29 



Finally, about 6 p m., they began returning, and at 7:30 I 

 counted thirty, and when they all settled for the night, about 

 forty had returned. 



The next day, May 11th, I observed the first of last 

 year's young, and on the 14th a total of about eighty birds 

 was present. On this date I observed three adult pairs en- 

 gaged at nest building. 



For a while after the return of my birds, I had fully one 

 hundred of them, but in going carefully over the nest rooms 

 on June 4th, I found twenty-one nests containing eggs, and 

 twenty-nine undergoing construction. Not all of the latter 

 however, were ever finished, the number of nests occupied 

 being about forty. 



On July 6th, the first brood of young came out, and on 

 the 15th nearly all were out. Only two broods remained on 

 the 25th, and these had gone by August 3rd. 



About this time I observed small flocks in the dead trees 

 along Ten Mile Creek during the afternoons. As night grew 

 on these birds would assemble on the wires in various parts 

 of the southwestern part of the town, especially on West 

 street, near High street and West Park. Here (the latter 

 place) several hundred would assemble, and when it became 

 dusk, all would leave quite suddenly and settle in a group of 

 maple trees near the corner of Richhill and Franklin streets, 

 a short distance away. On the 14th they reached greatest 

 numbers— about 1,200 birds— and on the 16th they began to 

 decrease, only about 200 repairing there to spend the night, 

 the bulk, presumably, having moved on southward. 



On the evening of August 6th, I observed about 600 Mar- 

 tins in the dead locust saplings (see Plate IX, lower view). 

 Accordingly, the next evening, I proceeded to the place for 

 the purpose of securing a picture of the birds. The sun had 

 just gone down, leaving a soft light above the dark horizon 

 line, against which the birds showed in bold relief. These 

 trees are located on the south bank of Ten Mile Creek, oppo- 

 site the west end of Lincoln street. The adjoining field, 

 several acres in extent, at the time these observations- were 

 made, contained corn. Over the tops I could see myriads of 



