THE PROCESSION PASSES 99 
the bird that makes them being exclusively a migrant. The 
English Sparrow persecutes also the Cliff Swallow; hence, in the 
north, the bird is much less common than formerly. In Germany 
the presence of Swallows around houses is so much desired that 
artificial nests made of clay or other material are put up in 
order to attract birds by saving them the labour of constructing 
their own domiciles. No doubt our own Cliff Swallows would 
be quick to respond to a similar offer of ready-made dwellings, 
rent free, and in this way the range of this extremely useful 
species might be materially increased. The Cliff Swallow is one 
of the most indefatigable insect destroyers extant, and every 
motive of patriotism and humanity should prompt communities 
among which they live to protect and foster them in every pos- 
sible way. 
PurpPLE Martin. This, the largest and in many respects the 
most beautiful of all our Swallow tribe, is the most local and the 
least numerous. In New England and, perhaps, in most of the 
northern states generally, this fine bird is steadily diminishing 
in numbers. The English Sparrow often takes possession of its 
boxes, ruthlessly kills the young Martins or throws out the eggs, 
and usually succeeds in routing the colony and appropriating the 
boxes. When measures are not taken to abate the Sparrow 
nuisance in the immediate vicinity of Martin colonies, the usual 
result is that the Martins are forced to abandon their houses. 
The habit of putting up houses for the accommodation of Martin 
colonies is not as common in the north as it formerly was, and 
to this indifference to the Martins’ presence, to persecution by 
the Sparrow, and to losses due to the prevalence of cold storms 
during the nesting season, no doubt, is due the present scarcity 
of the bird. 
From the standpoint of the farmer and the fruit grower, per- 
haps, no birds more useful than the Swallows exist. They have 
been described as the light cavalry of the avian army. Specially 
adapted for flight and unexcelled in aérial evolutions, they have 
few rivals in the art of capturing insects in mid-air. They eat 
nothing of value to man except a few predaceous wasps and 
