THE HOUSE-MARTIN. 
399 
II. urbica, said to have been killed by flying against the glass of 
the light-house there, in December, 1844. 
My observation on the house-martin in Ireland, being in unison with that of 
Shakespeare, who tells us that 
“ Where they 
Most breed and haunt, I have observ’d, the air 
Is delicate.” — Macbeth, Act I., Scene 6. 
it was unexpectedly that several of them met my view, about one or two solitary 
houses, situated near the highest and bleakest part of the road between Harrogate 
and Bolton Abbey, in Yorkshire, on the 6th of October, 1844 ; I subsequently 
learned with surprise, from Sir Wm. Jardine, that the house-martin is a sub-alpine 
species, where it has come under his observation in Dumfries-shire. When on a visit 
at Jardine Hall, in October, 1845, he called my attention to its nests about the win- 
dows of the dwelling-house at Rammerscales, situated near the summit of the fine 
range of hills dividing the valleys of the Nith and Annan. He mentioned also its 
building at the toll-house at Tweedshaws — near the source of the Tweed — about the 
highest part of the road crossing the lofty Moffat hills, and where, in one of the 
windows, I afterwards saw three nests. The whole country around is very bleak 
and wild. 
In the spring and summer of 1841, I observed the house- 
martin as follows : — When sailing from Malta to the Morea, and 
about fifty miles from Cape Passaro (the nearest land), on the 
23rd of April, one of these birds flew into the cabin, and died 
soon afterwards : it had not met with any molestation on board. 
No more were seen until the morning of the 27th, when, nearly 
one hundred miles west of the Morea, a few appeared, and re- 
mained through the early part of the day, confining their flight to 
the lee side of the ship : in the afternoon still more were seen, 
hawking about in company with II. rustica ; as flies were numerous, 
they probably obtained plenty of food : at four o J clock p.m., all 
were gone. On the 30th of April, this species had just com- 
menced nest-building against the houses in the town of Navarino; 
in May, was common about Smyrna ; in June, at Patras, where 
as usual, it was building against the houses iu the town. At 
Trieste, in the same month, the house-martin was numerous, as it 
likewise was in July, about Yenice, Yerona, and Milan; — having 
in the last city fine nesting-places about the magnificent Arch of 
