HOUSE MARTIN. 



137 



sects, which it hawks for on the wing ; but its flight is 

 not so swift as the Swallow's. The chatter of the 

 Martin cannot be called pleasing, it is not so rich or 

 varied as that of the Swallow. 



The nest of the Martin is too well known to need 

 much description. It is built of pellets of mud, each 

 layer of which is allowed to drj^ before the succeeding 

 one is added, and the structure is strengthened with 



HOUSE MARTIN. 



small bits of straw and grass ; the inside is smooth 

 and lined with a few feathers and a little dry grass. 

 It is usually placed under the eaves of houses, or be- 

 neath a window ledge. It is built right up until it is 

 roofed in by the projecting ledge, and a small gap is 

 left for the admission of the birds. The birds return 

 to the same nest yearly, if it has not been destroyed ; 

 in this latter case, they will often repair it. When the 



