1 66 MARTIN. 



Persia, Palestine, Asia Minor, and throughout Europe, except in the 

 Basque Provinces, where, for some mysterious reason, it is ahiiost 

 unknown. It also breeds abundantly in North Africa ; visits the 

 Canaries and Madeira ; and probably winters in Central Africa, 

 inasmuch as examples have been obtained in Abyssinia on the east 

 side, and off the coast of Guinea on the west. 



The nest, constructed of mud, is not left open at the top like that 

 of the Swallow, but is shaped like the quarter of a cup, and is fixed 

 against a wall, bridge or rock, beneath eaves or other projections ; 

 the hole for entrance being in the top or corner of the side. On 

 rocky coasts, and in mountain districts, especially those where lime- 

 stone prevails, the nests are often placed in large numbers against 

 the cliffs ; while I have also found House-Martins nesting well inside 

 crevices, in Wales (near Fishguard), the Pyrenees, and in Norway. 

 Upon a lining of pieces of straw and feathers, the 4-5 eggs, of a pure 

 white, are deposited about the last week in May: measurements 

 79 by '52 in. Incubation lasts a fortnight, and two, or, occasionally 

 three, broods are produced in the season, for young have been found 

 in the nest up to October 17th : the same spot being occupied year 

 after year. The food of the Martin consists entirely of insects, and 

 it is a pity that this beneficial bird should be dispossessed and 

 driven from its home, as it often is, by the detrimental House- 

 Sparrow. This has lately happened to several colonies in the West- 

 end of London. The note is a low twitter, sounding like spritz. 



The adult has the upper part of the head, nape and back glossy 

 blue-black ; rump white, as are the upper tail-coverts, except those 

 next the tail, which are bluish-black ; wings and the forked tail sooty- 

 black ; under parts white, as are also the feathers which cover the 

 legs and toes ; bill black. Length 5"3 ; wing 4*25 in. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage. The young bird is sooty-brown above, with 

 hardly any gloss ; the rump and under parts are dull white ; the tail 

 is shorter and less forked ; and some dark feathers on each side of 

 the neck form an incipient collar. 



An American Purple Martin, Progne purpurea, said to have been 

 shot near Kingstown in 1839 or 1840, is in the Museum of Science 

 and Art, Dublin. An American Tree-Swallow, Tachycintta bkolor, 

 said to have been killed at Derby in 1850, is now in the Museum at 

 Norwich. There are no other instances of the occurrence of these 

 species in Europe ; and, even assuming the correctness of the state- 

 ments, the birds had probably received " assisted passages." 



