HISTORY OF THE MARTIN. 
167 
LETTER XX. To the Hon. DAINES BARRINGTON. 
DEAR SIR, Selborne, February 26, 1774. 
The sand-martin, or bank-martin, is by mucb the least of any 
of the British hirundines ; and, as far as we have ever seen, the 
smallest known hirundo : though Brisson asserts that there is 
one much smaller, and that is the hirundo esculent a.^ 
But it is much to be regretted that it is scarce possible for 
any observer to be so full and exact as he could wish in reciting 
the circumstances attending the life and conversation of this little 
bird, since it is fera naturd, at least in this part of the kingdom, 
disclaiming all domestic attachments, and haunting wild heaths 
and commons where there are large lakes ; while the other spe- 
cies, especially the swallow and house-martin, are remarkably 
gentle and domesticated, and never seem to think themselves safe 
but under the protection of man.f 
Here are in this parish, in the sand-pits and banks of the lakes 
of Wolmer-forest, several colonies of these birds ; and yet they 
are never seen in the village ; nor do they at all frequent the cot- 
tages that are scattered about in that wild district. The only in- 
stance I ever remember where this species haunts any building is 
at the town of Bishop's Waltham, in this county, where many 
sand-martins nestle and breed in the scafFold-holes of the back- 
wall of William of Wykeham's stables : but then this wall stands 
in a very sequestered and retired enclosure, and faces upon a 
large and beautiful lake. And indeed this species seems so to 
delight in large waters, that no instance occurs of their abound- 
ing, but near vast pools or rivers : and in particular it has been 
remarked that they swarm in the banks of the Thames in some 
places below London-bridge. J 
* There are several exotic species smaller than either. — Ed. 
t The bank-swallow frequents villages and neighbourhoods quite as fanmiliarly as the other 
species, where there are contiguous high banks or pits at all congenial to its habits, 'as in various 
places I have had many opportunities of witnessing. — Ed. 
t Perhaps, generally speaking, this species keeps more to the immediate vicinity of water than 
the others, but it sometimes plays far and wide over the champaign country. Over the small 
river Wandle, in Surrey, I have occasionally seen them in such multitudes as almost to confuse 
the sight, whilst the constant snapping of their bills, as they seized the small gnats and other 
minute insects, maintained an almost continuous crackling sound. On these occasions, they 
often whisk by almost within arm's reach, so that it can be easily noticed that the common 
opinion of swallows flying with the bill open is erroneous. And it is beautiful to observe how 
admirably each preserves its own course, when vacillating and sailing in such close multitudes, 
darting by in every possible direction, yet each keeping itself quite clear of all the rest.— En. 
