HISTORY OF THE MARTIN. 
169 
The following circumstance should by no means be omitted — 
that these birds do not make use of their caverns by way of 
hybernacula, as might be expected ; since banks so perforated 
have been dug out with care in the winter, when nothing was 
found but empty nests. 
The sand-martin arrives much about the same time with the 
swallow, and lays, as she does, from four to six white eggs. But 
as this species is cryptogame, carrying on the business of nidifi- 
cation, incubation, and the support of its young in the dark, it 
would not be so easy to ascertain the time of breeding, were it 
not for the coming forth of the broods, which appear much about 
the time, or rather somewhat earlier than those of the swallow. 
The nestlings are supported in common like those of their con- 
geners, with gnats and other small insects ; and sometimes they 
are fed with libellulcs (dragon-flies) almost as long as themselves. 
In the last week in June we have seen a row of these sitting on 
a rail near a great pool as perchers ; and so young and helpless, 
as easily to be taken by hand : but whether the dams ever feed 
them on the wing, as swallows and house-martins do, we have 
never yet been able to determine ; nor do we know whether they 
pursue and attack birds of prey.* 
When they happen to breed near hedges and enclosures, they 
are dispossessed of their breeding-holes by the house-sparrow, 
which is on the same account a fell adversary to house-martins. 
These hirundines are no songsters, but rather mute, making 
only a little harsh noise when a person approaches their nests.f 
They seem not to be of a sociable turn, never with us congre- 
gating with their congeners in the autumn. Undoubtedly they 
breed a second time, like the house-martin and swallow ; and 
withdraw about Michaelmas. 
Though in some particular districts they may happen to 
abound, yet in the whole, in the south of England at least, is this 
much the rarest species. For there are few towns or large vil- 
lages but what abound with house-martins ; few churches, 
towers, or steeples, but what are haunted by some swifts ; scarce 
a hamlet or single cottage-chimney that has not its swallow; 
while the bank-martins, scattered here and there, live a seques- 
tered life among some abrupt sand-hills, and in the banks of 
some few rivers. 
* They do so quite «s briskly as the other species. — Ed. 
t They have also a faint weak chirp, occasionally repeated as they fly. — Ed. 
