THE PURPLE MARTIN. 329 
No. 126. 
PURPLE MARTIN. 
A. O. U. No. 611. Progne subis (Linn.). 
Description.—Adult male: Rich, purplish black, glossy and metallic; wings 
and tail dead black. Adult female: Similar to male, but blue-black of upper- 
parts restricted and duller; forehead, hind-neck, and lower parts sooty gray, 
paler on belly and crissum. Bill black, stout, and broad at the base, decurved 
near tip; nostrils exposed, circular, opening upward; feet moderately stout. 
Young males: resemble adult female but are somewhat darker, the steely blue 
appearing at first in patches. Length 7.25-8.50 (184.2-215.9); av. of eight 
specimens: wing 5.75 (146.1) ; tail 2.72 (69.1) ; bill, breadth at base .73 (18.5) ; 
length from nostril .33 (8.4). 
Recognition Marks.—Chewink size ; the largest of the Swallows; blue-black, 
or blue-black and sooty-gray coloration. 
Nesting.—WNest, of leaves, grass, and trash, in some cavity, usually arti- 
ficial,—bird-boxes, gourds, etc. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 6, pure, glossy white. Av. 
size, .98 x .73 (24.9x 18.5). Season, first week in June; one brood. 
General Range.—Temperate North America, except southern portion of 
Pacific Coast district, north to Ontario and the Saskatchewan, south to the 
higher parts of Mexico, wintering in South America. 
Range in Washington.—Not common summer resident—nearly confined to 
business sections of the larger cities. 
Migrations.—S pring: c. April 15; Tacoma, April 1, 1905. Fall: c. Sept. Ist. 
Authorities.—Cooper and Suckley, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XII. pt. IT. 1860, 
PoieOme( Cio Rh. Ra. Kk. BB. 
Specimens.—Prov. B. E. 
THIS virtually rare bird appears to be strictly confined during its 
summer residence with us to the business districts of our larger West-side 
cities. Records are in from Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bellingham, Van- 
couver, and Victoria only. Really, if this favoritism continues, we shall begin 
to think of imposing a new test for cities of the first class; viz., Do the 
Martins nest with you? 
Suckley remembers a time when, in the early Fifties, a few Martins were 
to be seen about the scrub oaks of the Nisqually Plains, in whose hollows and 
recesses they undoubtedly nested; but all Washington birds have long since 
adopted the ways of civilization. April Ist is the earliest return I have noted, 
and we are not surprised if they fail to put in an appearance before the Ist 
of May. Their movements depend largely upon the weather, and even if 
they have come back earlier they are likely to mope indoors when the weather 
is cold and disagreeable. The birds feed exclusively upon insects, and are 
thus quite at the mercy of a backward spring. Not only flies and nits are 
