88 'I'm-: W'li.sox lU LLiniN — Xo. ■")('). 



(|uarkTS. A record of all the Martin conuininitics in .Miclii<;an 

 State with an estimate of thi" numbers reported every few \ears 

 wonld he a \aluahU' ac(|uisitirn to our ornithological data. 



The birds are. however, far from being extinct or even un- 

 common Init ver\- local in their distribution. They are never 

 seen in the country excej^t during the migrations or in estab- 

 lished colonics about certain human habitations. Indeed they 

 are peculiarK haunters of civilization and are about the business 

 sections of our cities, where the Hat gravel roofs and overhang- 

 ing cornices are tenanted by these birds together with House 

 Sparrows and .Xighthawks. Toward the middle of .\ugust. 

 however, the outlying colonies are deserted and the birds gather 

 in large flocks ])reliminary to the southern migration. At 

 these times they are generally to be found roosting at night in 

 great numbers in the long grass and reeds of the swamps and 

 marshes. 



In IIM);;, the middle of August. I saw a large flock about the 

 b^eld-Columbian Museum, Jackson Park, Chicago. The near- 

 est marshes of any extent are some miles away from this point 

 and our little circle of bird men were much interested in dis- 

 covering where they passed the night. Every evening about 

 five o'clock they gathered about the great dome of the museum 

 perching in long rows, like beads on a thread, on the guy wires 

 of the smokestack. One evening I counted one hundred on one 

 w ire. There were three other lines ecpiallv well filled, making 

 four hundred birds. Uesides. there were. I should judge, nearly 

 half as many more fl}ing around in their aerial acrobats; so an 

 estimate of six hundred birds would not be far from their true 

 numbers. 



The spacing of the individuals upon the wires was exceeding- 

 ly regular and even — about twelve inches on centers in each 

 case — and I do not think the largest space between exceeded 

 the smallest i)\ more than two inches. This is a phenomenon 

 that can also l>e noticed among Swallows when they perch upon 

 the telegraj)]! wires in numbers. The cause of it used to puzzle 

 me a little until 1 watcheil these Martins on the guys of the 

 museum stack. IJeing long-w'inged birds, thev require a cer- 

 tain space in which to fold their wings on alighting and it is 



