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152 AMONGST THE WOODLAND BIRDS— 
reach, irritatingly so to the egg-hunter. The 
shape is circular and large enough to admit 
the bird easily, and the nests slant slightly 
upwards or downwards or may be quite 
level. They may also be straight or slightly 
tortuous. Some are about a foot long, 
others are two or three feetor evenmore. At 
the end is an excavation about six inches 
across each way for the nest, which is made 
of grass and hay, and afew feathers. The 
eges in this instance again are white; the 
shells are very thin. Four to six are laid by 
the end of May, and there may be two broods 
each year. Sand-martins are migratory, and 
arrive about the same time, or earlier, than 
their before-mentioned relatives, but leave 
with their young before the others, that 1s, 
at the end of September or the beginning of 
October. They. congregate, also lke the 
others, prior to leaving. Some are said to 
remain during the winter months, only to 
perish ; these may be weaklings. The same 
may be said of the swifts, swallows and 
house-martins. The swift has a sharp loud 
