J 3
m a riz e s th e w o rk o f th e R u s s ia n n a tu r a l is t s in t h a t q u a r te r o f th e g lo b e , a n d sa y s t h a t
th e S a n d -M a r tin is w id e ly s p re a d in E a s t e r n S ib e ria . Air. G o d lew sk i n o tic e d i t e v e ry w
h e re in sm a ll n um b e rs , b u t in D a u r i a th e r e a r e m a n y lo c a litie s w h e re i t is v e ry a b u n d a n t
a n d b re ed s . D r . A lid d en d o rff o b se rv ed th e sp e c ie s in tb e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f Oud sk o i-
O s tro g , b u t n o t in s u c h n um b e r s a s tb e C b im u e y -Sw a llow .
A c c o rd in g to V o n S c b re n c k i t is v e r y c om m o n o n tb e A m u r, n e s tin g o n tb e ste ep
s a n d y b a n k s o f t b e r iv e r a u d i ts is la n d s , tb e b a n k s b e in g g e n e ra lly b y n o m e a n s h ig h
a n d w a sh e d b y tb e w a te rs o f th e s tr e am : th e b ird s w e re n e s t in g in sm a ll c om p a n ie s a n d
n e v e r in s u c h n um b e r s a s in E u ro p e . S om e o f tb e n e s ts w e re p la c e d so n e a r to th e le v e l
o f t b e w a te r a s to tlir e a t e n th e i r d e s tru c tio n o n th e le a s t flood. P rz ew a ls k i d id n o t fin d
tb e sp ec ie s o n tb e U s s u r i o r in tb e b a s in o f L a k e H a n k a . S te lle r a n d D r. D y b ow sk i
h a v e m e t wdtb th e species in K am ts c h a tk a . O n tb e 1 s t o f S e p tem b e r P rz ew a ls k i saw
a n e n o rm o u s com p a n y o f S a n d -A Ia rtin s g o in g s o u th in tb e v a lle y o f tb e C b u a n -b e . I n
th e is la n d o f S a k h a lin Air. N ik o ls k i obseiwed tb e sp e c ie s in r e s tr ic te d n um b e r s in th e
n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f A le x a n d row k a a n d in th e K o r sa k o ff P o s t. P o lja k o ff h a s n o tic e d a
n um b e r o f th e s e A la r tin s i n th e low e r c o u rs e o f tb e r iv e r T ym .
D r . T a c z a n ow sk i a lso in c lu d e d C o tile s in e n s is a s o c c u r r in g in E a s t e r n S ib e ria ; a n d
lie b a se d tb i s c o n c lu s io n o n fiv e e x am p le s p ro c u re d b y Air. JanskoAvski o n tb e S id em i
l l iv e r , close to tb e f r o n tie r b e tw e e n U s s u ri L a n d a n d C h in a , n o t f a r from ARadiowstock.
Air. S to lzm a n n h a s v e r y k in d ly s u bm it t e d som e o f th e s e sp e c im e n s to u s fo r e x am in a tio
n , a n d w e fin d t h a t th e y a r e a b s o lu te ly C. r ip a r ia , a u d n o t e v e n t b e p a le fo rm of
i t , w h ic h re a lly does somcAvbat re s em b le C. s in e n s is in a p p e a ra n c e .
G e n e ra l PrzcAvalski’s n o te o n tb e sp e c ie s is a s fo llows :— “ T o le r a b ly com m o n in
S .E . Alo n g o lia, b u t is r a th e r sc a rc e a b o u t Ord o s a n d A la - sb a n , a n d d o e s n o t o c c u r a t aU
in K a n -s u . I t b re e d s i u tb e fo rm e r lo c a litie s in sm a ll c om p a n ie s o f from th r e e to five
p a irs , o n tb e sid e s o f r iv u le ts , a n d som e tim e s iu tb e liills o f th e s te p p e a t g r e a t d is ta n c e s
f rom tb e w a te r. On th e Gtb o f J u n e I to o k a n e s t w ith six p e r fe c tly f r e s h eggs,
a n d o n t h e 1 8 th o f tb e sam e m o n th we fo u n d som e v e r y y o u n g b ird s . T h e y a r r iv e in
s p r in g in S .E . A lo n g o lia a t tb e e n d o f A p r il a n d le a v e a t tb e e n d o f A u g u s t ; on th e 2 0 tb
o f tb is m o n th w e o b se rv ed , in tb e Ilo a n g - b o v a lle y , a n e n o rm o u s flo ck m ig r a t in g s o u th .”
I n K am ts c h a tk a , D r . S te jn e g e r says, “ tb e S a n d -A Ia rtin o c c u rs in th e v ic in ity o f
P e tro p a u low sk i, b u t is n o t, a s i t Avould se em , v e r y com m o n . I t h a s b e e n sa id to v is it th e
is la n d o f B e rin g o c c a s io n a lly , b u t I h a v e d o u b ts a s to th e c o r re c tn e s s o f th e s ta tem e n t,
a s no s p e c im e n s se em to h a v e b e e n o b ta in e d . I t is c e r ta in t h a t i t Avas n o t se e n th e r e
d u r in g m y so jo u rn .” T h re e s e ts o f e g g s w e re o b ta in e d in K am ts c h a tk a , th e m e a su r e m
e n ts o f w h ic h a r e g iv en . “ A il th e e g g s w e re v e r y e v e n ly sp e c k le d w i th m in u te b la c k
d o ts. T h e se c o u ld b e w a sh e d aAvay c om p le te ly from t b e f r e s h eggs, w h i l e a y e a r a f te r-
Avards th e y a r e d iffic u lt to rem o v e , i f i t c a n b e d o n e a t a l l .”
A ir. S e eb o hm sa y s t h a t th e Sand-AIai-tin is a s um m e r v i s it a n t to J a p a n , b u t is
n ow h e re v e ry a b u n d a n t, a c c o rd in g to Alessrs. B la k is to n a n d P ry e r . l i i s co llec tio n
c o n ta in s fo u r e x am p le s s e n t b y C a p ta in B la k is to n from Yozzo, a n d tw o sp e c im e n s from
Y o k o h am a c o lle c te d b y th e la te Air. H . P ry e r .
I n C h in a Sw in h o e n o tic e d tb e spec ie s n e a r P e k in in s um m e r, a u d Air. E . AA". S ty a n
re co rd s i t a s a s um m e r v i s ita n t to th e b a s in o f th e L ow e r Y a n g tz e . l i e say s t h a t i t is
n o t v e ry com m o n , a n d b e h a s n o t y e t discovered its b re e d in g -h a u n ts , b u t h e h a s n o tic e d
t h e b ird s o n th e Y'a n g tz e in Alay, J u n e , a n d J u ly . A t F oochow, a c c o rd in g to th e s am e
o b se rv e r, i t is s e e n iu s p rin g , a n d five sp e c im e n s w e re sh o t in N o v emb e r.
A c c o rd in g to D a v id a n d O u s ta le t i t is v e ry com m o n in tb e n o r th o f C h in a fo r tb e
g r e a te r p a r t o f tb e y e a r, n e s tin g in colonies. A b b é D a v id lik ew ise s ta te s th a t b e m e t
Avitb i t in A lo n g o b a. T b e fo llow in g n o te is b y tb e l a te Con su l SA\-inboe “ T b is p r e tty
l i t t l e Swallow Avas v e r y com m o n a b o u t th e m a rsh e s a t Tak o o , o fte n p e r c h in g on th e
g ro u n d , a p p a r e n tly to t a k e r e s t a n d p r e e n itse lf. I n tb e p la in b e fo re T ie n ts in th o u s a n d s
o f tb i s sp ee ie s, iu com p a n y Avith la rg e p a r tie s o f H ir tin d o ru s tic a a n d d a u riea , SAvarmed
tb e a ir d u r in g tb e w a rm d a y s o f S e p tem b e r, e n g a g e d in c a tc h in g th e n um e ro u s flies th a t
h a u n te d t b e c am p . AVe w e re d e b g b te d to see th e s e a c tiv e l i tt l e fly -d e s tro y e rs occu p ied
so b u s ily in th e Avork o f d e s tru c tio n , a s w e Avere lite r a lly in flic ted Avflth a p la g u e o f flies,
fo r e v e ry t e n t w a s b la c k e n e d tOAvards th e to p w ith th e s e sm a ll p e s ts .” I n K o k o n o o r
Aim. G rum -G rz im a ilo m e t Avitb th e spec ie s p le n tifu lly .
I t m u s t b e rem a rk e d t h a t tb e e a s te rn r a n g e o f tb e S a n d -A Ia rtin is b y n o m e a n s
c le a rly u n d e rs to o d , a n d t h a t som e o f tb e r em a rk s ab o v e q u o te d m a y u l t im a te ly b e fo u n d
to re f e r to tb e p a le e a s te rn fo rm w h ic h we h a v e c a lle d Cotile d ilu ta .
Ill A f ric a also co n s id e rab le u n c e r t a in ty e x is ts a s to th e w in te r h a b i t a t o f th e S an d -
A la rtin . A lan y re fe re n c e s to tb o o c c u rre n c e o f tb e spec ie s in N o r th - e a s te r n A fric a
d o u b tle s s re f e r to Cotile sh elley i, a n d p ro b a b ly n o t a few to Cotile m in o r . T h u s C an o n
T r is tr am says t h a t h e h a s fo u n d th e S a n d -A Ia rtin b re e d in g in E g y p t in F c b ru a r} ', a n d
su g g e s ts t h a t th e spec ie s m a y b e d o u b le -b ro o d ed . AVbthout d o u b t th e sp e c ie s re fe r re d
to m u s t b e C o tile sh e lle y i. F rom S u e z w e h a v e re c e iv e d a n u n d o u b te d e x am p le o f th e
t r u e C. rip a r ia , a n d i ts Avinter re s id e n c e in S o u th A fric a is c e rtifie d b y th r e e sp e c im e n s
s e n t b y A ir. A y re s from F o tc h e fs tro om a n d n ow in th e B ritis h A lu s eu in . D r . UeicbenoAv
also in fo rm s u s t h a t th o sp e c im e n s in th e B e rlin A lu seum from E a s t e r n A f ric a a r e th e
t r u e C. r ip a r ia .
Air. A y re s w rite s “ O n e m o rn in g , v e ry e a rly , I w e n t doAvn to tb e riv e r w ith m y
ro d to fish, a n d s i tt in g q u ie tly n e a r a n e x te n s iv e b ed o f re e d s a n d ru sh e s , I saAV m a n y
Im n d re d s o f th e s e l i tt l e M a r tin s le a v e th e i r ro o s ts am o n g tb e rusbe.s, a ll to g e th e r , j u s t a s
th e s u n ro se ; a b o u t a q u a r te r o f a n h o u r l a t e r m a n y h u n d r e d s o f C. p a lu d ic o la l e f t tb e
sam e p a tc h o f re eds, o r o th e rs close b y , a ll to g e th e r, o r n e a rly so ; a t tb is tim e tb e tw o
species Avere n o t m ix ed , b u t a t o th e r tim e s o f tb e d a y th e y a r e n e a rly a lw a y s to g e th e r ,
c o u r s in g fo r in s e c ts .”
■VVe Lave o n ly se e n o n e e x am p le from a n y p a r t o f W e s t Afric a , ami th i s is a
sp e c im e n in th e Tw e ed d ale C o lle ctio n , co lle c te d b y M . L a g la iz e n e a r St. L o u is in
S en eg am h ia . M r. H a r t e r t , d u r in g h is e x p e d itio n to th e B e n iie lU v c r, saw a S an d -
M a r tin in th e f a r in te rio r, rv h ich w a s p ro lia b ly th e p re s e n t species.
C o n s id e rin g , liow-eYer, th e m y ria d s o f th is com m o n l i tt l e h ird w h ich m u s t ho h a tc h e d
in n o r th e r n la titu d e s e v e ry y e a r, i t is m a rv e llo u s t h a t so few sp e c im e n s a r e o b ta in e d in
its w iu to r-q u a rte r s , w h ile tlie ro u te s w h ic h th e y fo llow a ro p ra c tic a lly u nm a rk e d . N o
d o u h t ono lin e o f f lig h t is a lo u g th e N ile V a lle y , as H r . K e ic lic n ow re co rd s a n e x am p le
3 r 2