THE SAND MARTIN 115 



phere would be intolerable for human beings but for the 

 work of these little creatures. A little dry grass and a 

 quantity of feathers supplies material for the nest which, 

 being in a little chamber up a tunnel, out of the disin- 

 fecting wind, gets flea-infested and very unpleasant. 

 Railway cuttings are much frequented both by Martins 

 and Wagtails because the passing of a train stirs up 

 insect life in it. 



The gnat is frightfully prolific; it would soon poison 

 our water as well as render it hard for men to breathe. 

 A mother gnat is said to lay from 200 to 300 eggs at 

 one time, and in two weeks the young from these are 

 able to lay eggs themselves. Gnats must themselves be 

 needed in the economy of nature, but if not kept in 

 check they would render our life absolutely unbearable ; 

 they form the food for fishes, how r ever, as well as for 

 birds. 



A porter at a railway station close to a cutting told 

 Mr. C. Simeon, who wrote on angling and natural 

 history, that they did not allow boys about, robbing the 

 eggs in the colonies nesting there. "They" the birds 



"are such good friends to us that we won't let anyone 

 meddle with them." He explained further that the flies 

 about the station would be unbearable but for the Martins 

 that were always hawking about it. Before the Martins 

 arrived a few warm spring days often brought out a 

 troublesome number of flies. "Now," he concluded, 

 "we may see a fly now and then, but that is all." 



The Sand Martin is smaller than the others of the 

 Swallow family and has dull simple coloured plumage. 

 Back greyish brown, throat and underparts white, the 

 short forked tail is of a uniform ashen-grey. Feet small 

 but strong. It lays five small, pure white eggs. 



