BIRDS, 
337 
hatcli tlieir young. Fern-owls, like snipes, stone curlews 
and some other birds, make no nest. Birds tliat build on 
the ground do not make much of nests/ 
SAND MARTINS. 
March 23, 1788. A gentleman, who was this week on a 
visit at Waverley, took the opportunity of examining some 
of the holes in the sand banks with which that district 
abounds. As these are undoubtedly bored by bank martins, 
and are the places where they avowedly breed, he was in 
hopes they might have slept there also, and that he might 
have surprised them just as they were awaking from their win- 
ter slumbers. When he had dug for some time, he found the 
holes were horizontal and serpentine, as I had observed 
before, and that the nests were deposited at the inner end, 
and had been occupied by broods in former summers; but 
no torpid birds were to be found. He opened and examined 
about a dozen holes. Another gentleman made the same 
search many years ago, with as little success. 
These holes were in depth about two feet. 
March 21, 1790. A single bank or sand martin was seen 
hovering and playing round the sand pit at Short Heath, 
where in the summer they abound. 
April 9, 1793. A sober hind assures us that this day, 
on Wish-hanger common, between Hedleigh and Frinsham, 
he saw several bank martins playing in and out, and hang- 
ing before some nest-holes in a sand hill, where these birds 
usually nestle. 
This incident confirms my suspicions that this species of 
^ No author that I am acquainted with has given so accurate and 
pleasing an account of the manners and habits of the goat-sucker as 
Mr. White, taken entirely from his own observations. Its being a noc- 
turnal bird, has prevented mj having many opportunities of observing 
it. I suspect that it passes the day in concealment amidst the dark and 
shady gloom of deep-wooded dells, or as they are called here gills ; 
having more than once seen it roused from such solitary places by my 
dogs, when shooting in the daytime. I have also sometimes seen it in 
an evening, but not long enough to take notice of its habits and man- 
ners. I have never seen it but in the summer, between the months o-f 
May and September. — Markwick. 
z 
