Purple Martins at St. Marks^ Florida 77 



from south from 9 :00 p. m. until 2 :00 or 3 :00 a. m. Cleared 

 before sunup. Wind northwest and mild. 



March 6. Six or eight birds about village. Clear and 

 bright after 10 a. m. Wind south. 



March 7. Three or four birds at my boxes before 7:00 

 a. m., but soon left. Saw six only about village. 



March i:i. For past five or six days the birds seem 

 to spend the night at boxes about the village and then are 

 absent from 8 :00 to :00 a. m. until a half hour or so be- 

 fore sunset. Ten to twelve pairs noted. Two pairs reg- 

 ularly at my box. 



March 2:). Today for the first time since becoming 

 established tlie birds have remained about the village all 

 day. For greater portion of day the weather was cloudy, 

 damp and chilly. A heavy white frost at sunup. 



March 24. Clear, sharp white frost. Birds were away 

 for most of the day. 



March 20. Warm and clear. The first clear day the 

 martins have remained about the village all day. Three 

 pairs about my box. 



March 30. Since 26th the birds have been about the 

 village for the most part of each da3\ About 4 :00 p. m. 

 today a heavy shower came and 1 noted 12 birds at my 

 box huddled outside in the storm. In all I counted 60 

 birds about the village huddled in groups on boxes and 

 elsewhere ; 30 on roof of one house. Twenty-live at my 

 boxes just before dark, all trying noisily for shelter, and 

 as far as I could determine all were finally accommo- 

 dated after much stormy protest from some birds that had 

 earliest secured shelter. Two birds seemed to be unpop- 

 ular or had been blacklisted, and until quite dark these 

 failed to gain admission despite many attempts at en- 

 trance, which were as often repelled from the birds inside. 



April 7. The birds continue to remain about the vil- 

 lage for greater part of tlie day. 



April 15, Nest building has commenced. Eighteen 

 pairs seem to have located here. At least four pairs at 



