157 



SAND MAETIX 



EAXK MAETIW. 



Hirundo riparia, Penxaxt. Montagu. 



Hirundo — A Swallow. Riparia-^O^ or belonging to banks. 



Hipa — A bank. 



This 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, Kussia, 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, an'ives 

 here rather before the others of its congeners. On the 2I;th. 

 of March, 181^7, 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 



