52 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



cottage not more than eight feet high, and which is not only at the 

 side of the highway, but constantly resorted to as a public-house, I 

 remarked several nests of the martin. In the rear of this cottage, 

 which is fenced off from the road, and its walls (from the building 

 being on the side of a hill) considerably higher than in front, none 

 of the nests appear. I recollect that some years ago this species 

 built annually in front of the dwelling-house at Wolfhill, not more 

 than a single nest occupying either gable ; and that in considerable 

 numbers their nests were displayed in front of two lofty houses in 

 Belfast. Judging from the situations selected by the martin for its 

 nests on these five houses (the three first mentioned being only a 

 few hundred yards apart), it would seem that the bird is more influ- 

 enced by the front of a house than by aspect, as the first faces the 

 north-west, the second and third the south-east, and the fourth 

 and fifth the south. In innumerable other instances I have remarked 

 that where facilities for building are similar on all sides the house, 

 the front was thus preferred by the martin, although the nests were 

 opposite every point of the compass, a fact which is particularly ap- 

 parent in houses situated in streets which intersect each other at 

 right angles. The aspect of the cliffs before mentioned as being 

 tenanted by the martin is as different as that of the houses. One 

 reason why the fronts of houses are thus preferred (and in the in- 

 stances mentioned we find them to be equally so from the low cot- 

 tage to the four- story house) is probably on account of the more 

 open space in front allowing of a freer range of flight to and from 

 the nest. 



Mr. Selby remarks of this species, that the nest "is closed all 

 around, except a small orifice, usually on the most sheltered side," 

 &c. My observation on the side of the nest chosen for entrance in 

 the north of Ireland does not accord with this, as in nests closely 

 adjoining I find the aperture on every side ; as an instance of which 

 it may be mentioned, that of nine nests in front of a house before 

 alluded to, the entrance appeared on the north, south, and west 

 sides, the wall against which they were placed occupying the eastern. 

 On this house — as is not unfrequently the case — several of these 

 architects had, like certain other bipeds when erecting their habita- 

 tions, taken advantage of their neighbours' gables, and it may be 

 presumed, for a similar reason — that of being saved trouble and ex- 

 pense of labour. All the nests of the martin that I recollect to 

 have seen, with a solitary exception, had the entrance close to the 

 top ; but in this instance, although the nest was built against the 

 wall of the house, and beneath a projecting roof, the aperture was 

 placed rather above the centre, in the same manner as that of the 

 wren (Troglodytes Europ&us) . The entrances to other nests on the 

 same house (which is four stories in height) were as usual. 



Although the nest of the poor martin is often in this part of the 

 country torn away from the houses of persons who imagine them- 

 selves to be possessed of good taste, yet there are others, who, dis- 

 liking the harsh contrast between its clay-built shed and the snow- 

 white walls of their mansions, and unwilling at the same time to 



