258 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



foreign enemy, the house sparrow, commonly known as the 

 English sparrow, which has driven the martins away from 

 many boxes put up for their accommodation. Bluebirds and 

 tree swallows also have been known to drive martins from 

 nesting boxes, but the starling will be able to evict all three. 

 Success with martins will depend on establishing them 

 within a very few years before the starlings become generally 

 numerous. Thus far the attempts to colonize martins in 

 Massachusetts have not met with much success, but some 

 people who have been well located for this purpose and 

 who have persevered have succeeded. 



Mr. Edward L. Parker of Concord, Mass., who reported 

 6 martins in a Jacobs' martin box in 1912, believes that the 

 number increased to 8 or more before the end of the season. 

 It is interesting to note that on April 6, 1913, on a bleak 

 day, with the wind northeast, with the sun shining only at 

 times, a single male purple martin came to the bird house 

 about midday. In the afternoon the wind changed to the 

 northwest and blew hard. There was a snow squall and it 

 was much colder. The bird remained all day and probably 

 stayed in the house that night. On April 7 there was a 

 bleak north wind, with the mercury at about 32° at 8 a.m.; 

 the ground was covered with snow and it was snowing 

 briskly. The male martin was seen flying in the storm. 

 There were heavy snow squalls during the day, but the sun 

 shone at times. In the afternoon it snowed hard for about 

 twenty minutes, the mercury dropped to 32° and stood at 

 28° at night. On Tuesday, April 8, no martin was seen up 

 to 7.45 A.M., but two minutes later one was seen to come out 

 of the martin house and two were seen about 6.30 p.]\r. 

 These martins disappeared and were not seen again. Late 

 in the summer, after the birds had left the house, one dead 

 adult martin was found inside. 'No more were seen until 

 April 13 when two appeared. The number increased until 

 May, when at one time at least 40 martins were in the house. 

 Another house was put up and a dozen or more birds re- 

 mained and nested. The martins all left before the 5th of 

 August with their young. 



Mr. John H. Sage of Portland, Conn., who put up a 

 Jacobs' bird house for martins in 1910, saw the first martin 



