AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY 165 



THE CASTLE. 



Come with me into our garden where you can see the bird houses, 

 nesting boxes and the real nests not made with hands. The largest 

 house which we call the castle is occupied in summer by Martins, and 

 if it has never been your good pleasure to hear their strange songs and 

 observe their maneuvers I am sure you could spend an hour or two 

 with them and not weary with their entertainment. 



The "Progne subis" or Purple Martin belongs to the family "Hir- 

 undinidae" or Swallows. It is their largest representative and meas- 

 ures eight inches in length. The adult males are shining blue-black, 

 but in the sunshine look decidedly purple. The females are grayish, 

 tinged with steel blue above, lighter below. They are eminently in- 

 sectivorous, consequently highly migratory. Their long pointed wings 

 afford them wonderful aerial ability, enabling them to take their food 

 while on the wing with wondrous ease and grace. Their song is very 

 humble, little more than deep toned love talk, but is expressive of ten- 

 der emotions. 



To some observers the song seems quite ridiculous and indeed is 

 rather amusing when an old male tries to give expression to his ecsta- 

 sies by a low, hoarse trill. The charm of the Martins is not in their 

 song, but in the tender devotion of the mated pairs, the parental love 

 and care displayed to the little ones in the nests, the sociability of large 

 flocks, and their wonderful homing instinct. My notes tell me that they 

 arrive in scattered flocks from April 16th to 28th and leave from Au- 

 gust 12th to 20th, seldom varying three days from the first named date 

 of arrival. They seem so glad and happy to get back to their pleasant 

 summer home, the dear old home of their birth, that they announce 

 their presence by loud demonstrations of joy and it is many days be- 

 fore they become settled down like well regulated families. As each 

 colony arrives and their numbers are being perceptibly augmented, dif- 

 ficulties arise between them concerning the choice of rooms, as there 

 are twenty-eight apartments and thirty-two windows in the house, and 

 they all prefer the rooms on the north and east as these are nearest the 

 water and meadows, and on the opposite side from our house. For 

 many days there is a perfect babel of noises, harsh, strong, scolding 

 notes are uttered to all intruders, and gentle little love notes from the 

 same old veterans to the favored ones they have chosen for their mates. 

 The nests are made by a few sticks pasted down by a bit of mud, just 

 enough to keep the little ones from falling out of the house. As each 

 brood is hatched the curiosity of the adult members of the colony is 

 greatly incited, and for several hours they stand in flocks at the doors 

 gazing either in admiration or wonderment at the new little babies; 



