282 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



The beak of the Martin is black; the irides brown ; 

 the head, neck, back, scapulars and lesser wing- 

 coverts are a dark glossy blue ; the rump and tail- 

 coverts pure white ; the quills and tail are brownish 

 black ; the tail is forked, but not so much so as that 

 of the Swallow, and the elongated parts of the outer 

 feathers are wanting ; all the under parts are pure 

 white ; the legs and toes are pale flesh-colour, nearly 

 covered with short downy white feathers ; the claws 

 are greyish horn. The young bird of the year is not 

 so glossy on the back ; the tertials are rather broadly 

 tipped with white, and the breast is slightly clouded 

 with dusky. Varieties of this bird occasionally 

 occur, the commonest being white. 



The egg is plain white, without any spots. 



SAND MARTIN, Hirundo riparia. The Sand Martin, 

 although perhaps more local in its distribution, is in 

 most parts of the county especially where it can 

 find convenient accommodation for its nest quite 

 as numerous as either the House Martin or the 

 Swallow. It is a summer visitor, arriving about the 

 same time as the two last-mentioned species, and 

 generally in company with them. Yarrell, indeed, 

 places the arrival of the Sand Martin a few days 

 earlier than that of either of the others ; but, as far 

 as I have been able to observe the arrival of these 

 birds, I have generally found all the three species 

 arrive about the same time : the Sand Martins cer- 

 tainly make an earlier appearance in force, but 



