BIRDS OF THE AIR. 347 



very numerous in Massachusetts up to about 1865, but since 

 the introduction of the Sparrow their numbers have been 

 slowly decreasing here, and now there are large areas where 

 they do not breed. Apparently they are now more plentiful 

 than ever in some parts of Maine, and possibly some of the 

 Massachusetts birds may have migrated there. 



Their ordinary note is a rather harsh chirp. Their food 

 is very similar to that of the Barn Swallow, as they frequent 

 similar situations. Wherever a colony of these birds is 

 located they must have a considerable eSect on insect life. 

 They fly much over bogs and meadows, and Avith the Barn 

 Swallows are useful in destroying the pests of the grass lands 

 and cranberr}^ bogs. 



Purple Martin. Black Martin. 



Prognc subis subis. 

 Length. — About eiglit inclies. 

 Adult Male. — Deej), lustrous steel-blue ; wings and tail dark brown ; tail slightly 



forked. 

 Adult Female. — Brown above, glossed on head and back with blue or purplish; 



forehead and throat mottled with gray; breast brownish; belly whitish. 

 Nest. — In a hollow tree or bird house. 

 Eggs. — AVhite. 

 Season. — April to August. 



Many years ago Dr. Brewer wrote Audubon that an un- 

 usually cold season had destroyed all the Purple Martins in 

 the neighborhood of Boston. Since then other occurrences 

 of this kind have been re- 

 ported, but there was no per- 

 manent widespread diminution 

 in their numbers until the 

 " English " Sparrows became 

 numerous. Then the Martins 

 were gradually driven away, 



until they bred Onl}^ locally. Fig. 149. — Purple Martin, male, about 

 T , , , . in one-half natural size. 



and had disappeared trom a 



large part of the State. The June storms of 1903-04 

 nearly completed their extirpation from the State as breed- 

 ers, and except in a few favored localities their boxes are 

 now (1906) all taken by the Sparrows. 



The Martin is a southern bird, and cannot long withstand 



