SAND MARTIN. PURPLE MARTIN. COMMON SWIFT. 1 1 7 



Beautiful as are the evolutions of these volatile birds, from 

 the bold sweeping flight of the stately swift to the easy glid- 

 ing one of the martin, the present species yields to none for 

 the elegance of its aerial motion. Although keeping at a dis- 

 tance from man, we might suppose the sand martin difficult 

 of access ; but the entire colony will often allow an intruder 

 to watch their mining operations without the least alarm ; 

 and it is a curious sight where some dozen birds, supporting 

 themselves with their feet and tail, and scooping a hole with 

 their bills, resemble so many feathered augers twisting and 

 turning at the hole they are engaged in excavating. 



Frequenting some localities in considerable numbers, we 

 might instance the many quarries along the side of the Tolka 

 river, and the northern side of the Hill of Howth, where the 

 perpendicular face of the sand exhibits a most curious appear- 

 ance from the many perforated holes worked by these arti- 

 sans of nature. The eggs are from five to six in number, 

 deposited at the end of the burrow, and have the same pearly- 

 white appearance that so much distinguishes the window 

 martin. 



Habitat Northern Africa. 



SPECIES 111 THE PURPLE MARTIN. 



Hirundo purpurea. Linn. 

 Hirondelle pourpre. Degland. 



THIS rare species has only occurred in a single instance, a 

 specimen obtained near Kingstown sometime in 1839. It 

 was forwarded to Dr. Scouler, a few hours after being pro- 

 cured, for the purposes of dissection, and was afterwards 

 placed in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society. It oc- 

 curs in considerable numbers during summer in the United 

 States and Canada, from which distant lands this rare 

 wanderer had visited our shores. 

 Habitat North America. 



GENUS LVII CYPSELUS (SWIFT). 



SPECIES 112 THE COMMON SWIFT. 



Cypselus apus. Linn. 

 Martinet de muraille. Temm. 



THIS fine species, which seems almost to have been solely 

 formed for living in the air, is one of the most interesting of 

 the many species which gladden our shores by their presence 

 during summer. The largest of our common species, it is 



