282 
OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 
SAND-MAETmS. 
March 2S, 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 winter 
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 hanging before some nest-holes in a 
sand-hill, where these birds usually nestle. 
The incident confirms my suspicions, that this species of hirundo is 
to be seen first of any ; and gives great reason to suppose that they do 
not leave their wild haunts at all, but are secreted amidst the clefts and 
caverns of those abrupt cliffs, where they usually spend their summers. 
The late severe weather considered, it is not very probable that these 
birds should have migrated so early from a tropical region, through all 
these cutting winds and pinching frosts ; but it is easy to suppose that 
they may, like bats and flies, have been awakened by the influence of 
the sun, amidst their secret latebras, where they have spent the uncom- 
fortable foodless months in a torpid state, and the profoundest of 
slumbers. 
There is a large pond at Wish-hanger, which induces these sand- 
martins to frequent that district. For I have ever remarked that they 
haunt near great waters, either rivers or lakes. — White. 
Here, and in many other passages of his writings, this very ingenious 
naturalist savours the opinion that part, at least, of the swallow tribe 
pass their winter in a torpid state in the same manner as bats and 
flies, and revive again on the approach of spring. 
I have frequently taken notice of all these circumstances, which 
induced Mr. White to suppose that some of these hirundines lie torpid 
during winter. I have seen so late as ^s'ovember, on a finer day than 
usual at that season of the year, two or three swallows flying backwards 
and forwards under a warm hedge, or on the sunny side of some old 
building ; nay, I once saw on the 8th of December two martins flying 
about very briskty, the weather being mild. 1 had not seen any con- 
siderable number either of swallows or martins for a considerable time 
