66 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Martin's nests, but always open at the top and placed, in some 

 cases, against a beam for extra side support. Some on little 

 ledges provided for them. We saw birds on the nests and others 

 going on, so there was no mistake. I saw one bird on the 

 telegraph-wires, with peculiarly white under parts, pure white. 

 A few at Engelberg (but none higher), and about Stansstad. 

 I believe this nesting habit of the Swallow is not at all uncommon 

 in some parts of the Continent. 



Chelidon urbica, House Martin. — Much more abundant than 

 the Swallow. Breeding on the Station buildings at Delemont. 

 At Bern not numerous (Bern is given over to Swifts). At Inter- 

 laken we observed the nests with a view to seeing if any were 

 built on the wooden houses the walls of which were not plastered. 

 We saw several on those which were, and two at least on those 

 which were not. At first we failed to see any birds over Meiringen, 

 but I noticed some on the 20th June, and two days after we found 

 two nests under eaves of wooden-walled and -roofed chalets. 

 Anderegg was much surprised when we pointed them out (we saw 

 the birds go on and off), having never known a nest in the village 

 before ; but I saw marks plainly of one or two last year's nests 

 which had been knocked down. Anderegg says that they breed 

 in rows on the cliffs at the back of the village, and it is almost 

 certain that the House Martin, which is known by a name meaning 

 " rock builder," has only taken to breeding on the houses here 

 quite recently. Many at Engelberg. Very common at Stansstad, 

 where I counted seven nests under the eaves of one wooden 

 gable end. 



Cotile riparia, Sand Martin. — Saw one over the Aare at 

 Bienne, near where Mr. Howard Saunders says that they breed 

 ('Ibis,' 1891, p. 169). The Crag Martin breeds near Meiringen, 

 but we had not time to visit the place. 



Certhia familiar is, Tree Creeper. — In the gardens of the Hotel 

 Bellevue at Thun. 



Tichodroma muraria, Wall Creeper. — We never succeeded in 

 detecting one, though we searched an enormous extent of rock- 

 face ; but the bird is small and its hunting grounds unlimited. 

 I mention it here because Anderegg said it bred this year in the 

 Aareschlucht. This is unusually low down, but he thought that 

 the bird was attracted by the cool air in the gorge. Stauffer, of 

 Lucerne, who had a nice group of them, said rightly that the 



