THE HOUSE-MARTIN 265 



six in number and pure white. It is said that 

 exceptionally the eggs are spotted with reddish- 

 brown. Two broods are reared in the year, and 

 the old birds are most attentive in their care of 

 the young, bringing them food every few minutes 

 during all the hours of daylight. 



The food of .the House- Martin is composed 

 exclusively of insects, many of which are picked 

 up on the ground or from the surface of the water. 

 The call-note of this Martin is a shrill hvit some- 

 times rapidly repeated. After the young are reared 

 the birds become even more gregarious, congregating 

 in vast flocks preparatory to departure. Their migra- 

 tion south begins at the end of September, and is 

 continued during the following month. It is by 

 no means unusual to see a few birds in South Devon- 

 shire in November, and odd examples have been 

 noticed in December. 



The Martin has the general colour of the upper 

 parts glossy steel-blue, glossed with green and 

 purple ; the rump and some of the upper tail-coverts 

 are white ; the wings and tail are brownish-black 

 shot with green, the tail, although sharply forked, 

 is not so much so as in the preceding species. The 

 under parts are white. The female resembles the 

 male in colour ; the nestling plumage is browner 

 above, with less sheen, and the under parts are 

 suffused with brown. The total leno^th of this 

 Martin is about five and a half inches. 



