HIRUNDINID/E. 



167 



THE SAND-MARTIN. 



CoTiLE RiPARiA (Liimaeus). 



The Sand-Martin, the smallest member of the family that visits 

 our islands, is one of the earliest species to arrive in spring, often 

 making its appearance by the third week of March. It is also one 

 of the first to quit our shores, its southward emigrations commenc- 

 ing in August and terminating in October ; but, exceptionally, it has 

 been noticed in various localities up to the end of November. 

 Owing to the nature of its haunts it is somewhat locally distributed 

 throughout the British Islands, but upon the whole it is widely diffused, 

 extending regularly to some of the Outer Hebrides and breeding 

 sparingly in Orkney; while in 1887, Mr. A. H. Evans ascertained 

 that it nested near Lerwick in the Shetlands. In Ireland, according 

 to Mr. R. J. Ussher, it is more widely distributed than the House- 

 Martin. 



In the Faeroes and Iceland the Sand-Martin has not yet been 

 obtained, but on the Continent it is generally distributed from 70° 

 N. lat. to the Mediterranean in summer ; while it also breeds spar- 

 ingly in the northern districts of Africa, and abundantly in Egypt 

 and Palestine. Eastward, it is found across Asia to Kamchatka ; on 

 the American continent it breeds in large colonies in Alaska and 

 up to 68° N. lat. on the Mackenzie River ; while it can be traced to 



