﻿92 
  

  

  THE 
  VERTEBRATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  Shortly 
  after 
  it 
  commences 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  nest-building. 
  These 
  

   structures 
  are 
  often 
  placed 
  within 
  cow-houses 
  and 
  barns. 
  

  

  Hirundo 
  urbica, 
  Linn. 
  House 
  Martin. 
  

  

  This 
  species, 
  like 
  the 
  preceding, 
  is 
  a 
  regular 
  and 
  constant 
  

   visitor 
  to 
  " 
  Dee," 
  but 
  within 
  the 
  memory 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  

   writer, 
  it 
  has 
  changed 
  its 
  habits 
  very 
  much, 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  at 
  least 
  

   as 
  the 
  building 
  of 
  its 
  nest 
  is 
  concerned. 
  Thirty 
  to 
  forty 
  

   years 
  ago 
  the 
  Martin 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  building 
  its 
  nest 
  in 
  the 
  

   villages 
  and 
  outlying 
  hamlets 
  throughout 
  the 
  country 
  ; 
  but 
  

   now 
  it 
  has 
  betaken 
  itself 
  in 
  great 
  measure 
  to 
  the 
  sea-coast. 
  

   There 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  entering 
  the 
  dark, 
  damp 
  caverns, 
  in 
  the 
  

   roofs 
  of 
  which 
  its 
  nest 
  is 
  built. 
  There 
  is 
  one 
  cavern 
  on 
  the 
  

   Kincardineshire 
  coast, 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  which 
  is 
  little 
  more 
  

   than 
  sufficient 
  to 
  admit 
  a 
  man, 
  although 
  when 
  once 
  within 
  

   the 
  opening 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  wide 
  and 
  roomy 
  dark 
  gallery. 
  Into 
  this 
  

   sunless 
  retreat 
  the 
  Martin 
  flies 
  without 
  hesitation, 
  builds 
  its 
  

   nest 
  in 
  the 
  crevices 
  of 
  the 
  stony 
  roof, 
  and 
  rears 
  its 
  young 
  

   ones 
  in 
  almost 
  total 
  darkness. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  John 
  Wilson, 
  of 
  Methlick, 
  writes 
  in 
  his 
  MS. 
  Journal 
  

   for 
  1860, 
  that 
  "a 
  swallow's 
  nest 
  was 
  accidently 
  knocked 
  down 
  

   from 
  under 
  the 
  eaves 
  of 
  a 
  house 
  in 
  our 
  village 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  

   ones 
  cast 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  They 
  were 
  collected 
  and 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  

   boy's 
  cap, 
  and 
  the 
  cap 
  was 
  nailed 
  up 
  where 
  the 
  nest 
  had 
  been; 
  

   shortly 
  after 
  the 
  parent 
  birds 
  returned, 
  but 
  being 
  suspicious 
  

   of 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  nest, 
  they 
  flew 
  away. 
  Returning 
  

   again 
  with 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  their 
  fellows, 
  they 
  took 
  counsel 
  over 
  

   the 
  matter, 
  when 
  it 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  that, 
  although 
  the 
  

   nest 
  had 
  been 
  tampered 
  with, 
  the 
  one 
  substituted 
  would 
  do, 
  

   and 
  there 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  danger. 
  Those 
  brought 
  for 
  con- 
  

   sultation 
  thereupon 
  took 
  their 
  departure, 
  and 
  the 
  parents 
  

   commenced 
  to 
  feed 
  their 
  young 
  as 
  if 
  nothing 
  had 
  happened. 
  

   This 
  brood 
  was 
  reared 
  in 
  safety. 
  In 
  1861, 
  and 
  again 
  in 
  1862, 
  

   a 
  brood 
  was 
  reared 
  within 
  the 
  bonnet, 
  after 
  which 
  it 
  fell 
  to 
  

   the 
  ground 
  through 
  decay." 
  

  

  Hirundo 
  riparia, 
  Linn. 
  Sand 
  Martin. 
  

  

  Abundant, 
  and 
  breeds 
  in 
  every 
  suitable 
  locality 
  ; 
  the 
  

   superficial 
  drift 
  along 
  the 
  sea 
  margin, 
  the 
  river's 
  bank, 
  the 
  

   brawling 
  burn, 
  or 
  noisy 
  railway 
  cutting, 
  all 
  are 
  alike 
  suited 
  to 
  

  

  