Si 
COTYLE PALUDICOLA. 361 
number at Hykomkap on the 20th of May. This species breeds in 
the holes of low rocks and clay-banks. The nest is cup-shaped, 
and built of the usual clay materials; the eggs are five or six in 
number, white, tinged with fawn, and spotted with brown.’’? Senor 
Anchieta has sent it from the Rio Coroca, and from Biballa in 
Mossamedes : at the latter place it is called ‘‘ Kapiapia.’’ 
This Sand Martin differs from Ootyle cincta in its dusky brown 
colour underneath, the throat being rufous without any pectoral 
band, the tail feathers are also spotted with white. 
Adult.—Above dark greyish-brown, having a faint olive green 
gloss in certain lights, paler on the rump and upper tail-coverts, the 
shafts of the latter being distinctly marked; wing-coverts dark 
brown, with the same olive-green gloss as the back in some lights ; 
quills dark brown, grey underneath ; tail rather paler brown, all the 
feathers except the two centre ones having a conspicuous white spot 
on the inner web, this being exceedingly small or sometimes 
wanting altogether on the outermost rectrix; lores blackish brown ; 
entire throat and breast deep fulvous; flanks and abdomen dark 
brown tinged with fulvous ; “ bill brown, the upper mandible being 
darker than the lower, legs and toes brown, iris very dark brown,” 
(Andersson). Total length, 5°7 inches; wing, 5°3; tail, 2:0. 
Fig. le Vaill, Ois. d’ Afr. V., pl. 246. 
346, CoTyLE PALUDICOLA. South African Sand Martin. 
The Cape bank Swallow is the earliest comer of all our migratory 
swallows and swifts. It is rarely seen far from water, and breeds in 
the banks of rivers or artificial dams, over which it continually hawks 
for flies. It lays three or four white eggs of the same size and shape 
as those of our European C. riparia, and the nest is often run to the 
depth of two or three feet into the soil, when it is loose and friable. 
Mr. Cairncross of Swellendam informs us that, if the winter is 
mild, it remains about that part of the country during the whole 
year. Mr. Jackson has sent it from Nel’s Poort. He also states 
that it stays with him all the year round. We saw this little species 
hawking about over a river in the Strand Veldt near Mr. J. Van der 
Byl’s residence at mid-winter (end of June, 1868). We found it 
breeding at the Berg river in the banks in the month of September. 
We also found it breeding at the “ Clay pits” near Graham’s Town. 
Captain Shelley writes :—* At Ceres in Cape Colony, I found this 
