120 



Ihe Ottawa Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXII. 



is only after the former have been fully met that 

 we can indulge the latter. This does not necessarily 

 mean that taste and mgenuity in the designer is an 

 objection, but only that the fundamental rules of 

 art govern bud house building as well as more 

 serious architecture that the structure must first be 

 adapted to its intended use and that beauty that 

 interferes with this use is false art and bad archi- 

 tecture. A shingled cottage built to look like a 

 mediaeval castle is bad taste, and a bird house in 

 too close imitation of a city hall, viewed by the 

 canons of pure art, is equally questionable. Artis- 

 tically, the most successful bird house is the one, 

 which, while fulfilling the practical bird require- 

 ments, retains pleasing lines and agreeable surfaces 

 but looks frankly what it is a house for birds and 

 not a toy human habitation. 



THE PURPLE MARTIN. 



Probably the bird most generally welcomed about 

 the home is the Purple Martin. This is our largest 

 swallow, comparable in size to the omnipresent, Eng- 

 lish, or, as it is more correctly named. House 

 Sparrow. In colour, the adult male is all black 

 with steely and purple reflections that give the 

 species its name. The female and young male are 

 almost black above with slight indications of irides- 

 scence, dull or dirty grey below, almost white on the 

 abdomen, and darkest across the breast. The fore- 

 head is greyish, leaving a contrasted dark bar from 

 the bill through the eye, bounded below by the 

 lighter throat. 



Esthetically, the Martin is a joy forever. Its deep 

 throat gurgles and soft warblings fall pleasantly upon 

 the ear. Unlike those pests the Crackles its voice 

 is never raucous or harsh, nor has it the egg-stealing 

 proclivities of those clownish rascals. Misguided 

 people will occasionally be found who object to 

 having their morning's rest broken even by Martins. 

 Doubtless such folk would object to being awakened 

 by a symphony orchestra. They should be pitied 

 rather than blamed; but, in either event, disre- 

 garded. To my mind the soft morning chorus of 

 the Martins is soothing and does not disturb rest; 

 but is conducive to a luxurious semi-consciousness 

 or borderland to sleep that permits the enjoyment of 

 slumber without awakening. 



Martins are companionable. They live together 

 in colonies, visit each other's housekeeping establish- 

 ments, and chatter together continually. The new 

 comer is greeted pleasantly and the departing guest 

 sent on his way with good wishes and merry quips. 

 Visitors from other colonies are received and per- 

 mitted to peer in and examine the growing families 

 with the expressed satisfaction and approval of all 

 concerned. The greatest good nature prevails. 



Though passing differences of opinion may occasion- 

 ally occur and be argued loudly and vigorously, they 

 are rare and do not interfere with the general harmony 

 of the colony. It is only when strangers of other 

 species intrude that all unite to eject them. The House 

 Sparrow is on its best behaviour on the premises 

 and even the family cat walks with circumspection, 

 retreating hastily if not gracefully to the nearest 

 cover at the first assault of the angry birds. In fact 

 such open rough and tumble warfare and tumult is 

 not to the cat's liking and it usually prefers a con- 

 siderable detour to crossing the open under a thriving 

 Martin colony. 



Martins have a strong love of home, and certainly 

 develop a sense of proprietorship, almost human, in 

 the house they are accustomed to occupy. The 

 occupation ot a new house already in the possession 

 of Sparrows or other birds, is seldom insisted upon, 

 but on return in the spring to an ancestral home, 

 intruders are positively and rudely ejected. 

 Sparrows, being already on the ground and choosing 

 the most desirable locations before most migrants 

 arrive, often succeed in fighting off other more de- 

 sirable tenants or even jumping the claims after 

 they have been established by legal possession and 

 labour, but the Purple Martins are a match for 

 sparrows nearly every time, though, like law-abiding 

 citizens, they rarely lay claim to more than they 

 have legal title to. Another point of interest in 

 regard to Martins and their attachment to their home, 

 IS the fact that they return to it after its use as a 

 nursery is past. Other birds, probably all other 

 Canadian birds, evince no interest in a nest after 

 the young have left it, at least until a new nesting 

 season recalls it to use. With them the nest is not 

 a home or a shelter, but merely a receptacle for hold- 

 ing eggs and young, useless and without interest 

 when that use is accomplished. Martins, however, 

 retain possession until they gather for the fall 

 migration, and the old homestead remains the family 

 meeting place until the time of departure comes. 

 After the middle of August, though through the day 

 the Martin house may stand empty and silent, to- 

 wards evening the whole joyous colony regather 

 about the home of their late infancy and family 

 associations. They clatter, gurgle, and exchange 

 family jokes and affectionate greetings until, as the 

 sun goes down, they crowd into the cubbyholes and 

 the wonder is where so many fully grown birds find 

 room. Their voices grow softer and night and 

 silence steals over all. As daylight comes, awaken- 

 ing chirps are heard, heads appear at the doors, 

 birds emerge, and from the topmost points of the 

 house they roll a vocal welcome to the day. Soon 

 all are displaying themselves to the morning sun, 

 preening and fluffing to let the grateful warmth sink 



