PURPLE MARTIN. ' 391 



in fact, at all times a familiar, active, and unsuspicious little 

 visitor of the shady gardens and orchards, as well as woods 

 and solitudes. 



The Black and White Creeper, as this species is usually called, 

 occurs west to the Mississippi valley, and is abundant in Manitoba. 

 It is a common summer resident of the Maritime Provinces. 



It was first classed with the Warblers by Spencer Baird in 1859, 

 and has been retained there by all later authorities. Nuttall con- 

 sidered that there were two species, one of which he named borealis ; 

 but it has not been considered valid, though Ridgway, in his "Man- 

 ual," suggests the name M. varia borealis for a supposed Missis- 

 sippi valley and Middle American race, which he describes as 

 somewhat smaller than true varia j but he thinks the material at 

 hand insufficient to warrant a positive decision, so we are saved the 

 infliction of this much " hair-splitting." 



PURPLE MARTIN. 

 Progne subis. 



Char. Male : lustrous black with purple tint, wings and tail with 

 brownish tint. Female and young : browner above, and beneath grayish. 

 Length 7)^ inches. 



Nest. In a box, or attached to the eave of a house ; sometimes in a 

 decayed tree ; made of grass, leaves, etc. 



Eggs. 4-6; white and glossy; 0.95 X 0.75. 



According to the progress of the season in the very different 

 climates of the United States, is measured the arrival of this 

 welcome messenger of spring. Around the city of New Or- 

 leans, for example, the Purple Martin is seen from the ist to 

 the 9th of February. At the Falls of the Ohio, it is not seen 

 before the middle of March, and representatives do not arrive 

 in the vicinity of Philadelphia until the first week in April ; on 

 the 25 th of that month, or later, they visit the vicinity of Bos- 

 ton, and penetrate even to the cold regions of Hudson Bay, 

 where they arrive in May and retire in August ; about the 20th 

 of the same month they also leave the State of Pennsylvania. 

 The migrations of these birds are remarkably extensive, as 

 they were seen by Mr. Swainson in great numbers around Per- 



