BIRD NOTES 87 



nests and not in vain. Martins are fortunately 

 still fairly common in the villages. In taking a 

 ramble in 1890 to Mautby, I came across a couple 

 of cottages, in the gardens of which the Martins 

 flitted about like so many bees around a hive. 

 Under the eaves of one house no less than twelve 

 nests were attached, and the other had a similar 

 number. A certain corner of the first house had 

 been chosen, and the nests were literally built in 

 flats ! Three nests were erected under the eaves at 

 one end, and in the angles below them two others 

 were affixed. The place around was sunny and 

 sheltered, and just the locality for harbouring insect 

 life. The Martins seemed to know and appreciate 

 this, as did the inhabitants of the cottages, who 

 were justly proud of the colony of birds, and 

 righteously protected them. 



At one time I took in hand to count the number 

 of nests in Yarmouth in the heyday of their 

 abundance and among other facts I ascertained 

 that, although the birds apparently choose sites 

 facing east and north, opposite points of the 

 compass exhibited almost an equal number of 

 nests. 



