THE PURPLE MARTIN. 329 



No. 126. 



PURPLE MARTIN. 



A. O. U. Xo. 611. Progne subis (Linn.). 



Description. — .Idiill male: Ricli, ])urplisli black, glossy and nictallic : wings 

 and tail dead black. .Idiilt female: Similar to male, but blue-black of u])per- 

 parts restricted and duller: forehead, hind-neck, and lower parts sooty gray, 

 paler on belly and crissuni. P.ill 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 (.6y.i ) : bill, breadth at base .73 (18.5) ; 

 length from nostril .t,t, (8.4). 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size: the largest of the Swallows; blue-black, 

 or blue-black and sooty-gray coloration. 



Nesting. — Xest, of leaves, grass, and trash, in some cavit\', usually arti- 

 ficial, — bird-bo.xes, gourds, etc. Eggs, 4-5, rarely 6, pure, glossy white. Av. 

 size, .98 X .73 ( 24.9 X 18.5). Season, first week in June; one brood. 



General Range. — Temperate Xorth America, except southern portion of 

 Pacific Coast district, north to Ontario and the Saskatchewan, south to the 

 higher ])arts of Mexico, wintering in South America. 



Range in Washington. — Not common summer resident — nearly confined to 

 business sections oi the larger cities. 



Migrations. — S[>ring: c. April 15; Tacoma, .\pril i, 1905. I'all: c. Sept. ist. 



Authorities. — Cooper and Sucl<iey, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XII. ]it. II. i860, 

 p. 136. (T). C&S. |L|. Rh. Ra. Kk. B. E. 



Specimens. — Prov. B. E. 



THIS virtually rare bird ai)pcars to be strict!}' confined diu'ing its 

 summer residence with us to the business districts of our larger W'est-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 rememljers a time when, in the early Fifties, a few Martins were 

 to be seen about the scrub oaks of the Nisciually Plains, in whose hollows and 

 recesses they undou1)tedly nested ; but all \Vashington birds have long since 

 adopted the ways of civilization. A])ril ist is the earliest ret inn I have noted, 

 and we are not surprised if they fail to \)\.\\ 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 weatiier 

 is cold and disagreeable. The birds feed exclusively ui)on insects, and are 

 thus quite at the mercy of a backward spring. Not only flies and nits are 



