THE PURPLE MARTIN. 329 



No. 126. 



PURPLE MARTIN. 



A. O. U. No. 611. Progne subis (Liiin.l. 



Description. — Adult male: Rich, purplish black, glossy and metallic; wings 

 and tail dead black. .Idiilf female: Similar to male, but blue-black of upper- 

 parts restricted and duller: forehead, hind-neck, and lower parts sooty gray, 

 paler on belly and crissum. Bill black, stout, and broad at the base, decurved 

 near tip; nostrils exposed, circular, opening upward; feet moderately stout. 

 Young males: resemble adult female but are somewhat darker, the steely blue 

 appearing at first in patches. Length 7.25-8.50 (184.2-215.9); av. of eight 

 specimens: wing 5.75 (146.1} ; tail 2.72 (69.1) ; bill, breadth at base .73 (18.5) ; 

 length from nostril .33 (8.4). 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size; the largest of the Swallows: blue-black, 

 or blue-black and M.iot_\-gra}' coloration. 



Nesting. — Nest, of leaves, grass, and trash, in some cavity, usually arti- 

 ficial, — bird-bo.xes, gourds, etc. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 6, pure, glossy white. Av. 

 size, .98X.73 (24.9 X 18.5). Season, first week in June; one brood. 



General Range. — Temperate North .\merica, except southern portion of 

 Pacific Coast district, north to Ontario and the Saskatchewan, south to the 

 higher parts of Mexico, wintering in South America. 



Range in Washington. — Not common summer resident — nearlv confined to 

 business sections of the larger cities. 



Migrations. — Spring: c. April 15: Tacoma, April I, 1905. Pall: c. Sept. 1st. 



Authorities. — Cooper and Suckley, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XII. pt. II. i860, 

 p. 136. (T). C&S. [L|. Rh. Ra. Kk."B. E. 



Specimens. — Prov. B. E. 



THIS virtually rare bird appears to be strict!}' confined during its 

 summer residence with us to the business districts of our larger West-side 

 cities. Records are in from Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bellingham, Van- 

 couver, and \'ictoria only. Really, if this favoritism continues, we shall begin 

 to think of imposing a new test for cities of the first class; viz.. Do the 

 Martins nest with you? 



Suckley remembers a time when, in the earlv Fifties, a few Martins were 

 to be seen about the scrub oaks of the Niscjually Plains, in whose hollows and 

 recesses they undoubtedly nested ; but all Washington birds have long since 

 adopted the ways of civilization. April ist is the earliest return I have noted, 

 and we are not surprised if they fail to put in an appearance before the ist 

 of May. Their movements depend largely upon the weather, and even if 

 they ha\"e come back earlier the\' are likelv to mope indoors when the weather 

 is cold and disagreeable. The birds feed exclusively upon insects, and are 

 thus quite at the mercy of a backward spring. Not only flies and nits are 



