254 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Norfolk County. 



Dedham. — The purple martins that were nesting in Dedham in 

 May, 1909, disappeared before the nests were completed. The 

 English sparrow, I suppose, was to blame. — J. S. Seabury, Oct. 1, 

 1909. 



Hyde Park. — Robert L. Frampton of Hyde Park has a small 

 colony of purple martins and has had them for quite a number of 

 years. — Charles F. Jenney, June 14, 1909. 



I have a four-apartment house occupied now by four pairs of 

 martins, — R. L. Frampton, June 12, 1909. 



Plymouth County. 

 Wareham. — I saw some purple martins in East AVareham a few 

 days ago. — Thomas Allen^ Marion, May 23, 1909. 



These birds probably failed to breed as no one else reports them. 



Worcester County. 



Gardner. — There is a colony of martins in a bird house near our 

 factory; it is the first family I have seen for several years. I do 

 not know how many there are, but quite a number. — J. S. Ames^ 

 Gardner, June 26, 1909. 



Millbury. — Mr. C. E. Hoyle rejiorts that there was still a colony 

 of martins in Millbury in 1908. (No later report.) 



Leominster. — Thei'e was one colony of the martins in our town 

 last year, we think five or six pairs, which was an increase over the 

 previous year. — William Holden, Leominster, Dee. 23, 1909. 



These reports show that the martins are barely obtaining 

 a foothold in the Commonwealth, and that thev are increasing 

 very slowly, if at all, except at Concord. It is probable that 

 there are other small colonies that have been overlooked in 

 this inquiry. Nevertheless, it has been searching and wide- 

 spread enough to reveal the fact that the martins are not re- 

 covering as they have in the past from similar calamities. 



If we are to believe Sir Charles Lyell, the destruction of 

 these birds by the great storm of 1830 was far greater than 

 that effected l)y the storm of 1003, for he says that they were 

 destroyed throughout the States of jSTew England and New 

 York. Whereas, although the storm of 1903 was very de- 

 structive to the birds of Massachusetts, the eastern ])art of 

 New York and portions of New Hampshire and Vermont, 



