160 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



annually, placing their nests under the ledges, and colonies 

 exist in these situations at Saltburn, Boulby, Whitby, Scar- 

 borough, and the famed Flamborough range. In a few in- 

 land localities it also breeds in cliffs, as at Malham Cove, where 

 the nests are lower down than those of the Swifts ; in a quarry 

 between Kirkby-in-Cleveland and Bilsdale, and at Kilnsey 

 Crag in Wharfedale. In some colonies many nests are found 

 in close proximity to each other ; in Nidderdale forty-six 

 were built within a space of nine yards, and at Battersby-in- 

 Cleveland I counted fifty-two on a small row of railway 

 cottages. A curious site was chosen by a pair of these birds 

 at Sedbergh in 1885, where a nest was noticed fixed on the 

 face of the station clock ; at Malham Cove a nest was built 

 on a wall instead of under the eaves, and was domed over, 

 with the entrance at the side. 



Mr. Wm. Storey of Fewston informs me that, in 1893, 

 he caught a pair of Martins, which had built under the eaves 

 of his house, put a split ring on the leg of each and liberated 

 them. Next year, on the 20 th of June, the birds returned 

 with the rings on their legs. They again nested in 1895, 

 but the male was, unfortunately, killed by flying against the 

 telegraph wires, the ring still remaining on its leg, and so 

 proving its identity. 



Late nesting with this species is noted almost annually ; 

 three instances were reported at Beverley in October 1885, 

 one with young still unfledged on the igth of the month ; and 

 the late P. Inchbald mentioned, in the Field of 5th November 

 1887, a nest and young at Hornsea on the 7th of October. 

 A few days later he was told the nest had been taken down, in 

 consequence of the warblings of the birds being considered 

 tokens of ill omen at so late a period of the year. At High 

 Harrogate, in the year 1905, I saw Martins feeding their 

 young in the nest as late as the nth of October ; on the 

 I2th the young had flown, though it is doubtful whether 

 they would be able to migrate, as a spell of severe cold 

 weather immediately ensued. 



White and parti-coloured varieties are not uncommon ; 

 Marmaduke Tunstall mentioned one of the former in August 



