276 THE HOUSE MARTIN. 
birds in Derbyshire, I generally found that the hand could reach to the end 
of the burrows, and remove the eggs, provideu that the birds had not been 
forced to change the direction of the tunnel by the intervention of a stone 
or a piece of rock too hard for their bills to penetrate. 
As is generally the case with burrowing birds, the Sand Martin takes very 
little trouble about the construction of its nest, but contents itself with laying 
down a small handful of various soft substances, such as moss, hay, and 
feathers. The eggs are very small and fragile, and are not easily removed 
from the burrow without being fractured. Their colour is, when freshly laid, 
a delicate semi-transparent pink, which darkens to a dull opaque grey when 
incubation has proceeded to some extent, and changes to a beautiful white 
when the contents are removed from the shell. Their number is from four 
to six. 
The food of this bird is composed of insects, and, in spite of the small 
dimensions of the little creature, it will pursue, capture, and eat insects of 
considerable dimensions and strength of wing, such as wasps and dragon- 
flies. Gnats and similar insects, however, form the staple of its diet. 
This bird generally makes its appearance in England about the beginning 
of April, and has even been noticed before the end of March, so that its 
arrival is earlier than that of the swallow or martin. It departs about the 
heginning of September, and, like other British Hirundinidz, makes its way 
to Africa, where it remains until the succeeding year. 
RESEMBLING the common swallow in habits and general appearance, the 
House MaRTIN may easily be distinguished from that bird by the large 
white patch upon the upper tail-coveits, a peculiarity which is even more 
notable when the bird is engaged in flight than when it is seated on the 
ground or clinging to its nest. In the dusk of evening the Martins may 
often be seen flying about at so late an hour that their bodies are almost in- 
visible in the dim and fading twilight, and their presence is only indicated by 
the white patches upon their backs, which reflect every fading ray, and tear 
a singular resemblance to white moths or butterflies darting through the air. 
This beautiful little bird is found in all parts of England, and is equaliy 
familiar with the swallow and sand martin. It places its clay-built nest 
principally under the shelter afforded by human habitations, and becomes so 
trustful and fearless that it will often fix its nest close to a window, and will 
rear its young without being dismayed at the near presence of human beings. 
The nest of this species is extremely variable in shape and size, no two 
being precisely similar in both respects. Generally the edifice is cup-shaped, 
with the rim closely pressed against the eaves of some friendy house, and 
having a small semicircular aperture cut out of the edge in order to permit 
the ingress and egress of the birds. Sometimes, however, the nest is sup- 
ported on a kind of solid pedestal, composed of mud, and often containing 
nearly as much material as would have made an ordinary nest. These 
pedestals are generally constructed in spots where the Martin finds that her 
nest does not find adequate support from the wall. 
There are generally several broods in the course of the year, two being the 
usual number, three or even four being sometimes noticed. In such cases, 
however, the young birds seldom reach maturity, for they are hatched at 
such a late period of the year that the parents are unable to withstand the 
instinct which leads them to migrate, and in obeying the promptings of this 
principle, leave their unfortunate family to perish miserably of hunger. The 
parents do not seem to grieve over their dead children, and when they return 
to the nest in the succeeding season, they unconcernedly pull the dry and 
shrivelled bodies out of the nest, and rearrange it in readiness for the next 
brood, 
