BIRDS OF PEASEMARSH 



ways there is the European Sparrow. Swallows 

 seem less able or less inclined to hold their 

 own than some other species of birds. If the 

 gentle Tree Swallows are persecuted by the 

 Sparrows when locating for the season they are 

 very likely to leave and not return again. The 

 men whose farms they leave are the losers. In- 

 stead of the useful family of Swallows they are 

 left with an aggressive nuisance that may keep 

 away other valuable small birds, as we shall 

 read later. 



The Purple Martin is the largest member of 

 the Swallow family and a very beautiful bird. 

 Like the Bank Swallows, the Martins nest only 

 in colonies, but they build their nests in holes 

 in trees or stumps. Unfortunately they have 

 still greater difficulty than the Bank or Tree 

 Swallows in finding a nesting place. A sand 

 bank for a dozen or more, or a hollow tree that 

 will accommodate one nest is hard enough for 

 a feathered creature to find in cultivated lands, 

 but hollow trees that would accommodate from 

 twelve to twenty nests is almost out of the 

 question. Thus the Martins have been forced 

 farther and farther away. From many dis- 

 tricts they have disappeared so long that houses 

 [41] 



