119 



SAND MARTIN. 



BANK MARTIN. 



PLATE LXIII. FIG. II. 



jffirundo riparia, . . . Pennant. Montagit. 



The nest of tlie Sand Martin, as intended by its 

 name, is placed in tlie straight banks of rivers, cliffs 

 of the sea-shore, sand-pits, and such other like situations 

 as are sufficiently soft for the bird to perforate — ^not 

 always at a high elevation: I have known them almost 

 within reach of the hand from the beach. It hollows 

 out for itself a way to its intended resting-place to 

 the depth of from two to three, and even nearly four 

 feet. These "excavators" complete their work, though 

 they are such "feeble folk" in about a fortnight. The 

 same hole is resorted to from year to year, or, if it 

 has fallen away, another is hollowed out in the same 

 neighbourhood. The weight of sand mined in a day 

 is from sixteen to twenty ounces, and pebbles of even 

 more than two ounces in weight have been known to 

 be removed. 



The eggs are from four to six in number, and white. 

 They are very tender, and are hatched after an incu- 

 bation of twelve or thirteen davs. 



