400 
MARTIN. 
from any part of that division of the world. The 
great mass of European birds seem to pass from 
Northern Africa. M. Temminck places it among 
the birds of Japan. 
The adult male has the head and upper parts 
deep and rich steel blue, running into a black 
pectoral band ; the forehead and throat are deep 
reddish chestnut ; the belly and feet reddish white, 
tinged on the flanks with brown ; the tail deeply 
forked, the outer feathers narrowing towards the 
ends, is black with blue reflections, and has a 
large white spot on the inner webs of all the fea- 
thers, except the tvyo in the centre. In the female 
the colours are all less brilliant, and the chestnut 
on the forehead and throat less in extent. The 
young have the tail nearly square, and the colour 
of the throat a pale reddish brown, shading into 
gray upon the breast. Pure white varieties are 
occasionally met with. 
Hirundo drbica, Martin. — H. urbica, Linn. 
— Martin, Martlet, or Window Swallow, of Bri- 
tish authors. This Swallow arrives generally a 
few days later than the last, and is much more 
local in distribution. It is also an attendant on 
civilization, and its general breeding places are 
seen on the eaves of houses, the corners of win- 
dows, (whence its most frequent name,) under the 
arches of bridges or gateways ; it there builds its 
nest gregariously, in parties of from twenty to 
one hundred, returning year after year to the 
