282 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
The beak of the Martin is black; the irides brown ; 
the head, neck, back, scapulars and lesser wing- 
coverts are a dark glossy blue; the rump and tail- 
coverts pure white; the quills and tail are brownish 
black; the tail is forked, but not so much so as that 
of the Swallow, and the elongated parts of the outer 
feathers are wanting; all the under parts are pure 
white; the legs and toes are pale flesh-colour, nearly 
covered with short downy white feathers; the claws 
are greyish horn. The young bird of the year is not 
so glossy on the back; the tertials are rather broadly 
tipped with white, and the breast is slightly clouded 
with dusky. Varieties of this bird occasionally 
occur, the commonest being white. 
The egg is plain white, without any spots. 
Sanp Martin, Hirundo riparia. The Sand Martin, 
although perhaps more local in its distribution, is in 
most parts of the county—especially where it can 
find convenient accommodation for its nest—quite 
as Dumerous as either the House Martin or the 
Swallow. It is a summer visitor, arriving about the 
same time as the two last-mentioned species, and 
generally in company with them. Yarrell, indeed, 
places the arrival of the Sand Martin a few days 
earlier than that of either of the others; but, as far 
as I have been able to observe the arrival of these 
birds, I have generally found all the three species 
arrive about the same time: the Sand Martins cer- 
tainly make an earlier appearance in force, but 
