MARTIN 137 



enter the nest each time to feed the young ones, but by 

 and by the latter may be seen anticipating their arrival by 

 thrusting out their heads at the entrance, in expectation of 

 the meal which they there receive, the old bird holding on 

 to the nest outside ; when able to fly they are fed on the 

 wing. 



The same nest is resorted to from year to year. 

 Thus the Rev. Gilbert White says: "July 6th, 1783, 

 some young Martins came out of the nest over the garden 

 door. This nest was built in 1777, and has been used ever 

 since." The young birds of one year often add another the 

 following to " The Row " of nests which ornament the eaves 

 where their parents have built ; and sometimes the birds 

 will form a continuous line of the mud they build with 

 along the wall, without any apparent or discernible motive, 

 for there it remains, no use being made of it. The mud 

 they pick up for building is tempered and cemented by the 

 saliva, and becomes so adhesive that it will adhere firmly 

 to glass. 



In one instance it was especially curious that through 

 the nest ran a bell wire, which, although often pulled by the 

 family residing in the house, did not injure the nest, nor 

 incommode its inmates. In two instances they have been 

 known by the Rev. A. Matthews to make a nest by plas- 

 tering up a hole in the wall of a barn, leaving a small 

 entrance at one corner ; these nests were occupied for 

 several seasons. 



VOL. i. 



