604 HIRUNDO RIPARIA. 



them when thus engaged. But notwithstanding their bold- 

 ness, a curious circumstance with respect to them occurred in 

 June 1835, in Balbardie Quarry. As two of the quarrymen 

 were working, they heard a number of the Martins set up 

 their cry of alarm, apparently much agitated. At first they 

 paid no attention to it, as they thought that it had been occa- 

 sioned by a hawk, or some other bird of prey. Shortly how- 

 ever after this, they were surprised at seeing a young Martin 

 sprawling at their feet. This attracted their notice, and on 

 looking up they beheld a male sparrow holding by the throat 

 another of the nestlings, which he soon tossed down. To the 

 remaining three he acted in the same cruel manner, and took 

 possession of their abode. During the greater part of a day the 

 parents of the expelled Martins with ten of their friends at- 

 tempted to dislodge him ; but it w\as to no purpose, as he made 

 a vigorous resistance, and beat them all off. He however suf- 

 fered for his audacity, for one of the workmen having fixed a 

 piece of wet clay to the end of a long pole, shut him up in 

 the hole, where of course he very soon perished. 



" The number of flies which the old Martins carry in their 

 mouths, when feeding their young, is truly astonishing. Out 

 of the mouth of one of those which I shot for Mr Audubon, 

 in July 1838, I took nineteen flies. 



" They very soon recognise their enemies, for after I had fired 

 only three or four shots at them, they became so exceedingly 

 shy that they would not, so long as I remained in the neigh- 

 bourhood, enter their domiciles, even although they had young 

 ones, but kept at a distance. I returned next morning, but 

 had no sooner appeared within sight of the colony, than they 

 set up their cry of alarm and immediately flew away." 



Young. — Immediately after exclusion from the egg, the 

 young are flesh-coloured ; the region of the eyes, the posterior 

 edge of the wings, a short line across each shoulder, a longer 

 one down the back, and part of the rump, leaden-coloured. 

 They arc almost naked, there being only a few very thin tufts 

 of light grey down, one on the forehead, another on the occi- 

 put, others on each shoulder, and on the middle of the back. 



