

MARTIN. 353 



of food. The assemblages, whether commingled or separate, 

 before emigrating have long been noticed, and since the 

 extension of telegraphs throughout the country perhaps 

 attract still more attention, as the flocks, often consisting of 

 many hundreds, find the wires a favourite resting-place, 

 almost to the exclusion of the buildings and dead trees 

 which formerly served that purpose, and, from their usually 

 conspicuous position, render the congregations more easily 

 observed. Yet considerable bodies are often seen much 

 later, a flock of more than a hundred was noticed at Dover 

 November 13th, 1831, and one twice as large at Barnstaple, 

 November 17th, 1838. It may safely be said that not a year 

 passes without Martins being seen more or less numerously 

 in that month, and often to its end, in some part or other of 

 England, sometimes for many days in succession, while 

 there are many records of their appearance in the first half 

 of December, and at least twice (Zool. pp. 2392, 6891) have 

 they been noticed within a few days of Christmas. It must 

 be remarked, however, that these late birds seem generally 

 to be strangers and not the natives of the locality all of 

 whom have departed some weeks earlier. 



The Martin is a regular summer- visitor to nearly the 

 whole of Europe and to part of Asia. It is wanting in the 

 Outer Hebrides, but breeds, though in small numbers, both 

 in Orkney and Shetland. In the Faroes it not unfrequently 

 appears, and in the north of Iceland Faber saw a pair which 

 began to build a nest. On the continent it is abundant 

 much further north, especially in the interior of Lapland,* 

 and it extends to East Finmark. It breeds also at Arch- 

 angel, but does not seem to appear on the Petchora. The 

 boundaries of the range of this species and one of its eastern 



* At Muonioniska in 1853, Wolley, as he wrote to Hewitson, counted from 160 

 to 170 nests round the courtyard of a house, though those on one side had lately 

 fallen down. In Lapland the people almost everywhere multiply their eaves by nail- 

 ing narrow plank s to the walls, at such a distance that there is just room between 

 them for the nests, which thus appear row under row. Other houses in that village 

 and elsewhere, were in 1855, as the Editor remembers, nearly as much frequented. 

 The cause of the bird's abundance in the country and of the accommodation so 

 gladly given to it is not far to seek when one sees and feels the innumerable gnats. 



