142 THE MARTIN. 



latter bird when on wing, by its white rump and shorter tail. 

 While the Chimney Swallow confines itself wholly to our 

 buildings for the site of its nest, great numbers of our Martins 

 continue to build in the situations which they would occupy 

 long before there were any houses in Berwickshire, such as 

 against the sides of the rocky caverns and precipitous cliffs 

 of the sea-coast, from Swallow Craig, near Oldcambus, round 

 by Fast Castle and St. Abb's Head, to the neighbourhood of 

 Burnmouth. They also frequently make their nests against 

 the precipices which overhang our rivers, the steep rock on 

 the north bank of the Whitadder, at Edrington, being a 

 favourite resort. Shortly after its arrival in spring, the 

 bird either repairs an old nest or builds a new one, which, 

 being composed of mud mixed with little bits of straw, and 

 plastered against the corner of a window, or the side of a wall 

 or rock, without any support, requires to be securely built 

 to prevent it from falling. The bird wisely takes care to 

 allow the lower layers of mud to harden before more are 

 added — 



Whence drew the Martin his superior skill 

 To knead and temper, mason-like, the slime 

 Of street or stagnant pool, and build aloft 

 Beneath the cornice brink or shady porch. 

 His snug depending couch, on nothing hung ? 



HURDIS. 



The nest is not open at the top like that of the Chimney 

 Swallow, but has a small hole in the upper part of the 

 side for the entrance and exit of the bird. The inside is 

 lined with fine grass and feathers, and the eggs, which are 

 four or five in number, are pure white. The building of the 

 nest is generally completed in ten or twelve days, and 

 incubation lasts thirteen days. Two broods are commonly 

 reared in the season. The young of the second brood are 

 sometimes found dead in the nest in autumn, the parents 

 having either been unable to find a sufficient supply of 



