84 Bird -Lore 



Dates of arrival and departure: 



Year Spring Summer and Autumn 



1905 August 15 



1906 April 14* August 25 



1907 March 11 August 31 



1908 March 27 August 19 



1909 March 25 August 12 



1910 March 22 August 22 



191 1 March 30 August 28t 



For various reasons, a Martin-house was not erected until the early spring 

 of 1908. It was a common box with six compartments, placed upon the roof of 

 a five-story ofiice building. That summer, five pairs of Martins brought their 

 young to wing from this home. 



With preparations for removal of ofiices to a higher building in the late 

 winter of 1908, another and much more elaborate house was planned. It is a 

 sort of bungalow or resort-hotel pattern, and contains forty-six rooms, most of 

 which are 4 by 4 by 6 inches in size, with 2.5 by 3-inch openings. The old box 

 was removed and set underneath this new hotel, which was placed upon a frame- 

 work about four feet above the roof, 107 feet above the ground. It was painted 

 white and green, and the total expense for house, platform and erection was 

 nominal. 



During the summer of 1908, four pairs nested in the old box underneath 

 and six pairs in the new hotel. All of these brought their young to wing, and 

 thirty-six birds left the new house for the South in August. This was con- 

 sidered a very good beginning. 



It was with a good deal of satisfaction that I found that eighteen pairs of 

 birds has nests in my little hotel in May, 1909. Then followed trouble for the 

 birds and disturbance of my peace of mind. For some reason, unknown at 

 the time, the birds began visibly to decrease before full complements of eggs 

 had been laid. Careful examination disclosed no vermin. It was later found 

 that the desertions were due to nightly visits of marauders who gained access 

 to the roof by the fire-escape, and also to molestation by visitors from adjoin- 

 ing roofs. As a consequence, but six pairs brought young to wing. During the 

 following autumn, a total of twenty-seven eggs were taken from the several 

 rooms, some nests having one egg, some three, and some six. 



In the spring of 1910, the same trouble was experienced, fourteen pairs 

 nesting and but three bringing young to wing. I then determined to remove 

 the house to my home in Fairmount, a college suburb, three and five-tenths 

 miles from the original site, in the hope that a few stragglers in the neighbor- 

 hood might be induced to colonize there. The house was placed on a heavy 

 pole, 18 feet above the ground, and gourd vines were started to present a 

 home-like, inviting appearance. The House Sparrows appropriated the accom- 

 modations within two days after the work was finished, in March, 191 1. 



*Sick in bed for a month after March 7. 



tAustin H. Larrabee, Professor of Biology in Fairmount College, has a date for a female Martin 

 of October 4, 191 1. 



