OF THE BIRDS MENTIONED 208 
14. SAND MARTIN 
(Pages 150-153) 
Cotile riparia. (Gr. kotilos, chattering. (Of the swallow 
kind. See House Martin). Builds in sandbanks (hence 
name: Lat., rxpa, the bank of a stream). One of the 
swallow family (Hirundine), and the smallest of the 
British representatives. (The others are Swift, Swallow 
and House Martin, which see.) Much like a swallow 
or house martin in shape, and small beak, but length 
only 5 inches, and plumage, in upper parts, and a broad 
band across chest and legs, mouse brown; throat, 
cheeks and under parts, white; and tail not much forked 
and short. General colour when seen on the wing 
brown, and an impure white. Found: In sandy dis- 
tricts, as it nests in sandbanks—but local. Habits: 
Lives in communities. Fond of the same locality, and 
returns to same nest year after year. Migratory : Ar- 
rives about middle of April, leaves about middle of 
September in large numbers together, and is the earliest 
to arrive and the first to leave of the swallow family. 
Some few remain (like swallows and house martins) to 
the winter, but perish then. Flight: Graceful and 
rapid, but not powerful nor so sweeping as the swift 
(especially), swallow and house martin. Note: Feeble 
twitters, but shrill ‘ shrieks ’ if alarmed by nest hunters, 
hawks, etc. Food: Insects (taken near the ground 
