nting wild heaths and
commons where there are large lakes; while the other species, especially
the swallow and house-martin, are remarkably gentle and domesticated, and
never seem to think themselves safe but under the protection of man.

Here are in this parish, in the sand-pits and banks of the lakes of
Wolmer forest, several colonies of these birds, and yet they are never
seen in the village, nor do they at all frequent the cottages that are
scattered about in that wild district. The only instance I ever remember
where this species haunts any building, is at the town of Bishop's
Waltham, in this county, where many sand-martins nestle and breed in the
scaffold-holes of the back wall of William of Wykeham's stables; but then
this wall stands in a very sequestered and retired enclosure, and faces
upon a large and beautiful lake. And indeed this species seems so to
delight in large waters, that no instance occurs of their abounding, but
near vast pools or rivers; and in particular it has been remarked that
they swarm in the banks of the Thames in some places below London-bridge.

It is curious to observe with what different degrees of architectonic
skill Providence has endowed birds of the same genus, and so nearly
correspondent in their general mode of life; for while the swallow and
the house-martin discover the greatest address in raising and securely
fixing crusts or shells of loam as cunabula for their young, the bank-
martin terebrates a round and regular hole in the sand or earth, which is
serpentine, horizontal, and about two feet deep. At the inner end of
this burrow does this bird deposit, in a good degree of safety, her rude
nest, consisting of fine grasses and feathers, usually goose-feathers,
very inartificially laid together.

Perseverance will accomplish anything, though at first one would be
disinclined to believe that this weak bird, with her soft and tender bill
and claws, should ever be able to bore the stubborn sand-bank without
entirely disabling herself; yet with these feeble instruments have I seen
a pair of them make great despatch, and could remark how much they had
scooped that day, by the fresh sand which ran down the bank, and was of a
different colour from that which lay loose and bleached in the sun.

In what space of time these little artists are able to mine and finish
these cavities I have not been able to discover, for reasons given above;
but it would be a matter worthy of observat