THE MARTIN. 149 



time of its arrival. The two birds are believed to commence their 

 migration from the continent of Africa, where they spend the winter, 

 in company, but the smaller wing of the former, and its consequently 

 diminished powers of flight, cause it to fall behind on the journey. 

 It remains with us until the middle or end of October, taking up its 

 abode in the vicinity of towns, villages, and farm buildings. It is 

 especially fond of building under the eaves of houses, and in the upper 

 corners of windows, hence its names of House Martin and Window 

 Martin. 



The nest, which is commenced about the middle of May, is composed 

 of mud or clay, intermingled with straws and stems of grass to bind 

 it together. The birds collect the material from the edges of pools 

 and streams, or the rain-puddles in roads, and carry it in their bills, 

 plastering it against the wall selected, and gradually placing layer upon 

 layer from the bottom upwards. When completed the nest is of an 

 hemispheric form, from six to eight inches in diameter, and has an 

 externally knobbed or rugged appearance, from the projection of parts 

 of the separate pellets of which it is formed. The interior is lined 

 with a small quantity of grass, hair, and feathers. When once a nest 

 is constructed the birds return year after year to the same spot, re- 

 building or repairing it as necessary, and will drive away any stranger 

 that gets possession of it. Bishop Stanley relates that a certain pair, 

 one of which was remarkable for a peculiar white feather in its wing, 

 having returned to their old corner of the previous year, and com- 

 pleted their abode, "a strange Swallow conceived the plan of taking 

 possession of the property x and once or twice actually succeeded in 

 driving the owners out. For a week there was a constant battling; 

 at length the two rightful owners were observed to be very busily 

 engaged in lessening the entrance into the nest, which in a short 

 time was so reduced, that it was with difficulty they could force 

 themselves into it singly. After this, one or other of them always 

 remained within, with his bill sticking out, ready to receive any sudden 

 attack. The enemy persevered for a week, but at length, finding his 

 prospects hopeless, left the pair to enjoy the fruits of their forethought." 

 On another occasion, it is recorded in the pages of the "Naturalist," 

 that an impudent Sparrow ensconced himself in a Martin's nest, and 

 its owners having tried in vain to eject him, flew away and obtained 

 the assistance of thirty or forty of their species, who dragged the 

 unfortunate culprit out, and with one accord fell upon him and killed 

 him. 



The eggs, four or five in number, are about three quarters of an 

 inch in length, smooth, white, and unspotted; they are hatched ir 



