126 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



if that one is repainted whilst they are away they will not 

 desert it. Always the birds which live to come back to 

 this country go straight to their last year's nesting-place 

 to breed. Many Martins remain in the country every 

 year and perish from cold and want of food. Not only 

 young ones die, but many old ones do not seem to think 

 of the winter or that there will be no insects for them to 

 feed on. 



The nest is a remarkable structure, being made of 

 soft clay, or mud, laid on in layers day by day, and 

 each layer allowed to dry before the next one is added. 

 When getting the clay for the nest they generally alight 

 on the dry ground about a yard or two from the place 

 where they intend to get it, and always get it where it is 

 already wet. They pick it up with their beaks and fly 

 straight to their nest, which takes some time to build ; and 

 in some places they have to go upwards of a mile for suit- 

 able materials. 



It is somewhat curious to observe the extreme stickiness 

 and tenacity of the earthy mixture used by these birds, 

 and various solutions have been offered on the subject, 

 the generally-received opinion being that the adhesive 

 qualities are augmented by the saliva of the bird it- 

 self. White quotes an instance of a Martin building 

 its nest " against the glass of a window," where it stuck 

 firmly with no other support. The nest is hemispheric in 

 shape, with an aperture at the top in front or side ; during 

 the time of its construction the birds may be continually 

 observed in the roadways busily collecting the soft muddy 

 earth from any damp places they can find. The inside of 

 the nest is lined with hay. 



The eggs number four or five ; they are smooth and 



