434 The Natural History of Selborne 



and pleasing an account of the manners and habits of the 

 goat-sucker as Mr. White, taken entirely from his own ob- 

 servations. Its being a nocturnal bird has prevented my 

 having many opportunities of observing it. I suspect that it 

 passes the day in concealment amidst the dark and shady 

 gloom of deep-wooded dells, or as they are called here gills ; 

 having more than once seen it roused from such solitary 

 places by my dogs, when shooting in the day-time. I have 

 also sometimes seen it in an evening, but not long enough to 

 take notice of its habits and manners. I have never seen 

 it but in the summer, between the months of May and 

 September. MARKWICK. 



SAND-MARTINS. 



MARCH 23, 1788. A gentleman, who was this week on a 

 visit at Waverley, took the opportunity of examining some 

 of the holes in the sand-banks with which that district 

 abounds. As these are undoubtedly bored by bank-martins, 

 and are the places where they avowedly breed, he was in 

 hopes they might have slept there also, and that he might 

 have surprised them just as they were awaking from their 

 winter slumbers. When he had dug for some time he found 

 the holes were horizontal and serpentine, as I had observed 

 before ; and that the nests were deposited at the inner end, 

 and had been occupied by broods in former summers, but no 

 torpid birds were to be found. He opened and examined 

 about a dozen holes. Another gentleman made the same 

 search many years ago, with little success. 



These holes were in depth about two feet. 



March 21, 1790. A single bank or sand-martin was seen 

 hovering and playing round the sand-pit at Short Heath, 

 where in the summer they abound. 



April 9, 1793. A sober hind assures us that this day, on 

 Wishhanger Common, between Hedleigh and Frinsham, he 

 saw several bank-martins playing in and out, and hanging 



