Purple Martins and the Moon 



you think she is about to pick a piece 

 out of your face or neck or ears. I am 

 of the opinion that old Mother Goose 

 had one of these birds in mind when 

 she wrote her famous ditty about the 

 maid who was in the garden hanging 

 out the clothes. If the truth were 

 known, I would wager it was a purple 

 martin, and not a blackbird that 

 "snipped off" that historic laundry 

 girl's precious little beak! 



If they have gyrated round about 

 you twelve or fifteen times, without 

 getting rid of you, they may adopt 

 another plan, the counterpart of that 

 used by their lowlier neighbors, the 

 meadow larks, as already mentioned; 

 only the air, instead of the grass, is 

 their home. They will get your atten- 

 tion away from that house at any cost. 

 Surely you will be more interested in 

 watching them perform high above 

 your head than near the ground, and 

 the first thing you know a "flying 

 match" will be put on for your especial 



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