PLATE CXXVI. 



Uferfchwalbe. Frifch. av, /. 18. 



Georg. it. p. 175. 

 Sand-Martin, or Shore-bird. ArB. ZooL 2. p» 430. h, 33^. 



JVilL orn.p. 213. t, iiO, 



mmi 



A fmall bird of very delicate appearance, meafuring rather lefs than 

 live inches in length, and having the upper part of the plumage 

 brown, the lower white. This little fpecies inhabits various parts of 

 Europe and America : in Britain, it may be confidered, if not a rare, 

 at leaft a very local fpecies. 



The Sand-Martin, as its name implies, is in a great meafure 

 peculiar to fandy places. Their ufual haunts are the fides of fand- 

 banks contiguous to lakes and rivers, where they live in deep 

 openings, dug in an horizontal courfe, and at the furtheft end of 

 which receiTes the neft is depofited. Sometimes the neft of the Sand« 

 Martin is built in cavities of rocks, fand-pits, or hollow trees ; almoft 

 invariably, however, on the banks of lakes or rivers, the old birds 

 fubfifting, for the moft part, on the infefts which it takes on the wing 

 when fkimming the fuiface of the water. 



The neft coniifts of fibres of grafs, intermixed with flraw, and a 

 few feathers : the eggg, about fix in number, are of a beautiful white 

 colour, and tranfparent. It cannot be abfolutely afTerted whether the 

 Sand-Martin has two, or only a Tingle brood in the year. 



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