THE SAND MARTIN. 149 



of Falconldte have become so rare as seldom to 

 find a place in this Golgotha.* 



All the British members of the swallow family, 

 Hirundinidce, abound in the lower portion of 

 Moray and Bauffshire during the summer. The 

 swift departs in July, but the rest remain far into 

 the autumn. The chimney swallow and house 

 martin are commonest. The sand martin, 

 Ilirundo riparia, is but partially distributed. 

 The numerous cliffs and precipices along the 

 banks of the Spey, and the sides of the dry 

 watercourses and gorges intersecting the neigh- 

 bouring hills, all in the red sandstone system, 

 would appear at first sight to offer favourable 

 situations for settlements of these birds during 

 the breeding season, but such is not the case. I 

 was much struck with a singular proof of this 

 while examining the steep perpendicular side of a 



* If these desultory remarks on Rome of the surviving Fa/- 

 conidie should induce the ornithological reader to desire a more 

 general acquaintance with the birds of this district indigenous a* 

 well as migratory he will find ample and trustworthy information 

 on the subject in a work compiled from the journals and letters 

 of the late lamented Charles St. John, and published since his 

 decease, entitled "Natural History and S|>ort in Moray." A few 

 very rare visitors have since been met with, such as Pa lias's three- 

 toed sand grouse, Syrrhapttt jxirado.mi ; the nutcracker, .Vuri- 

 fraya cari/i>rat<irtr* ; the roller, Corarias gnrriila : and several 

 examples of the greater spotted woodpecker, Pirn* major ; whose 

 occurrence will lie recorded, at the end of this chapter. 



