12 



was cold and no birds were seen. April iitn., they were com- 

 mon. 



jgcjg — Backward spring kept the birds away until April 9th., 

 when I noticed two, but the next day they suddenly became 

 common. 



jgcjcj — March 23rd. one bird seen — a male of previous year. — 

 March 24th. an adult male, and on 26th., three adult males, 

 one female and one young male. April 5th. they were numer- 

 ous. 



1900 — March 26th., favorable weather for a week brought a 

 score of Martins to my boxes today. Heavy snow storm on 

 28th., lasting all day, did not affect the birds. Temperature 

 above freezing, snow slushy and soon melted. From the fifth 

 of April to eighteenth, days warm, nights cold ; birds collected 

 in one room of House No. 2, at dusk. 



1901 — March 20th., 21st., 22d., two adult males observed, 

 24th., "cold snap" drives them back. April 6th, they were com- 

 mon. 



1902 — March 22. One adult male appeared at my place in 

 the evening which was the first noted by me this year; but only 

 a few individuals were observed for several days after this date. 



Seldom do the birds of the previous year arrive with the bulk 

 of adults, but usually a week or ten days later, though, as I 

 have already noted, a young male occasionally gets in with the 

 early arrivals. 



Those early individuals make their presence known from 

 10 o'clock A. M. to evening; but later where large numbers 

 arrive, thev are generally first observed at dawn, and probably 

 came during the night. 



Nest Building, Deposition and Number of Eggs. — 

 Incubation, 



Nest building covers a period of several days, the male as- 

 sisting, though he often gets in the wrong room. They col- 

 lect twigs, straws, bits of wood and grass from the garden and 



