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Bird -Lore 



so that they may be plainly seen, tipping 

 slightly as the wind varies, with the 

 extreme tips of the wings fanning gently, 

 but otherwise apparently motionless. 



When the magnificent birds fail to 

 appear for a week or two we miss them 

 and feel that a very important feature 

 is lacking in our view. Their graceful 

 flight, like that of our Sea Gulls, adds a 

 charm to the landscape impossible to 

 describe. — Winifred Holway Palmer, 

 Machias, Maine. 



disappeared to the northwest. They were 

 reported to gather in a similar way in the 

 morning, though the writer did not have 

 the pleasure of seeing them at that time. 

 The accompanying photograph was taken 

 September 4th, at 6 p.m. A careful esti- 

 mate indicated that there were 13,440 

 Martins on the wires alone. Examination 

 made it clear that there were no other 

 Swallows in the company — all were 

 Purple Martins. — I. N. Mitchell, Mil- 

 waukee, Wis. 



The Flocking of Purple Martins 



On September 2d, 3rd, and 4th, and to 

 a less extent until the 15th, large numbers 

 of Martins gathered on the telephone 

 wires on Park Place between Farwell and 

 Frederick Avenues, Milwaukee. They 

 kept on the wing till about 5:30 and then 

 began to settle on the wires. Occasionally 

 the whole company would leave the wires, 

 almost together, then settle down again. 

 They seemed to wish to get close together, 

 and many gathered on the house-tops and 

 trees in the neighborhood of the middle of 

 the flock At about 6.30 they left as with 

 one accord. The only night that the writer 

 caught them in the act of leaving they 



Harris's Sparrow in 'Wisconsin 



In the May-June number of "Bird- 

 Lore, I was much interested to read the 

 report of Harris's Sparrow from Illinois, 

 since this rare visitant was also seen in 

 Milwaukee this year. 



On May 12, while watching a flock 

 of fifteen or twenty White-throated Spar- 

 rows, the attention of Mr. Simpson and 

 myself was attracted by a 'black-faced,' 

 unfamiliar Sparrow, that seemed so much 

 larger than any of his companions, as 

 well as most unusual in appearance. 



We followed and watched the bird for 

 a long time, getting within ten feet of 

 him, as he fed busily on the ground. We 



St- 





ABOUT 13,000 PURPLE MARTINS IN MILWAUKEE 



