36 Thk AIartix 



black, slightly tinted with greeu ; bill black ; feet horu-yellowish, but densely 

 covered \vith fine white feathering ; iris hazel. Female similar to the male ; 

 perliaps a trifle smaller. Young birds are smok\--brown above, the rump and 

 under parts sordid white ; the innermost secondaries tipped, and most of the quills 

 edged with white ; the tail shorter and less forked. 



Apart from its colouring, this species is easily distinguished on the wing from 

 the Swallow b}' the absence of the long tapering points to the outside tail feathers ; 

 but the w^hite rump is also usually very conspicuous. 



The IMartin arrives in this country about a week later than the Swallow ; that 

 is to say between the middle and end of April, according to the nature of the 

 season ; it usually leaves again between the end of September and beginning of 

 October, though stragglers have been known to linger even to December. 



In its habits and haunts this species much resembles the Swallow : why 

 Seebohm went out of his way to assert that "its legs are too short to allow it to 

 w-alk" I do not understand; for it certainl}' can not only walk, but run nimbly 

 for short distances, without erecting its wings ; though, if in a hurry, it uses its 

 wings to assist it in taking surprising leaps. The call-note of the Martin is a 

 thin whistled sound, something like szeci ; the song a modulated twittering. 



The House- Martin builds its nest against a wall, and immediately below and 

 up to a projecting ledge ; rectangular eaves of houses are preferred, but sometimes 

 projecting bricks on railway- and other arches are used, or ledges of rock ; the 

 nest being completely closed in with the exception of a semi-circular or denii- 

 semi-circular hole at the top, and usually in the centre. 



The nest is formed of mud without, and with hardly any admixture of grass 

 or hair; it is consequently so much more brittle than that of the Swallow, that, 

 with the greatest care, using a long sharp table-knife, I never succeeded in obtain- 

 ing a perfect specimen ; indeed most nests fall into fragments at the first attempt 

 to detach them, leaving nothing but the lining with the eggs in the hand held 

 below as a support : this lining consists of dry grass, and sometimes, but not 

 invariably, a few feathers. The eggs number from four to six ; in form the}' are 

 generally elongated ovals, pure white, and immaculate, but appearing ros}' when 

 fresh-laid ; they are smooth and thin shelled, moderately glossy, but not exactly 

 shiny. 



"When attempting in vain to secure a perfect nest of this species, it has often 

 surprised me that the mere weight of the nestlings does not burst the fragile mud 

 shell ; the glutinous saliva of the bird is supposed to assist in uniting the mud pellets 

 in the first instance, but one would expect a driving rain to be more than sufficient 

 to counteract that slight advantage : why this species so rarely uses ha}' and hair 



