THE SAND MAETIN. 



147 



nests and the mode of taking them was hazardous in the extreme, as it was necessary to 

 clamber along the perpendicular face of a loose, crumbling sandstone rock, and to cling 

 by the feet and one hand, after the fashion (jf the Sand Martin itself, while the other hand 

 was groping for the eggs at the extremity of the burrow. 



In excavating its domicile the Sand Martin displays wonderful activity and ingenuity, 

 and abandons itself to its work with a thorough recklessness of enjoyment. 



Clinging to the face of the rock, it delivers thereon a firm sharp blow with its closed 

 beak, as if to test the quality of the material, and then nimbly runs or flutters to another 

 spot, where it repeats the same process, until it has fixed upon a suitable locality. It 

 then sets fairly to work, and by dint of repeated blows in the same spot, loosens a 

 considerable piece of soil, which comes tumbling to the ground. The bird then cuts a 

 circular funnel-shaped depression, by running nimbly round the circumference, and 

 working from the centre outwards, and in wonderfully short time succeeds in forming a 

 well-defined circular hole. Having made so much progTess, it rests for a short space, and 

 then redoubles its ardour, chipping 

 away the sandstone at a great rate 

 with repeated blows of its sharp, 

 conical little bill, and clearing the 



fallen material with its claws. _ ,_ ^ ^-. -^ - :,=-,r7H-isk=_-._-__ 



While it works, it clings to the ^- ;=j^! 



sides or the roof of its burrow with "^ ^^"" 



equal facility, and traverses the 

 tunnel with singular ease and 

 rapidity. 



This bird is not very readily sa- 

 tisfied with a locality, and being in 

 no wise sparing of its labour, will 

 often dig three or four holes before 

 it will make a final settlement. 

 As has been already mentioned, 

 the burrows are generally straight 

 unless tvirned out of their course 

 by some impediment, but in all 

 cases they are slightly globular at 

 the extremity where the nest is 

 deposited, and slope gently up- 

 wards, so that the eggs and young 

 cannot be inundated by rain. The 

 Sand IMartin is very gregarious in 

 its habits, and crowds its burrows 



closely together, so that a cliff is often absolutely honey-combed by these persevering 

 little diggers. Perhaps the quality of the soil may have some influence on this associa- 

 tion, as it is quite common to see one part of a bank crowded with nests, while the 

 remainder is left deserted. 



As is generally the case with burrowing birds, the Sand Martin takes very little trouble 

 about the construction of its nest, but contents itself with laying down a small handful of 

 various soft substances, such as moss, hay, and feathers. The eggs are very small and 

 fragile, and are not easily removed from the burrow without being fractured. Their colour 

 is, when freshly laid, a delicate semi-transparent pink, which darkens to a dull opaque 

 grey when incubation has proceeded to some extent, and changes to a beautiful white 

 when the contents are removed from the shell. Their number is from four to six. 



The voice of the Sand Martin is a weak twitter, soft and musical, and when the birds 

 congregate in numbers, can be heard at a considerable distance. At times, however, when 

 irritated by the presence of a bird of prey, or when engaged in quarrelling with one of its 

 own species, a weakness to which this bird is especially prone, it pours out from its little 

 throat a succession of harsh screaming cries that may express either rage or fear according 



l2 



BAND M VKIIN — c (I't rtporio. 



