130 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



nests which he had examined, pointing out that the species is 

 double-brooded, and disclaiming against the idea that it ever 

 hibernated in this country. Although the Sparrow has checked 

 the increase of this charming bird, many colonies are established 

 in the neighbourhood of farms and country houses. At Aiglegill 

 the buildings are full of Martins. In 1888 a pair of these birds 

 hit upon an ingenious device to exclude the Sparrow. The 

 nest was not entered by an orifice of the usual kind, but by a 

 small clay funnel, along which the Martin crept into her nest. 

 Miss Mann has often reared young Martins. In 1890 Mr. 

 Richard Mann picked up two late Martins which had fallen out 

 of their nest. On the 4th of December that year I called to see 

 them, and found them lively and vivacious. A sharp spell of 

 frost had set in during the last week of November, but the 

 Martins had not suffered any inconvenience. House flies and 

 midges were devoured eagerly as long as they could be procured, 

 but ' bluebottles ' were refused unless no other insects were 

 forthcoming. Though a little shy of a stranger, they liked to 

 perch on the hand of their mistress, and to nestle on her 

 shoulders. They were always anxious to wash, fluttering their 

 tiny wings impatiently whenever they saw water placed on the 

 table. They were jealous of one another, and had many tiffs. 

 The male sang early and late, especially when the room was 

 lighted up at night. They succumbed to the severity of 

 January 1891. 



SAND MARTIN. 



Cotile riparia (L. ). 



The Sand Martin does not seem to visit the wilder dales of 

 Westmorland ; otherwise its distribution is pretty general 

 throughout the Lake district. Dunglinson of Cockermouth shot 

 a Sand Martin on the 25 th of March, which is about the time 

 at which this bird begins to frequent the Eden, near Carlisle and 

 Rockliffe, where we first observe its return every year, A nice 

 colony exists in the sandstone cliffs near Maryport. The nests 

 which Dr. Heysham used to examine were burrowed in two 

 banks of sand, formed by Mr. Graham of Edmund Castle, when 



