2i 4 SEPTEMBER 



The structure of the nests is a problem, but any good 

 chemist ought to be able to solve it by analysis. We 

 know that mud is adhesive, though mud in sandy Surrey 

 cannot compete with mud on the Berkshire chalk or 

 Huntingdonshire clay ; but it seems to me wildly im 

 probable that all mud, in any county, should be firm and 

 sticky enough to hold its own weight, plus the weight 

 of the lining plus the weight of the birds, and should 

 &quot; stay put &quot; for several years unless it was in some way 

 treated. We know that the sticky saliva in the swallow s 

 mouth prevents the captured fly from escaping, however 

 often the mouth is opened. It is surely reasonable to 

 infer that this material is also used for increasing the 

 naturally adhesive quality of mud. It is remarkable how 

 similarly alike in colour are all martins nests, and dried 

 mud may be of a variety of colours. The argument seems 

 so reasonable, as to be almost inevitable, yet I am told that 

 the authorities deny that the mud contains any non-muddy 

 quality. Cannot- some chemist at Rothamsted, a 

 supreme institution, founded for the study of the soil, 

 settle the question finally ? The soil on the farmhouse 

 wall is as interesting and may possibly be as important 

 as the soil on the farm fields. Who knows ? The chem 

 istry of the martin s mouth may hold a vital secret. Do 

 weeds grow on martins nests ? 



2. 



Twenty-two cottages alongside the Common de 

 pended on one well which was going dry. A neighbour 

 decided at this crucial date to sink a pipe-well that should 

 be proof against seasonal variations. The well-borers 

 happened to come to their work at the peak of the 

 drought. Though the meadow of high trees had been 



