very favourite nesting-places. In Alderney there were
a great many nests about Scott's Hotel and a few more in the town, but I
did not see any about the cliffs as at Fermain and Petit Bo in Guernsey.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, but only marks it as occurring
in Guernsey and Sark.

90. SAND MARTIN. _Cotyle riparia_, Linnaeus. French, "Hirondelle de
rivage."--When I first made out my list of Guernsey birds I had omitted
the Sand Martin altogether, as I had never seen it in the Islands, but
Mr. MacCulloch wrote to me to say, "Amongst the swallows you have not
noticed the Sand Martin, which is our earliest visitant in this family
and by no means uncommon." In consequence of this note, as soon as I got
to the Island this year (1878), in June, I went everywhere I could think
likely to look for Sand Martins, but nowhere could I find that the Sand
Martins had taken possession of a breeding-station. Knowing from my own
experience here that Sand Martins are fond of digging their nest-holes
in the heads of quarries, (I had quite forty nest-holes in my quarry
this year, and forty pairs of Sand Martins inhabiting them), I kept a
bright look-out in all the stone-quarries in the Vale, and they are very
numerous, but I did not see a single Sand Martin's hole or a single pair
of birds anywhere; and it appeared to me that the sandy earth forming
the head was not deep enough before reaching the granite to admit of the
Sand Martins making their holes; and they do not appear to me to have
fixed upon any other sort of breeding place in the Island; neither could
Mr. MacCulloch point one out to me; so I suppose we must consider the
Sand Martin as only a spring visitant to this Island, not remaining to
breed. The same seems to me to be the case in Alderney, as Captain
Hubbach writes to tell me he "saw some Sand Martins about the quarry
here (in Alderney), for two or three days at the beginning of April, but
cannot say whether they remained here to breed or not." I suppose they
continued their journey, as I did not see any when there in June; I have
not seen any in Sark or either of the other small Islands.

Professor Ansted includes the Sand Martin in his list, and marks it as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark.

91. WOOD PIGEON. _Columba palumbus_, Linnaeus. French, "Colombe
ramier."--The Wood Pigeon is resident and breeds in several places in
Guernsey; but fortunately for the Guernsey Farmers, who may
congratulate themselve