THE SAND-MARTIN. 
403 
note, as to produce considerable noise.* Their burrows of this season were scattered 
over the eastern fagade of the sand-pit ; and, as usual, all placed near the top of the 
bank.f Sparrows were stationed at the entrances to three of these holes. The bur- 
rows of the sand-martin in 1840, were fewer than ever known to me, except in 1886. 
There were but a few holes at the western and at the southern side, about a dozen at 
each place. The repeated injuries these poor birds have suffered here, from the banks 
containing their nests being excavated during their stay, led me to believe that they 
might have changed their quarters, but in the season of 1842, they were as numerous 
as ever. 
August the 31st, 1843. I remarked on different occasions, that sand-martins were 
plentiful this season about the sand-pit, and went there this evening to see what per- 
forations had been made. They had the north side of the bank near the top honey- 
combed, containing apertures very close together to the number of about 300, and I 
should think the whole of these were made this season, though certainly not all, nor 
nearly all, occupied by pairs of birds, as we know they will sometimes make two or 
three excavations before settling on one for a nest. Numbers flew into the holes in 
my presence, and two or three were seated in some instances at a single aperture : 
the sand is soft and “ easily worked,” so that the entrance here is large. Numbers, 
perhaps 100, appeared occasionally on wing together above the sand-pit. In the 
middle of summer I saw not less than 150 together on wing here, before the young 
of the year were able to fly. At the east of the sand-pit about 70 of the sand- 
martins’ excavations appeared together, but they evidently belong to a former year ; 
not a bird now looked near them. The gregarious habit of the species is admirably 
exemplified in this very spacious sand-pit, where, having abundant room to scatter 
themselves, they nevertheless huddle together as closely as possible. 
1845. The common swallow, as already stated, has become very scarce of late 
years. In one of its favourite haunts, — about a public road, bordered on one side 
by tall trees near this sand-pit — where numbers were daily seen throughout the period 
of their stay, not one appeared on the different occasions during the last few summers 
when I particularly looked for them. The saud-martins had however taken their place, 
although they kept to quite a different beat when the swallows were there. On one 
evening in August, I reckoned about 120 on wing together. The house-martin as 
well as the swallow, has become much scarcer of late years ; and martins and swifts 
were more numerous than I had ever seen them in the summer of 1845. 
1846. 1847. The two latter species continued to be as plentiful as in 1845, and 
* July 29, 1846. These birds were very numerous in pursuit of prey over the 
reeds at the Lagan side ; where by listening for a long time, I did not hear them utter 
a sound. This is noted, in consequence of their being generally noisy, after their 
weak fashion, when in numbers about their colony. I have remarked many of these 
birds — thirty at a time — alighting on dead reeds at the side of this river, 
f “ The martins usually make their holes near the top of the bank, being evidently 
most in fear of enemies from below. I once saw a colony in great consternation, 
without being able for some time to discover the cause of alarm ; when I observed a 
weasel, which made its entree from above, passing from one hole to another, and no 
doubt making dire havoc either amongst the old birds or their young ones.” Hewitson, 
Eggs, Brit. Birds, p. 219. 
