No. 4.] DECREASE OF BIRDS. 433 



states that a single pair of martins were resident at a 

 neighbor's bird-house, but failed to raise any young. This 

 may be accounted for by the fact that the English sparrows, 

 wEichTare notorious for killing young martins, occupied the 

 same domicile. Mr. Fred. C. Dodge says that martins, 

 which arrived ten days later than usual, occupied a small 

 nesting-box near his house in Beverly, and thinks they 

 probably bred. 



We have records, therefore, of martins breeding in but 

 three counties in the State, Hampden, Bristol and Worces- 

 ter, with the probability that they bred in Essex County. 



What prospect is there that the species will eventually 

 increase in numbers, and reoccupy its old breeding places? 

 It seems probable (1) that some martins may have survived 

 and bred in places not reached by this inquiry ; the few 

 birds left may form the nuclei of new martin colonies. 

 Probably also (2) martins breeding in parts of northern 

 New England, and migrating through Massachusetts, may, 

 in time, overflow into this State. (3) Martins are said to 

 be breeding still in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode 

 Island, not far from the Massachusetts line ; and there is 

 some probability that these colonies may spread over our 

 borders, although their numbers are much reduced. Mr. 

 Robert Curtiss of Stratford, Conn., where martins were 

 abundant in the spring of 1903, says that only one was seen 

 there in 1904 ; but Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright says they 

 are still breeding at Stamford. Mr. Morris reports that 

 martins are numerous at Windsor Locks, Conn., about 

 twelve miles south of Springfield, Mass., and, as numbers 

 of them probably migrate up the Connecticut valley, the 

 repopulation of Massachusetts by martins may be expected 

 to progress as rapidly there as anywhere. It seemgjbo be 

 believed^however, by most careful observers that the mar- 

 tinsjwere diminishing in__Ma.ssachusetts before 1903. For 

 this decrease the English sparrow was largely responsible. 

 The sparrows are now occupying most of the boxes where 

 the martins formerly dwelt, and, when firmly intrenched 

 therein, they may be able to prevent the martins from re- 

 taking the boxes. On the other hand, the decrease of 



