8 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 



air, instead of following the parent flutter aimlessly 

 about until exhaustion lets them drop where danger 

 lurks. The Martins themselves know well the importance 

 of this step, and a young bird's first appearance on wing 

 never fails to create general commotion in the colony. 

 Some of them, taking delight in the chase, follow the 

 fledgling, and in their endeavor to drive it to a safe place 

 often harass the poor thing until its strength gives out 

 and it falls a prey to the ever-present bad boy, who puts 

 it in a cage and stuffs bread crumbs down its throat until 

 death comes to the rescue. 



After the second day out this danger is over, but the 

 parents have to feed it for some time yet, and good par- 

 ents bring their offspring home before an approaching 

 storm and in the evening to have them under shelter dur- 

 ing the night, since camping in the treetop on a stormy 

 night would result fatally. Some have been seen to bring 

 them home, all of them, for ten consecutive nights, but 

 such instances are rare. The rule is to bring them a few 

 nights only and not all of them, either. About one-half 

 are never seen again after leaving the box. This home- 

 bringing is a very noisy and amusing affair, since the 

 parents have a good deal of trouble to collect all the 

 members of a family into one box and to keep them 

 there. 



The peculiar call note, one which is only used by par- 

 ents to command their children, comes here to perfection, 

 and the arrival of every individual is signalized by a 

 general uproar. Having at last succeeded in getting all 

 their children into one box it is necessary to watch and 

 feed them there, lest they be off again. One of the old 

 birds remains until dusk, when it suddenly disappears in 

 the direction of the common roost, leaving the young 

 alone until dawn next morning. 



