HOUSE-MARTIN. 181 



There is a curious nesting-place of this species in the Peak. The stone 

 railway-bridge that spans Monsal Dale is lined with Martins' nestSj and the 

 birds seem to be not at all inconvenienced by the passing trains. The 

 nests are built outside the bridge, under the coping which projects over 

 the walls. 



In the Parnassus they breed both on rocks and on houses. At Castri 

 (the ancient Delphi) the nests of this bird are common under the eaves of 

 the houses in the village ; and there is a large colony occupying the cliffs, 

 in company with the Rock-Sparrow {Passer petronia) , in the picturesque 

 gorge from which the famous spring flows. I have also seen other large 

 colonies in the mountain-limestone cliffs at Agoriane and Belitza ; but by 

 far the largest colony I have ever seen is in a romantic glen in the 

 mountains overlooking Missolonghi. The rocks overhang very much; 

 and when I was there hundreds of nests were to be seen under the over- 

 hanging part, whilst outside and in the valley the birds were flying in 

 thousands, like a swarm of bees. In a cleft of the rock, in the midst of 

 the Martins^ nests, was a huge nest of the White-tailed Eagle, and many 

 of the Martins' nests were in the possession of the common House- 

 Sparrow. 



The Martin breeds in enormous numbers in some parts of Algeria. 

 Dixon writes as follows : — " It was very common in the Arab settlements 

 in the mountains, and also in the palm-oases on the plains. At Batna 

 the bird is far more frequent than in any other place where I have 

 met with it. The greater number breed on the barracks there ; every 

 coping, every window, in fact every ledge that could support a nest was 

 occupied, in some parts in rows three or four deep. At Philippeville most 

 of the mud was baked hard by the hot sun ; and it was only in one or 

 two places on a bank, where some water trickled slowly down, that the 

 birds were able to obtain their materials. It was a very curious sight to see 

 these charming little creatures clustering on the mud, giving it the appear- 

 ance of a moving mass of birds ; the air was also full of them busy catching 

 insects in the bright African sunshine, and every moment they were either 

 aKghting on or leaving the mud-bank. It seemed to me that all the 

 Martins in Philippeville had congregated here to get mud for their nests. 

 The Arabs never molest the Martin or the Swallow ; they are almost as 

 sacred to them as the Stork and the Ibis, and breed on their mud houses 

 in abundance." 



In this country the bird usually builds under the eaves of houses or 

 other overhanging ledge. In May they may be seen gathering the mud 

 which forms the outside of their nests ; they visit the little pools, the 

 roads, and, in fact, every situation where they can collect mud, and many 

 birds repair to the same place. In dry seasons they are often sorely 

 pressed to obtain this material, and have to fly considerable distances to find 



