31 



minutes of blackbird-martin chattering, the blackbirds, by 

 the same mysterious and sudden impulse, left simultaneous- 

 ly without so much as disturbing a Martin or interrupting 

 their chatter. 



PLATE IX. 



Jacobs Martin Colony. 



Photos by J. Warren Jacobs. 



Upper Bird House View. 



Old birds feeding young at house No. 5, erected in position 

 of old No. 2. Photo July 14, 1907. 



Lower Bird House View. 



Birds posing for their picture. View of house No. 3, look- 

 ing south from First street. Photo, May 1902. 



Assemblage View. 



Corn Field View (lower). Photo at 7:10 p. m., August 10, 

 1908. As many as 600 birds sometimes collected on these small 

 dead trees, which stood on the south bank of Ten Mile Creek op- 

 posite the terminus of West Lincoln street, Waynesburg. This 

 was the accustomed afternoon rendezvous for more than half th« 

 Waynesburg birds after the first of August. From the tops of 

 these trees the birds worked out over the corn in quest of winged 

 insects which were here by the thousands. 



Tree Top View (upper). Photo, 6:20 p. m., August 10, 

 1908. Late afternoon rendezvous of the Martins. Dead top of a 

 large locust tree on the north bank of Ten Mile Creek, opposite 

 the corn field and within the right of way of the Waynesburg & 

 Washington Railroad Co., and quite near the track. From this 

 high perch the birds continually dropped gracefully down to 

 splash their breasts in the water, or to glide across to the corn- 

 field and join their cousins in devouring insects infesting the air 

 above the corn. 



