17 . • 



Mr. Cory, in his latest work on the ' Birds of the West Indies,' gives the Sand- 

 Martin as occurring only in Jamaica, Cuba, and Porto Rico. 



The lite-history of the Sand-Martin is well known and has often been described. 

 We have selected the description of the habits of the bird given by Mr. Henry Seebohm, 

 as one of the best whicli has been written : — ■ 



" The habits of the Sand-Martin differ in several points from those of the House- 

 Martin and the Swallow. The comparative rarity of suitable breeding-places makes it 

 a much more local bird, and causes it also to appear much more gregarious ; and the 

 fact that it rarely breeds except in perpendicular earth-cliffs, which are seldom found 

 except on the banks of rivers or lakes, makes it appear to be more partial to the neigh- 

 bourhood of water than is really the case, though in this country the increasing number 

 of railway-cuttings provides the Sand-Martins with other breeding-places, of which they 

 are ready enough, to avail themselves. In some localities the Sand-Martin is said to be 

 the first Swallow to arrive in this country ; but in most places where migratory birds 

 are observed on passage it is recorded as being somewhat later than our other two 

 species. The arrival of all the Swallows in spring is somewhat irregular : they seem to 

 cross the water in small parties, and to fly very low, frequently even following the sweep 

 of the waves. Kriiper gave the end of March as the earliest ajopearance of the Sand- 

 Martin in Asia Minor ; but Irby frequently saw them at Gibraltar before the end of 

 February. Wright says that they pass through Malta a little later than the other 

 Swallows ; and Naumann asserts that they seldom arrive at their breeding-quarters in 

 Germany until early in May. In England they are frequently seen early in April. 

 There seems to be little doubt that the Sand-]\Iartins are the earliest Swallows to leave 

 this country in autumn. During August their numbers rapidly decrease, and by the 

 middle of September very few remain, though I have seen them on the Sussex coast as 

 late as the middle of October. 



" Immediately after its arrival in this country the Sand-lMartin repairs to its 

 breeding-place, and the old holes are used as sleeping-places at night. These holes are 

 made in perjiendicular earth-cliffs on the banks of rivers or lakes, on the sea-shore, or in 

 railway-cuttings, sand-pits, gravel-quarries, or wherever a steep enough bank of suita1)le 

 soil can be found. Sandy ground is usually chosen because it is easiest to exeavate; 

 but it must not bo too loose, otherwise the sand would fall and bury tlie binl or lier 

 eggs. Sometimes very curious sites arc chosen. I have seen Sand-Marlius llyin'j; in 

 and out of their holes which they had excavated in some enormous heai)s of liair-rolten 

 sawdust IviuiT near the Brandon station of the Great Eastern llailwav. In Norwav, 

 between Lillehammer and tlic Dovrcfjeld, many of the peasants' h.ouses are rooi'cd wilh 

 turf, and some of these thick roof's of dry sandy peat are l)urro\vt'd wilh nests n\' the 

 Sand-Martin. 



"In all cases the bird excavates its own abode, and generally returns to it s(-vei-al 

 years in succession; but I notieed on tlie banks of tlie Danube many desert(>d colonies 

 close to others Avhere the birds were swarming. J5ot]i nial(- and fcnuilc assist in (1h> 

 process of excavation, wliich usually occupies only the eaily hours of the day, the rest 

 being devoted to coursing through the air in search of food. The little creatures begin 



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