152 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



hanging roof, leaving a smooth surface. The birds 

 completed the nest so rapidly that no time was allowed 

 for the mud to dry, the consequence was that the 

 weight of the nest brought it down ; nothing daunted, 

 the birds set to work and built another, with the same 

 result. They left the place, but towards the end of July 

 they returned and built half the nest again, and made 

 a roosting" shelf of it for the rest of the season. 



The subjoined material has been collected of the 

 arrivals, nesting and departure of the Martin in Kent. 

 Mr. M. Hutchinson says : " On April 29, 1845, I observed 

 two House-Martins masticating mud for their Irish 

 cabin ; they appeared to have been here (Shooter's 

 Hill) a day or two. Our Martins arrived on May 16. 

 In the spring of 1846, while walking to the stable at 

 half-past 7 a.m., and looking at the clouds, I suddenly 

 exclaimed, "What, a Swallow? No! it flies like, but 

 cannot be, a Martin." A quick turn, however, exposed 

 its white rump, and sure enough there was a House- 

 Martin on April 1. On my arrival home, after my 

 morning's ride on Sunday the 5th, I caught the sound 

 of a Martin's twitter, and on looking up, there was our 

 House Martin making a figure of 8 round the two blocks 

 of houses, singing and chattering in very gladness of 

 heart." 



Mr. J. Hulke wrote, December 8, 1849 : " I saw three 

 House-Martins at Kingsdown, under the cliff. I watched 

 them for some time, in order to be sure of what they 

 were. Had they not, perhaps, been hibernating in some 

 cleft, which they had left on account of the unusually 

 warm weather ? " 



Mr. C. Collingwood records the arrival of the Martin 

 at Kidbrook on April 17, 1854, and Mr. M. Hutchinson 



