ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 307 



the ffround ■■ (Prof. Ludvvig Kumlein); "nest loose, shallow and coarse" (Prof. J. W. 

 Simmons); egf?B three to five, greenish blue spotted with brown; not only a sweet 

 singer, but our most showy bird. Mr. George D. Sones writes me that the nests 

 are often so poorly built that the eggs may be counted from below looking up 

 through the nests. This bird, of late, comes close to our houses on the college 

 campus. 



2.>(>-(>10-(15o). Piraiiga rul»ra {Linn.). *Summer Tanager; Summer Redisird. 



Exceedingly rare, and only in extreme southern limit; straggler from the south; 

 not so brilliant as the preceding species, and the male has not the black wings. 

 E. L. Moseley reports one from Michigan; "not seen at Ann Arbor" (Dr. J. B. 

 Steere); '" never seen in Monroe Co." (Jerome Trombley); if ever seen in Michigan 

 an accidental and very rare straggler. 



Family HIRUNDINID.^. Swallows. 



These feed wholly on insects; are very beneficial, and very amiable toward 

 each other. 



Genus PROGNE Boie. 



2o7-6ll-(16'5)» Progne subis (Linn.). * Purple Martin. 



Common throughout the summer, or was so, prior to the reign of the ^English 

 Sparrows; throughout the state; "still common at Port Sanilac" (W. A. Oldfield); 

 "rare in Monroe Co." (Jerome Trombley); "common at Iron Mountain" (E. E. 

 Brewster); " rare outside Detroit, I hunted for four years to find a set of eggs 

 for my collection " (Dr. W. C. Brownell); " common at New Baltimore, where 

 English Sparrows are yet rare" (Robt. H. Wolcott); '"very common at St. Joseph 

 and Albion till driven off by English Sparrows, and it is disappearing similarly 

 from Palmer" (O. B. Warren); "common every year at Hubbardston. where it 

 arrives April 7 to 9 each year " (Prof. C. W. Wheeler); " rare and local in Washte- 

 naw Co." (Dr. J. B. Steere); "' becomming very rare at Plymouth " (J. B. Purdy); 

 "Grand Traverse Co." (M. L. Leach); "breeds at Mackinac Island" (S. E. White); 

 "nests commonly at Alma, Gratiot Co., in the false fronts of stores, where it suc- 

 cessfully combats the European Sparrow" (Prof. C. A. Davis); will oppose the 

 European Sparrow successfully for a time but will finally yield the fort; " nests in 

 Hillsdale in the hoods over electric lights " (F. M. Falconer); breeds; nests in June, 

 in boxes, holes in J;rees, etc.; eggs four to six, white; food insects, even Wasps and 

 May Beetles; " this bird arrives at Bay City from April 10 to April 80, it is very 

 attached to old nesting place, which nothing can induce it to leave " (N. A. Eddy). 



Genus PBTROCHELIDON Cab. 



25S-612-(1(>2). Petrochelidon luiiifrous (Say.). * Cliff Swallow; Eave Swal- 

 low; Mud Dauber; Square-tailed Barn Swallow. 



Very common; throughout the state; May to August; "rare and local in Washte- 

 naw Co." (Dr. J. B. Steere); " I have counted one hundred and ninety-three nests 

 under the eaves of one barn, from which I think over two thousand young were 

 hatched in one season" (Dr. W. C. Brownell); '•very common at St. Joseph and 

 Albion" (O. B. Warren); "occurs at Chandler's Falls, on the Escanaba River, Upper 



