HIRUNDINID^E : SWALLOWS. 



whole so very numerous as we suppose. Wherever 

 it occurs, the size of the bird, its striking color, the 

 noise it makes, and its activity and domesticity, con- 

 spire to render it an object so conspicuous that we 

 unconsciously acquire an exaggerated idea of its gen- 

 eral abundance. It moreover appears to be somewhat 

 on the decrease in New England, from some cause 

 not well understood. Its loquacity is an annoyance to 

 many persons, and hospitality is frequently denied ; 

 though the bird is certainly a serviceable one in the 

 work of holding insects in check vastly more so 

 than its inveterate enemy, the European Sparrow. 

 The Martin originally built in hollows of trees, as 

 the White-bellied Swallow ^still does, but is now sel- 

 dom if ever known to nest except in artificial recep- 

 tacles. It reaches us late in April or early in May, 

 and leaves early in September. Two broods are com- 

 monly reared, the first set of eggs being laid in May, 

 the other in July. The nest is built of hay, sometimes 

 with twigs intermixed, and is lined with feathers. 

 Like those of the Bank and White-bellied Swallows, 

 the eggs ars pure white and unmarked ; but they are 

 of course much larger 0.95 to i.oo long, by about 

 0.68 in the lesser diameter. 



