10S ^ PUKPI.F. MAIM IN. 



few months before his death, and with which I am happy to 

 honour my performance. " The history of the Purple Martin 

 of America," says he, " which is indigenous in Pennsylvania 

 and countries very far north of our latitude, will, under your 

 control, become extremely interesting. We know its manners, 

 habitudes, and useful qualities here; but we are not generally 

 acquainted with some traits in its character, which in my mind 

 rank it in the class of the most remarkable birds of passage. 

 Somewhere (I cannot now refer to book and page) in Anson's 

 Voyage, or in Dampier, or some other southern voyager, I re- 

 collect that the Martin is named as an inhabitant of the regions 

 of southern America, particularly of Chili; and in consequence 

 from the knowledge we have of its immense emigration north- 

 ward in our own country, we may fairly presume that its flight 

 extends to the south as far as Terra del Fuego. If the conjecture 

 be well founded, we may with some certainty place this useful 

 and delightful companion and friend of the human race as the 

 first in the order of birds of passage. Nature has furnished it 

 with a lengthy, strong, and nervous pinion; its legs are short 

 too, as not to impede its passage; the head and body are flattish; 

 in short, it has every indication from bodily formation that 

 Providence intended it as a bird of the longest flight. Belknap 

 speaks of it as a visitant of New Hampshire. I have seen it in 

 great numbers at Quebec. Hearne speaks of it in lat. 60 North. 

 To ascertain the times of the coming of the Martin to New Or- 

 leans, and its migration to and from Mexico, Quito and Chili, 

 are desirable data in the history of this bird; but it is probable 

 that the state of science in those countries render this wish 

 hopeless. 



"Relative to the domestic history, if it may be so called, of 

 the Blue-bird (of which you have given so correct and charm- 

 ing a description) and the Martin, permit me to give you an 

 anecdote. In 1800 I removed from Lancaster to a farm a few 

 miles above Harrisburgh. Knowing the benefit derivable to a 

 farmer from the neighbourhood of the Martin in preventing the 

 depredations of the Bald Eagle, the Hawks and even the Crows, 



