SWALLOWS. 



Swallows have lono", ])o\verful wing's, small, weak 

 feet, and wide, gaping- bills. Mncli of their time is 

 spent in the air in pnrsuit of winged insects, and as 

 they destroy incalculable numl)ers of flies and mos- 

 (|nitoes, they are among onr most valuable l)irds. 

 We have nesting here the Barn, Bank, Rough- 

 winged, and Eave Swallows, antl the Purple Martin. 

 In migration the Tree Swallow is conmion. 



Purple Martin: Progiic sitbis. 



Length 8 inches. 



Shining blue-black all over; tail but slightly forked. 

 Female duller, and grayish-white below. 

 Resident (uncommon) from April 15 to Septemljcr; win- 

 ters in Central and South America. 



The unljroken color and large size of the Martin 

 distinguish him from o-ther Swallows. He is a bird 

 that likes the ])roximity of man and was once very 

 conunon in Washington, nesting in 1)ird houses, and 

 also ntimerously in the capitals of the columns of our 

 public buildings, ])ut the agg^ressive, nagging English 

 Sparrows have driven him away. He is a brave bird 

 and will fight Hawks and Owls — so that farmers put 

 up boxes for him in their barnyards as protection to 

 poultry — but he cannot endure the persecution of the 

 Sparrows. " Dr. John R. Everhart, of West Chester, 

 Pa., appreciating that his flock of chattering Martins 

 was rapidly diminishing before the advance of the 



