XLII 

 THE INDIAN SAND-MARTIN 



THE Indian sand-martin {Cottle sinensis) is, 

 I believe, the smallest of the swallow tribe. 

 So diminutive is he that you could put him 

 in your watch-pocket, were you so minded, 

 without fear of damaging his plumage. His charm lies 

 in his littleness and activity rather than in his colouring, 

 for he belongs not to the dandies. Neat and quiet 

 are the adjectives that describe his attire. The head, 

 shoulders, and back are pale brown tinged with grey. 

 The wing-feathers are dark brown. The under parts 

 are white with a touch of grey on the chin and breast. 

 The sexes dress alike. This description applies equally 

 well to the sand-martin [Cotile riparia) that nests in 

 sand-pits in England, for the only differences between 

 this species, which occurs sparingly in India, and the 

 Indian form are that the former is a little larger and 

 possesses a dark necklace. 



The feeding habits of sand-martins are those of the 

 rest of the swallow tribe. They live on minute insects 

 which they catch on the wing, not, after the manner 

 of fly-catchers, by making Httle aerial salhes from a 

 perch, but by careering speedily through the air during 



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