N ile V a lle y to th e in t e r io r o f S o u th - e a s te rn A fric a . C a p ta in S h e lle y o h sc rv e d th e
sp e c ie s in E g y p t a n d N u b i a in A p r il a n d A lay , w h e n i t w a s a iip a r e n tly m a k in g its w a y
n o rthw a i'd , a n d h e fo u n d n o e v id e n c e o f i t s b r e e d in g in th o s e c o u n trie s . V o n I l e u g l in
re c o rd s i t a s a b ird o f p a s s a g e o n ly in N .E . A f ric a a n d A r a b ia , g o in g n o r th in E c b r u a ry
a n d A la reb , a n d r e tu r n in g s o u thw a r d from A u g u s t to th e b e g in n in g o f O c to b e r, p a s s in g
e i th e r s in g ly o r in la rg e flocks, som e tim e s in c om p a n y w ith o th e r Swallows. A sp e c im e n
w a s o b ta in e d b y Air. B la n fo rd a t K o om a y li o n th e 2 n d o f E c b r u a ry .
AVe c a n n o t And a n y e v id e n c e o f th e c a p tu r e o f t h e sp e c ie s in E a s te rn A f ric a , a n d
y e t i t a p p e a rs to p a s s s o u th b y t h e E a s t C o a s t ro u t e , fo r i t was d isco v e red b y tb e la te
A ir. J . S. J am e s o n d u r in g b is e x p e d itio n to A la sb o n a L a n d . I t w a s m e t w i th o n th e
Q u a e -q u a e l l iv e r o n O c to b e r 2 3 r d ; a n d Air. A y re s say s t h a t “ fo r tw o o r th r e e d a y s ,f rom
a b o u t 9 to 1 0 A.M., c o n s id e r a b le n um b e r s o f A la r tin s w e re fly in g u p tb e riv e r in a s o u th e
a s te rly d ire c tio n a t a g r e a t h e ig h t, o n ly n ow a n d th e n o u e c om in g w i th in r a n g e ; th e y
w e re a p p a r e n t ly m ig r a t in g .”
AA’e h a v e n e v e r se e n a S e n e g am b ia n s p e c im e n , b u t AI. de E o c lic b r u n e sa y s i t is
c om m o n th e r e in w in te r , a n d g iv e s a n um b e r o f p la c e s w h e re i t h a s b e e n o b se rv ed . H e
s t a t e s t h a t i t a r r iv e s th e r e in O c to b e r. Air. K e u lem a n s , wlio a c c om p a n ie d D r . D o b r a on
b is e x p e d itio n to V e s t A f ric a , s ta te s t h a t lie s h o t a s in g le sp e c im e n o n P r in c e ’s Is la n d ,
u n d h e e n t e r t a in s n o d o u b t a s to t h e c o r re c tn e s s o f th e id e n tific a tio n . T h e sp e c im e n
w a s to o m u c h in ju r e d to h e p re s e rv e d , a n d tl ii s is th e o n ly c e rtified o ccu iTen ce o f th e
s p e e ie s in t h a t p a r t o f AVest A fric a .
T h e H o u s e -A la r tin -is a v e r y fam ilia r s um m e r v i s it a n t to th e B r itis h Is la n d s , a n d it
is q u i t e a f e a tu r e in th e s u b u rb s o f L o n d o n a n d o th e r l a rg e c itie s . I t a r riv e s a few d ay s
l a t e r t h a n th e C om m o n Sw a llow , tow a rd s th e m id d le o r e n d o f A p r il, le a v in g a g a in in
S e p tem b e r a n d O c to b e r. I t o fte n r e a r s tw o , o r e v e n th re e , b ro o d s , a n d som e o f tb e la t e r
b a tc h e d b ird s a r e fo u n d w ith u s in O c to b e r, a n d se v e ra l y o u n g sp e c im e n s c a p tu r e d in t h a t
m o n th a r e in th e B r i t is h A lu s c um . T h e l a t e s t d a te o n w h ich A la r tin s h a v e b e e n seen b y
th e a u th o r s in th i s c o u n try wa s th e 2 2 n d o f N o v em b e r, w lie n S h a rp e saw a flock o f a b o u t
a d o z e n in d iv id u a ls p a s s in g o v e r tb e p a r k a t A v in g to n , in I lam p s liir e . T h e s e b ird s we re
w e n d in g s o u th i u th e lu te e v e n in g , b u t a s th e y c irc le d o t a g r e a t h e ig h t a b o v e tb e h o u se
fo r a few m om e n ts , s e v e ra l slio ts Avcre fire d a t th em b y C a p ta in S h e lley a n d som e o th e rs
o f th e p a r ty , w h o h a d j u s t r e tu r n e d from sh o o tin g , b u t th e b ird s w e re o u t o f r a n g e a u d
n o t o n e sp e c im e n c o u ld bo p ro c u re d . O f tlie id e n t i ty o f th e sp ec ie s, h ow e v e r, tlie r e wa s
n o t th e sm a lle s t d o u b t. Air. S e e b o bm e v e n re c o rd s th e o c c a s io n a l o c c u rre n c e a s l a t e a s
D e c em b e r, a n d Air. H ow a rd S a u n d e r s po ssesses a s p e c im e n s h o t a t lio ig a te in th e sam e
m o n th . I n S c o tla n d a n d th e n o r th o f E n g l a n d th e A la r tin s le a v e s om ew h a t e a r lie r th a n
ill t h e so u th , a n d m o s tly d is a p p e a r in S e p tem b e r , w h e re a s in t h e l a t t e r p a r t o f th e c o u n try
th e y d e p a r t e a rly iu O c to b e r. T h e i r a u tu m n f lig h t is h e r a ld e d b y l a rg e n um b e rs o f
th e b ird s a s s em b lin g to g e th e r w ith Sw allow s a n d S a iid -A Ia rtiu s o n th e te lo g ra p li-w irc s ,
a n d o f te n in th e e a rly a u tu m n a l m o rn in g s m a n y h u n d r e d s o f Sw allow s a u d Alai-tius co n g
r e g a te o n t h e s la te d ro o is o f h o u se s w h ic h th e s u n h a s b e g u n to w a rm ; h e r e th e y s it,
b u sU y p ro c h in ff tlie ir f e a th e r s , k e e p in g u p a c o n s ta n t tw itte r in g a n d b a th in g in th e r a in w
a te r o f th e k a d e n g u t t e r s i f th e r e sh o u ld c h a n c e to ho a n y w a te r in tliem ; su c h
a s s em b la g e s a s th e a b o v e t a k e p la c e a n n u a l ly a t H o lly L o d g e , a t C o o k h am a n d g e n e ra lly
la s t f o r a b o u t a fo r tn ig h t, u n t i l, a s i f h y c om m o n c o n s e n t, th e b ird s s u d d e n ly d is ap p e a i
a n d a r e n o t se e n u n t i l th e fo llow in g s p rin g .
T h e n e s t o f th e A la r tin is u s u a lly p la c e d u n d e r th e o v e rh a n g in g caves of h o u ses, b u t
i n m a n y p a r ts o f E u r o p e i t is s till a fr e q u e n t e r o t ro c k s , a s is sh ow n by th e fo llow in g
in t e r e s tin g n o te in M r. H e n r y S e e h o hm ’s ‘ H is to ry o f B r i t is h B ird s . H e ii rite s :
■■ T h e r e c a n ho l i tt l e d o u b t t h a t th e M a r tin p a irs fo r life, a n d e v e ry sea so n r e tu r n s to^ i s
o ld n e s t a n d u s e s i t a g a in . T h is in t e r e s tin g fa c t h a s b e e n p ro v e d b y m a i lin g b ird s
in v a r io u s ways, a n d in som e in s ta n c e s tlie y h a v e b e e n fo u n d in th e i r old h a u n t s th e
followino. y e a r. T h e r e c a n h e l i tt l e d o u b t t h a t th e h i r d fo rm e rly u s e d to b re e d e x c lu s
iv e ly o n ro c k s , a n d t h a t i t s h a b i t o f fr e q iie n tin g b u ild in g s is c om p a ra tiv e ly o n ly a le e e n t
o no T h o u s a n d s o f M a r tin s b re e d o n th e lim e s to n e ro o k s in Do v o d a lo a n d in o th e r p a its
o f t h e P e a k o f D e rb y s h ire , a t M a lm Cove n e a r S e ttle in Y o rk sh ir e , a n d in m a n y o th e r
p la c e s , e sp e c ia lly o n th e elifls o f th e se a -eo a st a t P lam b o ro u g h a n d o tn e r p la c e s m t e i g ami
a n d S c o tla n d . I t f r e q u e n t s a lik e th e w ild e s t p o rtio n s o f tlio c o u n try a n d th e h ig h ly
c u ltiv a te d d is tr ic ts , a n d v e ry o fte n b re e d s iu c o n s id e n ib le iium h e rs oven
tow n s . T h e r e is a c u rio u s n e sc iiig -p la o c o f th i s spoe.os n i th e P e a k . H e to n e l a i h i a j
h r i d - e t h a t sp a n s M o n s a l D a le is lin e d w ith M a r tin s ’ n e s ts , a n d th e b ird s se e n to he
n o t a t a ll in c o n v e n ie n c e d b y th o p a s s in g tr a in s . T h e n e s ts a r e b u i l t o u ts id e th e b rid g e ,
u n d e r th e c o p in g w h ic h p ro je c ts o v e r tlie w a lls, ■ .
■■ I n th e P a rn a s s u s th e y b re e d b o th o n ro c k s a n d o n h o u se s . A t C a s tri ( th e a n c ie n t
D e lp h i) th o n e s ts o f th i s h i r d a r e com m o n u n d e r th o e a v e s o t th e b o u s e s in th e v i l la g e ; a n d
t h e r e is a la rg e co lo n y o c c u p y in g th e cliffs, in c om p a n y w ith th e K o e k -S p a rro iv (/„ » » « •
p e tr o n ia ), in th e p i c tu r e s q u e g o rg e fr om w h ic li th e fam o u s s p r in g flows. I h a v e also
s e e n o t h e r l a rg e co lo n ies in t h e m o u n ta in -lim e s to n c cliffs a t A g o ria iio a n d B e l i t z a ; b u t
b y f a r th e la rg e s t c o lo n y I h a v e e v e r se e n is in a rom a n tio g le n in th e iiio u n ta in s o v e rlo
o k in g M is so lo n g h i. T h o ro c k s o v e rh a n g v e ry n iu c li, a n d w lie n I was tlie r e h u n d re d s
o t n e s ts w e re to h e seen u n d e r th e o v e rh a n g in g p a r t, w h ils t o u ts id e a n d in th o v a lle y th e
b ird s w e re fly in g in th o u s a n d s , lik e a sw a rm o f b ee s. I n a c lo tt o f th e ro c k , in th e m id st
o f th e M a r tin s ’ n e s ts , w a s a h u g e n e s t o f th o W liito -ta ilo d E a g lo , a n d m a n y o t tlio M a r tin s
n e s ts wore in th e po ssessio n o f th o C om m o n llo n s c -S p a r r ow ."
C o lo n e l I r h y also rem a rk s t h a t th e M a r tin s b u i ld o n ro c k s n e a r G ib r a lta r , lik e
m l i s r u p e s t r i s .' M r. IV . E a g le C la rk e , to o , fo u n d th o rn h rc o d iu g o u th e fa ces o f th e g re a t
cliffs o n th e m o u iita in -s id o s a t A n d o r ra in th o E a s te rn P y re n e e s , a t C a n illo o n a c liff a t
5 3 0 0 fe et. A g a in , iu I ’a lc s tin c , C a n o n T r i s t r am sa y s t h a t th e sp e c ie s “ re a p p e a rs m
sm a ll n um b e rs a b o u t th e 8t h o t A p r il, a n d b re e d s in c o lo n ie s o n th e sh e lte r e d cliffs iii
t h e v a lle y s o f N o i-tlie rn G a lile e .”
A n o th e r m e th o d o f in c u b a tio n is t h a t m e n tio n e d b y AI. G a d e a u d c K e rv ille , who
say s t h a t in N o rm a n d y th e n e s t is som e tim e s b u i l t in th e c a v ity o f a w a ll, th e b ird s