THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 39 



gill. They throve in confinement until the migratory 

 season arrived, when they felt the fever of their race 

 to hurry south, and were released accordingly. 



Genus COTILE. 

 C. Riparia. Sand Martin. 



The Sand Martin is an abundant summer 

 visitant, arriving on the Solway with the last days 

 of March, and subsequently becoming generally 

 distributed. In June, 1879, Mr. B. Johnson took 

 a nest of this species in a gravel pit at Dalston, 

 which to his astonishment contained an egg of the 

 Swallow [Hirundo Rustica), in addition to a full 

 clutch of eggs of the Sand Martin. The nest in 

 question was difficult of access, and had not been 

 tampered with. We have examined all the eggs in 

 Mr. Johnson's collection, and there is no doubt as 

 to the correctness of the observation. Possibly a 

 Swallow had found her nest destroyed, and being 

 forced to deposit the egg, resorted for shelter to 

 the Sand Martin's nest. Males of this species, 

 when pairing, fight pertinaciously, and we have 

 approached within a foot or two of a pair of duel- 

 lists, before they quitted the dust in which they 

 were tussling and flew away. 



Family CERTHIIDiE. 

 Genus CEKTHIA. 

 C. Familiaris. Tree-Creeper. 



The Tree-Creeper is a fairly numerous resident, 

 chiefly haunting the older woodlands. Its low song 

 may frequently be heard in March. 



