HOUSE MARTIN. 161 



Family HIRUNDINHXE. Genus CHELIDON. 



HOUSE MARTIN. 



CHELIDON URBICA (Linnaus). 

 Double Brooded. Laying season, May and July. 



BRITISH BREEDING AREA: The House Martin is 

 widely distributed throughout the British Islands, breed- 

 ing in almost every part, with the exception of the Outer 

 Hebrides, but becoming a little less abundant and more 

 local in various districts of Scotland, especially in the 

 north, whilst in Ireland it is said not to be so common 

 anywhere as the Swallow. 



BREEDING HABITS : The House Martin is a summer 

 migrant to our islands, reaching them in April, a few 

 days later, as a rule, than the Swallow. The haunts of 

 this charming little species are very similar to those of 

 the Swallow, but it is even more ubique and cosmopolitan 

 in its distribution, not only frequenting buildings of all 

 kinds even in towns, but resorting to many ocean cliffs 

 and inland precipices, far removed from the dwellings 

 of man. There can be no doubt whatever that the 

 House Martin pairs for life, and returns each season to 

 its old nesting-place. It is also even more gregarious 

 than the Swallow, some of its colonies being very large, 

 certain buildings or cliffs being lined with nests. It is 

 difficult to say which are the more favoured breeding- 

 places of the House Martin buildings or cliffs, for each 

 seems almost as frequently chosen. When on buildings 

 the nest is placed against the wall, under the gutter of the 

 roof, in a corner of, or above windows, in fact anywhere 

 where a projecting ledge affords some sort of shelter 

 above it. On the cliffs the nests are made in various 

 nooks and corners, sometimes in the roof of a large 



M 



