EUROPEAN MARTIN 435 



the same manner, that is by alighting, and seldom while on the 

 wing." 



Mr. Hepburn wrote to him: "Besides the places above-mentioned, 

 in which they fix their nests, I have seen them in arches, once against 

 a rafter, immediately under the ridge hole of a shed, on another 

 occasion, in the south-east angle of the wall of a house, at the distance 

 of eighteen feet from the ground, and about six or eight feet from 

 the eaves. Although quite exposed, it bore with immunity all the 

 storms by which it was assailed, and its owners raised two broods 

 in it. * * * I have never seen its nest placed so low that you 

 could reach it when standing. * * * j^ is usually finished in 

 twelve or fourteen days. When built in a sheltered situation, it will 

 last for years, and is occupied every season probably by the same 

 pair." 



J. A. Harvie-Brown (1908) has published a photograph of a 

 martin's nest built "against a flat pane of glass" in a window. 



Oliver G. Pike (1912) says: "It seems a custom of the House- 

 Martins when they begin nest-building, to build the nests as quickly 

 as possible, and I have seen a whole colony of fourteen birds set to 

 work on one nest, and when this was finished, to help with the 

 others." 



Eggs. — The number of eggs laid by the European martin varies 

 from three to six, but the commonest is four or five. The eggs are 

 pure white and are slightly glossy. The measurements of 54 British 

 eggs average 19.4 by 13.2 millimeters (Witherby, 1920). 



Ycning. — Incubation is shared by both parents and is said to last 

 about 14 days. Two broods are ordinarily raised in a season and 

 sometimes three. Macgillivray (1840) writes: 



During incubation both the parents are frequently seen in the nest, and at 

 all times they repose there at night. When the young are nearly fledged, 

 they frequently appear at the edge of the aperture, and are occasionally 

 clamorous for food, which is brought to them sometimes with astonishing 

 rapidity. For some days after they have left the nest, they fly about in its 

 vicinity, and are fed by their parents. It is amusing to see the expedients to 

 which recourse is often had to induce them to leave the nest, the parent birds 

 sometimes pushing or dragging them out, but more frequently enticing them 

 by showing them how easy it is to fly away. Very frequently the young betake 

 themselves to the upper corner of a window to rest, clinging for a short time 

 by means of the feet and tail; and in this situation I have seen them fed. 

 For some time after they have come abroad, they return to the nest at night, 

 reposing there with their parents. 



As to the periods of feeding, Th. Durham Weir, Esq., wrote to 

 Macgillivray (1840) : 



In one of the bedrooms of my house, on Friday the 28th of July 1837, I made 

 the following observations. At 25 minutes after 4 o'clock in the morning, the 

 old martins began to feed their young ones which were four in number. 



