812 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



forty or fifty of their nests all packed close together. They are 

 sadly persecuted, however, by the House-Sparrows, who will not let 

 them build in peace, but frequently take possession of their nests 

 and turn the original owners out. The Martins, however, are some- 

 times up to the occasion, and have been known to club together and 

 build the intruder up in his nest, closing up the aperture with mud, 

 and letting him perish miserably in his usurped domain. The 

 plumage of this pretty little bird is very striking, the snow-white of 

 all the under parts, and patch above the tail, contrasting most 

 beautifully with the bright steel-blue of the head and back. 



Hiriindo Riparia. " The Sand Martin." This little bird is less 

 pleasing in its plumage than all others of the Swallow tribe, but 

 makes up for that by its vivacity and early appearance. In the 

 autumn it assembles in our meadows in countless myriads, roosting 

 in the osier-beds^ in such numbers that you would think they could 

 scarcely find room to settle. On these occasions you have a very 

 good chance of securing a good specimen of the Hobby, one of which 

 little Falcons is not uncommonly to be seen dashing in amongst 

 them, and securing one or more of them for his supper. It is most 

 curious to listen to the noise which the large flocks of these little 

 birds make just after they have pitched and ere they have settled 

 down for the night. Like the Starlings, they also will have their 

 say out ere they go to sleep ; but unlike the chatteration of the 

 Starling roost, you cannot distinguish any single note in their con- 

 cert. The myriads of little voices all seem to blend into one confused 

 sound, which puts one Jin mind of the sound of rushing water, or, 

 as it struck me, of an engine blowing off steam ; and if you hear the 

 noise without having seen them first pitch, the effect is most curious. 

 You cannot tell where it comes from — now it seems to be in the sky 

 above you, now from the ground beneath you ; at one time it would 

 seem to be far off, and now to be close at hand ; neither is the riddle 

 solved until, by startling them from their roosting-place, you realise 

 what thousands of little throats have united to form the volume of 

 sound which so perplexed you. They nest very late, their eggs 

 generally not being laid till the July month, when you may find 

 any number of them in their little colonies in some favorite sand-bank. 



