286 SWALLOW. 



The Sand, or Bank Martin, generally makes its appearance here 

 after the Common Swallow, rarely before the 14th or 15th of April, 

 about which time they sometimes appear in numbers, though Mr. 

 White, of Selborne, saw a single one on the 21st of March, 1790, 

 playing round a sand pit; and suspects that this Species is the first 

 seen of any, and the winter quarters of it seem to be not at all known. 

 It is certainly found as far north as Sondmor, also in Siberia, and 

 Kamtschatka, but how far on the European Continent southward 

 uncertain. It is not mentioned by M. Aso, among his Aragonian 

 birds, or in the list of Gibraltar Species ; yet there is suspicion of 

 its being a native of India ; as drawings of birds, very like it, appear 

 in many collections. That it enters the list of American Species we 

 have no doubt. Said to arrive at New York in June, and builds in 

 the same manner as in Europe, retiring in August, or the beginning 

 of September ; it extends also as far as Georgia, as a pair of them 

 was sent from thence by Mr. Abbot, so exactly like ours, as to have 

 no appearance of difference. 



5.— BRUNETTE SWALLOW. 



Hirondelle de Marais, ou la Brunette, Levail. Afr. v. 158. pi. 246. 2. 

 Marsh Swallow, Shaw's Zool. x. 101. 



SIZE of our Sand Martin ; length four inches and a half. Bill 

 very small ; legs dusky; i rides hazel ; the plumage in general grey 

 brown, inclining to ash-colour on the upper parts; paler beneath ; 

 wings dusky, margined with pale rufous ; tail short, forked, colour 

 like the quills, and about equal in length. The female differs in 

 being smaller. 



This is chiefly found on the borders of rivers and marshes in 

 Africa, and, like the Sand Martin, said to make the nest in holes of 

 banks, without any regular nest ; after passing the summer in the 

 southern parts, it departs during the rainy season. This appears too 

 like our Sand Martin, to suppose it otherwise than the same. 



