200 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



the base of the upper mandible to the eye, and 

 thence to the ear-coverts, chestnut. Chin and 

 throat dirty white, slightly tinged with rust colour. 

 Breast, belly, sides, vent, and under tail-coverts 

 beautiful chestnut ; duller on the last two men- 

 tioned parts. Legs and toes pink ; claws, brownish- 

 black. 



The female has a shorter beak, and is slightly 

 duller in her plumage. 



Situation and Locality. A hole in river or 

 other bank, generally well hidden by some over- 

 hanging piece of earth, undermined by the action 

 of the water ; occasionally in the side of a sand- 

 pit, or, more rarely still, in a hole in a wall. The 

 hole is from one to three or four feet in length, 

 sloping upwards, and ends in a rounded chamber. 

 The bird, in some instances, excavates it, and when 

 such is the case the hole is said to be oval, with its 

 longest diameter vertical, and in others adopts the old 

 nest of a Sand Martin, or even a rat's hole. Common 

 in most suitable parts of the United Kingdom in 

 spite of persecution. The bird is said to be most 

 abundant in the neighbourhood of Oxford, and 

 absent from the most northern parts of Scotland. 



Materials.- Fish bones in variable quantities, 

 and the dry mould of the hole. 



Eggs. Five to eight, sometimes as many as ten. 

 Of a beautiful pink colour before being blown, on 

 account of the yolk showing through, but snowy- 

 white and glossy afterwards. Size about .9 by 

 75 in. 



Time] February, March, April, May, June, 

 and July. 



Remarks. Resident. Note: a piercing metallic 

 whistle, sounding like te-et, which never fails to 



