SAND MARTIN. 
BANK MARTIN. 
Hirundo riparia, PENNANT. Monrtacu, 
Hirundo—A Swallow. Riparia—Of or belonging to banks. 
Ripa—A bank. 
Tus diminutive species of Swallow makes its way from 
Africa, along the whole of which continent it is believed to 
be found, to its northern summer haunts; and advances to 
all the south of Europe, and as far as Siberia, Russia, Den- 
mark, Sweden, and Norway. It is said to be resident in 
Malta all the year round. In India also and America it is 
met with. 
It is somewhat local in its distribution with us; in fact, 
according to the localities themselves, so is its frequentation 
of them. 
In Ireland it occurs, though not so plentifully as the others 
of its race. In Scotland also. In the Orkney Islands these 
birds were formerly more numerous than they are at present. 
They frequent Skaill, Sanday, and the Loch of Stenness, They 
also visit Shetland. 
Sand banks, especially in the neighbourhood of water, are 
the favourite resort of this species. 
The Sand Martin, though one would think that the wild 
winds would retard the progress of so tiny a traveller, arrives 
here rather before the others of its congeners. On the 24th. 
of March, 1847, W. F. W. Bird, Esq. has known it at Kid- 
derminster, in Worcestershire. Near Penzance more than a 
dozen were seen by Edward Hearle Redd, Esq., on the 29th. 
of March, 1847. In two different seasons, it has been noticed 
