91 



people on the outskirts of Easton. The house is a "homemade" and crude affair, not 

 more than twelve feet from the ground and almost surrounded by trees. The owner of 

 the house informed me that there had been more than one hundred birds in the colony, 

 but I did not have time nor opportunity to verify his statement. But I was informed 

 by others that the colony was a large one. I regret that I did not know of it until the 

 end of the season. 



A few days ago a lone Martin was found on my Martin house in the morning. He 

 remained about half a day, feeding about the grounds, and then disappeared. Pro- 

 bably a straggler bound south. I shall be glad to have several copies of the supplement, 

 when ready, as I shall try to work up a wider interest here in the Purple Martin, so 

 that more homes may be put up for them. 



Sincerely yours, 



W. Scott Way. 



On Snakes as Bird Destroyers, and their Power to "Charm." 



Mr. Way's experience is the first instance of snakes entering 

 Martin houses coming to my notice, and while owners of Martin 

 colonies have less to fear from snakes than from cats and squirrels, — 

 and possibly also owls, — every precaution should be taken to guard 

 against a tragedy of this kind. 



Snakes are very destructive to birds in general, and particularly 

 to those species nesting on or near the ground. 



I have found species of water snakes in, or about to enter, the 

 homes of Kingfisher and Bank Swallow; and evidence of garter snakes 

 and black snakes robbing ground nesting birds. I have found the 

 latter species in the despoiled homes of Bluebirds, Woodpeckers and 

 other hole nesting birds, as well as nests in bushes and on the ground. 

 Once I found a black snake in the act of robbing a Brown Thrasher's 

 nest of its eggs. The cries of the excited parent birds brought me to 

 the scene, whereupon the snake was frightened away. 



Several times we have found large black snakes on our premises, 

 and while I dislike to kill them, I prefer, for the sake of the birds, to 

 be rid of them. 



Much has been said and written, pro and con, on the power of 

 snakes to "charm" birds and animals. Just to what extent they are 

 endowed with this power, I am unable to say beyond my own expe- 

 rience, several instances of which I will here relate. 



While I wish it understood that I do not pose as a believer in the 

 snake's power to "charm" into insensibility, nor to the point of doing 

 what it pleases with its intended victim, yet it seems to have power 



