2 
o 
Brooke says that it arrives in Sardinia early in March; and Malherbe states that the larger 
portion of those which pass Sicily in the spring are seen in April. Numbers, he says, breed in the 
marshes of Catania and Syracuse; and he further states that many remain in Sicily over winter; 
but this last statement is called in question by Professor Doderlein. The late Captain R. M. 
Sperling (Ibis, 1864, p. 283) speaks of it as being common during migration at Malta; but 
Lord Lilford says that it did not appear to be common in Epirus. Both Lindermayer and 
Von der Miihle speak of it as being a summer resident in Greece; and the latter says that 
colonies breed in the banks of the Alpheus and Eurotas, and that it migrates southward very 
early in the autumn, even earlier than the House-Martin. Dr. Kriiper informs me that he 
found it breeding in Macedonia in the banks of a brook below Olympus. In Southern Germany 
it is common in suitable localities; but, according to Dr. Anton Fritsch, it is rather rare in 
Bohemia, the river-banks being so rocky that it finds but few suitable places for nidification. 
The Ritter von Tschusi-Schmidhofen informs me that “it breeds throughout Austria in suitable 
localities, being most common in the banks of the Danube, below Presburg, where there are the 
largest colonies I have ever met with.” Messrs. Elwes and Buckley found it common in Turkey 
in summer; and Von Nordmann speaks of it as being widely distributed throughout Southern 
Russia, and says that vast numbers breed in the steppes of Bessarabia. It is found in Asia 
Minor ; and Canon Tristram says (Ibis, 1859, p. 27), “it is abundant in the sandy banks on 
the left side of the Jordan. I may mention in passing that I have found the Sand-Martin 
breeding in Egypt in February. Is it not therefore probably double-brooded?” It is common 
in Northern Africa during migration; and Captain Shelley (B. of Egypt, p. 124) says that it 
“arrives in Egypt in great abundance in March, and towards the end of April commences 
breeding in colonies in the banks by the river-side.” Messrs. Finsch and Hartlaub (Vog. N.O.- 
Afr. p. 147) say that.it is found in Egypt, Nubia, the Red Sea, and Zanzibar, and they consider 
that the various notes on its breeding in Africa must be referable to Cotyle minor; but certainly 
Captain Shelley’s specimens are true C. riparia. In North-western Africa it is found in Algeria, 
where, according to Loche and Mr. A. von Homeyer, it breeds, but is not common. Mr. O. 
Salvin observed it between Tunis and Kefs late in March; and Canon Tristram (Ibis, 1859, 
p. 434) observed “a few at El Aghouat in November. They did not appear to winter in the 
Sahara, and can only, I imagine, be stragglers there at any time, as the weds and oases afford 
them but few conveniences for nidification.” Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake (Ibis, 1867, p. 425) does 
not believe that it remains to winter in Tangier or Eastern Morocco. Mr. Godman does not 
include it in his list of the resident and migratory birds of Madeira and the Canaries; but it 
straggles there, as I find in his collection a single specimen he obtained at Teneriffe. 
To the eastward the Sand-Martin occurs right across the continent of Asia. De Filippi 
found it plentiful near Mianeh, in Persia; and Mr. Blanford also brought back a specimen from 
Persia. Severtzoff says (Turk. Jevotnie, p. 67) that it rarely visits the north-eastern portions of 
Turkestan, and has never been seen in the south-eastern districts, but elsewhere it is common 
and breeds numerously. In the mountains it occurs as high as about 3500 feet. In Siberia it 
is common. Middendorff observed it near Udskoj-Ostrog. Dr. Radde, who met with it in 
South-eastern Siberia, says (Reis. im Siid. von Ost-Sib. p. 281) that it arrived at Tarei-nor about 
the 16th May, and in the Bureja Mountains made preparations to leave about the 22nd August, 
3E 
O07 
