THE HOUSE-MARTIN. 399 



H. urbica, said to have been killed by flying against the glass of 

 the light-house there, in December, 1844. 



My observation on the house-martin in Ireland, being in unison with that of 

 Shakespeare, who tells us that 



" Where they 

 Most breed and haunt, I have observ'd, the air 

 Is delicate." — Macbeth, Act I., Scene 6. 



it was unexpectedly that several of them met my view, about one or two solitary 

 houses, situated near the highest and bleakest part of the road between Harrogate 

 and Bolton Abbey, in Yorkshire, on the 6th of October, 1844 ; I subsequently 

 learned with surprise, from Sir Wm. Jardine, that the house-martin is a sub-alpine 

 species, where it has come under his observation in Dumfries-shire. When on a visit 

 at Jardine Hall, in October, 1845, he called my attention to its nests about the win- 

 dows of the dwelling-house at Rammerscales, situated near the summit of the fine 

 range of hills dividing the valleys of the Nith and Annan. He mentioned also its 

 building at the toll-house at Tweedshaws — near the source of the Tweed — about the 

 highest part of the road crossing the lofty Moffat hills, and where, in one of the 

 windows, I afterwards saw three nests. The whole country around is very bleak 

 and wild. 



In the spring and summer of 1841, I observed the house- 

 martin as follows : — When sailing from Malta to the Morea, and 

 about fifty miles from Cape Passaro (the nearest land), on the 

 23rd of April, one of these birds flew into the cabin, and died 

 soon afterwards : it had not met with any molestation on board. 

 No more were seen until the morning of the 27th, when, nearly 

 one hundred miles west of the Morea, a few appeared, and re- 

 mained through the early part of the day, confining their flight to 

 the lee side of the ship : in the afternoon still more were seen, 

 hawking about in company with H. rustica; as flies were numerous, 

 they probably obtained plenty of food : at four o' clock p.m., all 

 were gone. On the 30th of April, this species had just com- 

 menced nest-building against the houses in the town of Navarino; 

 in May, was common about Smyrna ; in June, at Patras, where 

 as usual, it was building against the houses in the town. At 

 Trieste, in the same month, the house-martin was numerous, as it 

 likewise was in July, about Venice, Verona, and Milan ; — having 

 in the last city fine nesting-places about the magnificent Arch of 



