HOUSE MARTIN 55 
side of a steep cliff in a recess leading down to the sea. A 
number breed on the abrupt though low rock-faces at the 
‘Smugglers’ Caves,’ Port Soderick, and others formerly 
frequented a station, seemingly now deserted, at Keristal, 
a little further north. Under the roof of a kind of abortive 
cavern at Skinscoe, Lonan, is a small colony (in 1895 could 
be seen some twenty nests or remains of nests), and a few 
breed on Maughold Head, some of the nests being at a 
great height over the entrance of a large cave. These 
are all, or nearly all, the coast colonies in Man, and the 
sum total of birds must be very small. The species is 
also noticed, though not by any means abundantly, on 
migration. 
Many persons (as Mr. A. W. Moore and Mr. J. B. Keig) 
noticed ‘a Swallow’ or ‘Swallows’ in the neighbourhood of 
Douglas in February 1899, perhaps even in January, when 
two were stated by Mrs. Farrant to have been seen about 
the New Prison (Y. ZL. JZ, iii. 415), The first precise date 
was 18th February, as reported by Mr. A. W. Moore, 
According to a newspaper report, a bird seen on 21st 
February was a ‘ House Marten’ (sic). 
On 15th November 1897 and on several later days three 
or four were flying about Castle Rushen, and one of these 
or another, as noted under the last species, was observed 
there on the 27th or 28th of the same month. I have seen 
some in Douglas on 2nd November (1882). 
In Ireland the Martin is also local and seldom numerous. 
It breeds, however, in every county, often on sea cliffs. It 
breeds all over Great Britain, and in Orkney and (rarely) 
in Shetland. In the Outer Hebrides it has been rarely 
recorded (once, however, on North Ronay, and once on St. 
Kilda), In Kirkcudbrightshire Mr. Service says that it 
has become less abundant. In Lleyn Mr. Aplin found it 
rare. It nests in colonies on the Anglesea cliffs. 
