114 BIRDS. 



A pair of House-Martins used to breed in a house in St. 

 Margaret's Hope, S. Konaldsay, but there were none there 

 in 1889, nor did we see any in Hoy that year, though one was 

 observed by Miss Heddle at Melsetter. 



Thus, from what we have related, it would appear that, like 

 the swallows, Martins fluctuate both as regards their breeding 

 areas and also their visits on migration. 



Cotile riparia (L.). Sand-Martin, 

 Ore. = Witchuck (Low only). 



Although recorded as a visitant and as breeding in Orkney since 

 the time of Low, it is curious to find, both from Messrs. Baikie 

 and Heddle, and also from one or two correspondents, that, 

 like the other members of the Hirundinidce, Sand-Martins are 

 irregular in their visits in different years. 



From Mr. Watt we learn that they no longer breed at 

 Skaill, a locality given by Low, and Baikie and Heddle, nor has 

 he seen the bird in Orkney. 



Both Mr. T. W. Eanken and Mr. Irvine-Fortescue have seen 

 the bird, though not in great numbers, and the former tells us 

 it breeds in the sandy rabbit-warrens. 



Mr. Harvey informs us that Sand-Martins breed in Sanday 

 in holes in the beach and links, though we saw none there in 

 1888. It was in Sanday that Salmon met with this bird, in 

 1831, and it was the only species of Hirundo seen by him on 

 his Orkney tour. 



Buckley saw some about the Loch of Wasbister in Eousay 

 in 1883, but on asking his attendant what they were, he said he 

 did not know the bird, so that they were evidently uncommon 

 there at that time, nor could he discover any breeding- 

 place. 



In a later letter Mr. Moodie-Heddle says that the Sand- 

 Martin is much scarcer than formerly, perhaps owing to the 

 increase of brown rats so much so that the younger people 

 hardly know the bird ; it used to breed near Melsetter in his 

 father's time. 



