438 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



spring, but, scarcely ever remains to breed. — E. P. Butterfield 

 (Wilsden). 



House-Martins' Nests usurped by House-Sparrows. — Eeferring to 

 my note {ante, p. 356) with regard to the usurpation by the House- 

 Sparrow of the Martins' nests built on the south side of a public- 

 house near here last summer, I asked the landlord this summer if 

 the Martins returned this spring, and he replied that two pairs com- 

 menced to nest on the north side, but did not bring off their young ; 

 whether the nests were again appropriated by the Sparrows I was 

 unable to ascertain. Of course a good many Martins' nest's built in 

 this village are never molested at all by Sparrows, but this may be, 

 as remarked in the editorial footnote, because there may be sufficient 

 nesting-sites for the Sparrows. As to Mr. Cocks's note {ante, p. 357) 

 the nests of House-Martins here are built facing every point of the 

 compass, and I quite agree with Mr. Cocks that architectural con- 

 siderations have some influence in the selection of nesting-sites. 

 Eeferring to the Eev. J. G. Wood's remarks, quoted by Mr. Cocks, it 

 would be interesting to have the matter definitely settled, whether, 

 of walls with a north-eastern or southern aspect, other things being 

 equal, the former is the more favoured nesting-site of this species. 

 My own impression is that if the eaves of a building projected con- 

 siderably, so as to afford complete protection, the House-Martin 

 would prefer to build its nest on a wall having a southern rather than 

 a north-eastern aspect ; but on this point I should not like to be 

 dogmatic. — E. P. Butterfield. 



House-Martins and Sparrows. — When I was a lad we had no end 

 of nests of the House-Martin located in various parts of the town ; 

 they, for the greater part, built their nests facing north and east, 

 although a number favoured opposite points of the compass. To-day 

 these birds rarely put up a nest in the neighbourhood, having for the 

 past few years been most unmercifully interfered with by the ever- 

 increasing Sparrows. One can almost always discover when a nest 

 has been usurped by the long loose straws depending from it. Only 

 on one house do the Martins now yearly attempt to build, facing the 

 east, but rarely does a pair succeed in keeping out the intruders. 

 The use of sea-water for watering the streets and roads has dis- 

 couraged others by the consequent want of tenacity and endurance of 

 their mortar in prolonged moist weather. — A. H. Patterson (Great 

 Yarmouth). 



Swallows Building in Chimneys, — In three instances only have I 

 met with the " Chimney " Swallow building in local chimneys. One 



