50 THE BIRDS OF RAINHAM. 



MARTIN. 

 Chelidon urbica (Linn.). 



The Martins come in the spring a few days after 

 the Swallows, they are not numerous about here, we 

 have no large colonies, a few scattered nests being all 

 Rainham can boast of. The Martins' white upper 

 tail coverts readily distinguish them from the swal- 

 lows. 



SAND MARTIN. 

 Cotile riparia (Linn.). 



Like the Martin, this species forms no large 

 colonies, as we have no sand banks to speak of. 

 Here and there some spot may contain a nest or 

 two. I once had the pleasure of seeing, though not 

 in this district, about three hundred Sand Martins 

 all in a line upon a field of young turnips, sitting 

 and fluttering along devouring the fly and the turnip 

 beetle. 



SWIFT. 

 Cypselus apus (Linn.) 



After the Swallow, the Martin, and the Sand- 

 Martin comes the Swift ; were these to start from 

 Africa in a race the last-named would be first. They 

 breed in our Church towers, exercising themselves 

 in a body of a summer's evening, creaking and 

 circling round the steeples till after sunset. They 



