Martin. 305 



on this bird, such is not the case in the more northern parts of 

 Scandinavia, where those pests, the mosquitoes, literally swarrn ; 

 for knowing the destruction the Martin causes amongst them, the 

 inhabitants not only protect it in every way, but very commonly 

 fasten great numbers of scroll- shaped pieces of bark of the birch 

 tree, somewhat resembling the sparrow- pots in use with us, to the 

 sides of their habitations, for the bird to breed in.' Here, too, in 

 this county we have an honourable pre-eminence for rearing these 

 birds ; for Kennie, the editor of Montagu's Dictionary, says the 

 greatest number of House Martins' nests he ever saw together was 

 under the north eave of Mr. Heneage's stables, at Compton 

 Basset House, in Wiltshire. There were about fifty nests in one 

 continuous line. The construction of the Martin's nest is well 

 worthy of observation; the outer shell is composed of mud, or clay, 

 collected from the puddles in the road, apparently kneaded and 

 worked into a paste, which also derives adhesive qualities from 

 the saliva of the bird. Of this material, a single layer only is 

 placed each day on the rising structure, and is left to harden and 

 dry until, on the following day, it is sufficiently firm to support 

 another layer. When the hemispherical shell is completed, and 

 is well lined with hay, straw and soft feathers, an admirable 

 nursery for the young is provided, and one which often serves 

 the parent birds for many successive seasons. The saliva 

 mentioned above is described as a viscous fluid provided from a 

 glandular apparatus peculiar to this family,* and, however 

 repugnant to English taste and English prejudice, is the principal 

 ingredient of the famous edible birds' nests, so highly valued, 

 when transformed into a soup, by the Chinese epicure. In Italy 

 it is known as Rondine ; in Spain, as Vencejo ; in Portugal it 

 shares with the swallow the name common to both species, 

 Andorinha ; in Sweden it is Hus-Svala. Our word ' Martin,' in 

 reality a nickname, has been applied to various animals and 

 birds, by ourselves and Continental naturalists, as we have seen 

 above in the case of the Kingfisher. 



* Selby's ' Illustrations of British Ornithology,' vol. i., p. 119. 



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