DOMESTICATION OF OUR WILD BIRDS 337 



Even the Indians used to hang gourds to their wig- 

 wam poles for the martins. The Greeks celebrated the 

 swallows in poetry and song as early 

 as the dawn of authentic history. We 

 cannot afford to let these deep lines of 

 sentiment and human good fail from 

 our lives. I have heard complaints 

 that our barn swallows are becoming 

 scarce, as though it were due to some 

 inevitable change in natural condi- 

 tions. Look at our barns, and the 

 whole matter is explained. Provide 

 homes, wherever this has been 

 neglected, and swallows will soon be 

 numerous again. It was indeed a 

 pathetic thing to see, as I did 

 recently, a fine colony of barn swal- 

 lows flying round and round a large 

 barn, examining every knot, clinging 

 about the too well glazed windows, 

 unable to find an entrance. Farmers 

 should realize the hot days of suffer- 

 ing and annoyance from flies, gnats, 

 and mosquitoes which a beautiful col- 

 ony of swallows would save. 



The purple martin has been prac- 

 tically driven from our towns and 

 cities by the English sparrows. It 

 should be considered no mean public 

 service to keep a suitable house 

 clear of sparrows for these beautiful 



BIRD HOUSE 



FIG. 133. 



Erected in the school yard 

 (Upsala Street). It was 

 taken by a pair of tree 

 swallows before it had 

 been up an hour 



