584 IlIRUNUO URBICA. 



" 9tli. Martins worked none. Both remained all night. 

 Very cold and cloudy. Wind W. and N. Therm. 42°. 



" 10th. Martins began to build about noon, but made very 

 little progress. Only one of them remained all night. Cold 

 and cloudy. Wind N.E. Therm. 42°. 



" 11th. Martins built a little, both sat all night. Cloudy. 

 Wind N.E. Therm. 53°. 



" 12th. Martins built a little. Nest nearly completed. Dis- 

 appeared towards evening. Cloudy. Wind N.E. Therm. 55°, 



" loth. Martins built very little, disappeared early. Cloudy. 

 Cold. Wind N.E. Therm. 45°. 



" 14th. No Martins. Snow showers from half-past 7 a.m. till 

 10. Cloudy and cold. Wind N.E. Therm. 43°. 



" 15th. No Martins. Very cold and cloudy. High wind, 

 N.W., accompanied by heavy rain. Therm. 45°. 



" 16th. No Martins. Rain. Wind N.W. 



" 17th. No Martins. Very cloudy. Wind N.W. Therm. 

 50°. 



" 18th. Martins appeared about 1 i*. m., worked for some 

 time, remained all night. Cloudy. Wind S.AV. Therm. 50°. 



" 19th. Martins finished building their nest, remained all 

 night. Cloudy. Wind N.W. Therm. 58°. 



" Now that their labours were brought to an end, I entertained 

 hopes that the structure would last them many years ; but on 

 the 23d of June, during a heavy and continued rain, almost the 

 whole of it fell to the ground, together with the young birds 

 which it contained. A short timebefore the catastrophe occurred, 

 I observed the old birds hovering about, and expressing great 

 uneasiness. They almost immediately left this place, but re- 

 turned the following day, and spent it in hawking about, and 

 examining the window. Next morning they commenced repair- 

 ing the nest. On the morning of the 26th they made great pro- 

 gress, but after 9 a. m., when rain began to fall, they worked 

 very little. On the 30th, they advanced rapidly, and both re- 

 mained sitting on the nest all night. On the 1st of July they 

 finished it. They twittered incessantly all the evening till it 

 was dark, and now and then preened each other's heads, as seated 

 side b}' side they prepared to pass the dark hours. On the 18th 



