr. Sclater estimates that there are about forty-four birds which migrate from Europe to South Africa.
Passerine Birds.—Golden Oriole, Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Grey Shrike, Whitethroat, Garden-Warbler, Willow-Wren, Icterine Warbler, Marsh, Great Reed, and Sedge Warblers, Martin, Sand-Martin, Swallow, Yellow Wagtail, Tree-Pipit.
Picarian Birds.—Alpine Swift, Common Swift, Nightjar, Roller, Bee-Eater, and Cuckoo.
Game Bird.—Quail.
Shore Birds and Waders.—Pratincole, Caspian Plover, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Green Plover, Turnstone, Avocet, Stilt, Great Snipe, Sanderling. Little Stint, Curlew-Sandpiper, Knot, Ruff, Common Wood and Green Sandpipers, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Curlew, and Whimbrel.
All these birds are summer visitors, only arriving in September and October, and leaving again in April. In most cases, at any rate, they do not breed in South Africa, although this season is the breeding one for other resident birds; but this is a special point which requires investigation.
One of the best known of these birds is the English Swallow, which must be carefully distinguished from the many other South African Swallows, many of which are resident and breed in South Africa. It may be known by its red forehead and throat, black-blue upper surface and chest-band, and buff-white abdomen. It is found everywhere in South Africa, from Cape Town to the Zambesi, from November to March; but when it arrives, after a journey of over six thousand miles, its plumage is much bleached, the throat is nearly white, and the chest-band pale brown. However, before leaving again for the north, it undergoes a complete spring moult, and sets off on its long journey in a complete new set of feathers.
In Natal Mr. Seebohm has observed that the Swallows remain till the first week in April, while other observers state that they arrive in North Africa during the last half of February, in South Europe during the first
