The African House Martin. BIRDS. The House Martin. 291 
of its plumage is ash-grey above and whitish beneath. 
In its habits it exhibits none of that engineering skill 
which is possessed by the sand martin, but builds a 
mud nest, lined with fine straw and feathers, amongst 
the clefts of the rocks, where it always takes up its 
habitation. It flies more slowly than the other 
swallows, but rises to a great height in the air ; its 
home being amongst the mountains, it is rarely seen 
in the plains, except when stormy weather in the 
upper regions drives it to seek its insect prey near the 
surface of the earth. The eggs, which are of a pure 
white colour, are five or six in number. This species 
is the earliest visitor to the south of Europe of all the 
swallows, and is also the last to take its departure. 
THE APRICAH HOUSE MARTIH {Cotyle fuligula) 
differs from both the preceding species in building its 
mud nest under the eaves of houses ; the nest is of 
a cup-like form. This species is found from Abys- 
sinia to the Cape of Good Hope. 
THE SMALL SAND MARTIN {Cotyle sinensis), and 
the BEOWN SAND MAETIN {C. concolor), are eastern 
species, of which the former burrows into banks in the 
same way as our British species, whilst the latter 
builds its nest about houses, high walls, and other 
buildings. Both these species are found in India, but 
they do not appear to be very numerous. 
THE HOUSE MARTIN {Chelidon urhica ) — Plate 5, 
fig. 14 — is distinguished from all the other species of 
the present family by having the feet clothed with 
very small feathers, instead of shields or scales. It is 
a small bird, measuring less than five inches and a half 
in length ; the plumage of the upper parts is of a rich, 
glossy bluish-black colour, except on the rump, which 
is white ; the whole lower surface of the body is pure 
white, and the quill feathers of the wnngs and tail are 
black. The wings are long and pointed, reaching 
quite to the extremity of the tail, which is moderately 
forked. 
The House Martin is a common summer visitor to 
all parts of Europe, extending its migrations even 
as far north as Lapland and Iceland. In Asia it is 
common in Siberia. The European martins mi- 
grate southwards into Africa like the swallow, and 
their times of arrival and departure seem nearly 
to coincide with those of that species. In fact, the 
martins and swallows are said to leave the African 
shores at the same time; but as the latter possess rather 
greater powers of wing, they leave the martins behind 
them, and arrive in their European homes a few days 
earlier. The martins appear to have some sort of 
instinctive consciousness of their inferiority in power of 
flight, for they depart from our shores on their return 
journey, a few days sooner than the swallows, and thus 
both will probably arrive in their winter quarters about 
the same time. 
In their general habits, in their mode of life, and 
their fondness for building about the habitations of 
men, the martins exactly resemble the swallows, and 
they share with them in the favour which seems to be 
universally regarded as their due, both from the fami- 
liarity of their habits, and their character as the har- 
bingers of summer. Like the swallows they pass 
nearly all their time on the wing in pursuit of insects ; 
they are also very fond of the vicinity of water, over 
which they may constantly be seen skimming, now 
sweeping about in wide circles, now flying straight 
along, with their wings nearly touching the surface, 
and dipping their little beaks into the fluid, for the pur- 
pose of drinking. Like the preceding species also, 
they are found to return with great constancy to their 
former places of abode, and to make use of the same 
nest for several years together. 
The House Martin, as well as several other members 
of this family, nourishes a most inveterate enmity to 
all birds of prey, which he endeavours to drive away 
from his haunts. . In this object all the individuals of 
this species inhabiting a locality will co-operate, and on 
other occasions they seem to -have some sort of intelli- 
gence with each other, which enables them to com- 
bine their efforts to effect some desired purpose. An 
interesting example of this is related by Dupont de 
Nemours. He says — “I once saw a martin which had 
unfortunately, I know not how, caught its foot in the 
running knot of a thread, the other end of which was 
attached to a gutter of the ColMge des Quatre Nations. 
Its strength being exhausted, it hung and cried at the 
end of the thread, which it raised sometimes by trying 
to fly away. All the martins of the great basin between 
the bridge of the Tuilleries and the Pont Neuf, and 
perhaps from a still greater distance, collected to the 
number of several thousands. They formed a cloud, 
all emitting cries of alarm and pity. After much hesi- 
tation, and a tumultuous consultation, one of them 
invented a mode of delivering their companion, made 
the others understand it, and commenced its execution. 
All those that were within reach came in turn, as if 
running at the ring, and gave a peck to the thread in 
passing. These blows, all directed upon the same 
point, succeeded each other every second, or even still 
more frequently. Half an hour of this work was suffi-- 
cient to cut through the thread, and set the captive at 
liberty.” 
The House Martin, as already stated, generally takes 
up its abode in towns, and builds its nest under the 
cornices and eaves of houses, in the upper angles of 
windows, and similar situations. From its partiality 
for window's, it is often known as the Windoio Swallow. 
The nest is composed of mud or wet clay, collected by 
the birds in pellets, and brought up to the place 
selected for the nest in their bills. According to M. 
Vieillot, they frequently make use of worm-casts in 
their little edifices. The building is carried on with 
gr’eat care and deliberation, only a single layer of earth 
being applied in the day ; this is left to harden before 
any more materials are brought. Gradually, by the 
addition of course after course of mortar, the nest 
acquires its well-known, nearly hemispherical shape, 
the only means of ingress and egress being a small 
round aperture at tlie top. The interior is then lined 
with a little hay and a few feathers, and the nest is 
ready for the reception of the eggs. These are four or 
five in number, and of a pure white colour. They are 
hatched in less than a fortnight, and as soon as tire 
young are ready to leave the nest, the female lays 
again, thus producing three, and sometimes four broods 
in a season. The last brood is sometimes hatched so 
