278 



.BIRDS. 



nesting again at Dalwhinnie in June 1892, but they were decidedly 

 scarce that season over all the ground Harvie-Brown traversed on 

 Speyside and on Deveron. We found them common at Findhorn 

 Bridge early in July, nestiug below the girders of the bridge, and 

 also in the eaves of Dell Cottage, where we resided for a week. 



While the numbers of the Martin thus depend apparently 

 upon the seasons, they are also found during some years to ascend 

 to much higher elevations — for instance, among the hills and farm- 

 houses of the Cam districts, — and at others to confine themselves 

 to the more sheltered valleys. 



In 1893 Martins suddenly appeared at Drachlaw, on the Lower 

 Deveron, upon the 29th of May, and were seen at our windows ; 

 but only during the morning hours, or up to about 10 A.M. They 

 were probably only prospecting. We cannot recollect seeing any 

 Martins that year on any previous date. A day or two later they 

 . visited the windows for a short time between 2.30 and 2.45 P.M. 

 We were confined to the house with asthma, and had perfect 

 opportunities of observing them. 



Cotile riparia (L.). Sand Martin. 



Local Name. — San' {i.e. Sand) Swallow. 



The commonest of all the Hirundinidse in the north, and the first to 

 appear in the spring. The first place we have noticed them in 

 the spring has been on the river Ness, and they have a nesting- 

 place two or three miles up the river. There are few places we 

 have visited in the out-of-the-way glens and straths where we 

 have not seen the Sand Martin, often the only one of the genus, 

 as at Guisachan, for instance, though we did not actually find them 

 breeding there. They occur also at Invergarry — indeed, at all 

 places from which we have received notes. 



As in the north, so in the south of our area, the Sand Martin 

 is the most abundant and generally dispersed of all our Hirun- 

 dinidse, swarming all along the valleys, according to suitability and 

 capacity of the nesting banks, but varying appreciably according 

 to the seasons. It was not observed on the Deveron in its upper 

 reaches, say above Beldorney, either in July 1891 or August 1892. 

 They swarm in May in the sand-banks of Speyside below Craigel- 

 lachie, and up the Spey, through the strath, to Kingussie, but are less 

 common or abundant in Badenoch, though they have been observed 



