BV A FRIEND OF THE FARMERS. 21 



The martins, which feed exclusively on insects, if left 

 in possession of their nests, would, unlike many other 

 birds, increase with the population of the country and 

 number of houses. Besides the persecution by sparrows, 

 there is no condition unfavourable to the martins except 

 that when, with their natural confidence in man, too often 

 misplaced, they make their nests close to windows or, 

 doors for protection, people commonly destroy them ; 

 thus completing the exterminating work of the sparrows. 

 I have heard it said 'they must come there for mischief; 

 they might build anywhere else.' Few seem to notice 

 that, unless where sparrows dare not come, the martins 

 cannot keep a nest. The only thing which saves these 

 birds from total extermination in this country seems to 

 be this — they sometimes manage to rear a late brood 

 after the ' fell adversary to house-martins ' (as White of 

 Selborne rightly called the sparrow) has left off nesting 

 and betaken himself to the wheat-fields. But in this 

 way the martins are kept here too long, and some- 

 times, before their young can fly, are caught by sharp 

 frost in October, and die. The last numerous colony 

 that I knew of, within a few miles of my house, was thus 

 cleared out a few years ago, while my martins, protected 

 from sparrows, and always getting their young off in good 

 time, took no harm. 



About my premises the martins, formerly numerous, as 

 elsewhere became fewer and fewer until in 1869 they had 

 nearly disappeared, young ones flying, I think, from only 

 two nests — one close to a window, the other to a door. 

 Towards the end of May, 1870, several nests freshly 

 built under the eaves of the pigeon-house, their favourite 

 place, were all found to be in the possession of sparrows. 

 The indignation with which I had seen this persecution 



