An Attempt to Establish a Purple Martin Colony 



By WM. C. HORTON, Brattleboro, Vt. 



A COLONY of Purple Martins which for twenty five years had occupied a 

 house at the home of Mr. Wm. C. Horton, Brattleboro, Vermont, having 

 been killed by the exceptional weather of June, 1903 (See Bird-Lore 

 Vol. V, 1903, 164), Mr. Horton has attempted to establish a new colony by plac- 

 ing Martins' eggs under Tree Swallows. While his experiment has not met with 

 success it is nevertheless encouraging and, from a purely ornithological point of 

 view, exceedingly interesting. 



Mr. Horton writes that the "experiment was tried under favorable circum- 

 stances, as the Tree Swallows were occupying my old Purple Martin house, and 

 had been for three years. Five years ago, when the Martins left on their migra- 

 tion south, they numbered about eighty young and old." 



FROM MR. HORTON'S NOTE-BOOK 



May 31, 1907 — Received four Purple Martin's eggs from J. Warren Jacobs, 

 Waynesburgh, Pa. 



June I, 1907 — I found six Tree Swallow's eggs in nest; four eggs were removed 

 and replaced by four Martin's eggs. 



June 6, 1907 — I removed the other two Tree Swallow's eggs, leaving the four 

 Martin's eggs, only. The Swallow was sitting on the eggs nicely. 



June 16, 1907 — 7.00 A.M. Found one egg hatched. 



June 16, 1907 — 6.00 P.M. Found two more eggs hatched. 



June 17, 1907 — 7.00 A.M. Found the fourth egg hatched. The young Mar- 

 tins were doing well, their foster parents feeding them as though they were their 

 own. 



June 22, 1907 — Young ^Martins growing and looking finely. Eyes not open vet 

 and not a feather started. Foster parents feeding them nicely. 



June 24, 1907 — 6.00 A.M. Young Martins progressing finely. Feathers begin- 

 ing to show under the skin. Eyes just beginning to open. Foster parents are caring 

 for them satisfactorily. 



June 25, 1907 — 6.30 A.M. Young Martins' eyes about one-third open; feathers 

 just beginning to show through skin. 



June 26, 1907 — This morning 6.30 a.m. I found the young Martins' eyes 

 open ; feathers well started through skin ; tail feathers showing perceptibly. All 

 were doing finely and were plump and fat, — foster parents giving them the best 

 of care. 



June 29, 1907 — 7.00 A.M. On visiting the Martin house, I found not one young 

 Martin in the nest. One was found on the ground under the house, and from its 

 appearance I should say it had been dead two or three days. I could not find the 

 other three. What caused this disaster I cannot conceive, but it ended summa- 

 rily my first experiment in trying to establish a Purple Martin colony. 



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