44 



der house. Could not find the other three. 



From appearance of young bird found on the 



ground, should say it had been dead two or 



three days." 

 What caused this disaster is a mystery. It may have 

 been the work of a Screech Owl, or Sparrows. One or 

 both old birds might have been killed, thus leaving the nest- 

 lings to die of starvation, and in their agony they fell to the 

 ground. It is barely probable the swallows became aware 

 the youngsters were not of their own kind and deserted them. 



Bluebird vs. Martin. 



If success with the Martins is to be expected, the Blue- 

 birds must be eliminated from the bird-house. Bluebirds are 

 too valuable to be killed for selecting a nest site in a martin- 

 house, so one must be patient and strive to induce them to 

 occupy other quarters, which may be a rough, quickly made 

 box, placed seven to ten feet up on a post in the immediate 

 vicinity. 



I have already touched this subject, but wish to re- 

 late the experience of Mr. Charles Thompson, of Waynes- 

 burg, during the summer of 1908, which will lead the way to 

 success in other and similar cases. 



Bluebirds had built their nest and the female was brood- 

 ing her eggs when the Martins came to the house which the 

 former were occupying. For ten days the Bluebirds had suc- 

 cessfully kept the Martins away — one going for food for the 

 young birds while the mate kept watch over their home. 



Mr. Thompson wished the Martins to occupy the house 

 and asked me what to do. My suggestion was to remove the 

 Bluebird nestlings, place them in a temporary bird-box and 

 erect the same a short distance from the martin-house. This 

 he did, attaching the box to a telephone pole about fifty feet 

 away, and in less than five minutes the parent Bluebirds 

 were contentedly feeding their young in the new quarters. 



Although it was now late in the season, three days later 

 (June 14) Mr. Thompson told me he had three pairs of Mar- 

 tins building their nests undisturbed by the Bluebirds. 



