202 Birds of Buzzard's Roost 



drying. The negroes of the south have but little consideration 

 for the birds, but they are the friends of the purple martin, 

 and from poles near their cabins one will see gourds suspend- 

 ed for them. Mr. Bradford Torrey while traveling in the south 

 noticed this, and curious to know what they were for, asked an 

 old negro why they were put up. He answered : "Why, dey 

 is martins' boxes. No dangah of hawks carrying off de chick- 

 ens so long as de martins am around." And this gives promi- 

 nence to an interesting fact, and that is these birds are useful 

 in protecting our domestic fowls from the hawks, crows and 

 blue jays. They are great fighters and will not allow any of 

 these birds to come about where they have their nesting places. 



The 'food of the purple martin is entirely insectiverous, 

 consisting' n^Sily of wasps, bees, beetles and other insects 

 found in flight', for they capture their food as they fly. There 

 are those who say that "wasps, beetles and all manner of in- 

 jurious insects constitute its diet," and that they ought to be 

 protected for the purpose of exterminating the mosquito. They 

 seem to forget that the martin destroys many beneficial in- 

 sects. Professor King tells us that five which he examined 

 had eaten 14 bees, 8 tiger beetles, 2 butterflies, 9 breeze flies, 

 6 dragon flies and 3 molusks. Some of these are very benefi- 

 cial to man. Perhaps no bird or other creature destroys more 

 mosquitos than the dragon fly,/ and of all our insects the bee 

 is the most useful. 



It is worth while, however, to protect these birds and put 

 up boxes for them about our homes, for they do more good 

 than harm and their notes are pleasing and their flight is in- 

 teresting. Their cheery songs are heard until about the 20th 

 of August. Then they assemble in large flocks and by their cack- 

 ling and twittering seem to be discussing their departure to the 

 south. After leaving they return in a day or two before mak- 

 ing their final departure. Do they get homesick after they 

 have gone some distance, and return once more to look upon 

 the familiar scenes? One can easily imagine how "dear to 

 their hearts are the scenes of their childhood," and of their 

 nest building and brood rearing. This is another of the mys- 

 teries of bird life. 



