May 1887.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



77 



talents, the females usually select a lowly site 

 for the cradle of their proojeny. 



For some years past I had suspected that this 

 species bred in this vicinity from the fact that 

 the son^ notes of the male were heard warbled 

 with much animation at a period that I knew 

 must be its nesting tin)e, though from the ele- 

 vation whence the bird sang, I supposed that 

 the female would be also "high" in her, nest- 

 ing habits. On the afternoon of June 5th, 18SG, 

 however, when searching for the nests of other 

 species in a piece of low, thick underwood, in 

 the high woods, I discovered a nest with one 

 egg, which at first I took to be that of a Chest- 

 nut-sided Warbler (Dcndrceca peiins>/lvanica), so 

 close was the resemblance in size, form, mate- 

 rial and position of the nest. The different note 

 of the bird, however, soon attracted my atten- 

 tion, and I waited a few moments until she 

 emerged from the thick foliage and approached 

 the nest. I then saw that she was a different 

 species, and a closer examination of the nest 

 also showed that it was much more compact 

 and firmly put together than that of the Chest- 

 nut-sided Warbler, though the eggs in size, 

 form, color and marking seemed exactly simi- 

 lar. The scolding voice of this bird soon 

 ])rought her mate to the place, but he seemed 

 more disposed to sport with her than assist to 

 drive oft" the intruder. Both, however, came 

 quite close and from notes then taken I have 

 since identified the species as the Black-throat- 

 ed Blue Wai'bler (Dendroeca rceruhsreiis). Be- 

 ing anxious to secure this nest and a full set of 

 eggs, I returned four days after and found that 

 it contained three of the Warl)ler's own eggs 

 and one of a Cow bird ( Molothrux att^r). Tliese 

 I took and thej" are now in my collection. 



Returning later I found another nest of the 

 same species similarly placed in a small leafy 

 shrub on the edge of a thicket, but containing 

 three young birds several days old, and also 

 one young bird of a Cow bird. In both cases I 

 noticed that the birds in flushing from the nest 

 dropped to the ground and made much commo- 

 tion among the dry leaves, with the design of 

 course, of drawing the attention of the intruder 

 from the nest. 



The Purple Martin in the South. 



BY W. B. HINTON, SPRINGVALE, GA. 



The annual visits of no bird meet with warm- 

 er welcome than those of the Purple Martin 



{Progene purpurea) . As a protector of the poul- 



try-yard against the depredations of hawks, he 

 is held in high and general esteem by our farm- 

 er friends, who attest their appreciation of his 

 worth by erecting for his reception tall poles 

 from which swing a number of capacious 

 gourds. At this juncture it may be proper to 

 state the curious fact tliat the Martin prefers a 

 gourd to a box as a nesting place. I have fre- 

 (juently put this matter to a test and invariably 

 had the case settled in favor of the gourd. 

 Why this is true I am at a loss to explain, un- 

 less it results from the shape of the gourd 

 being better adapted to nesting puposes — con- 

 forming as it does to the shape of the nest. 

 Or, maj^ not the pendent position of the gourd 

 afford greater securit)' against the intrusions of 

 such robbers as the Blue Jay (CyanociUa cris- 

 tata), Loggerhead Shrike (CoUyris ludovicianus) 

 and the connnon house catV 



If there are among your Northern readers 

 any not familiar with the primitive method be- 

 fore mentioned, of providing homes for the 

 Martin, and who would like to make a trial of 

 it for the mere sake of variety, let them pro- 

 cure a half-dozen or more gourds, not less each 

 than six inches in shortest diameter, and about 

 three inches from the bottom, holes just large 

 enough for the easy ingress and egress of the 

 desired occupants, and with strong strings 

 passed through the necks of the gourds, tie 

 them closely and securely to the outer ends of 

 the horizontal limbs of a pole, not forgetting in 

 the preparation of the gourds to bore two or 

 three gimlet-holes in the bottom to drain off" the 

 water during severe rains. 



In this latitude (31^ 45') the Purple Martin 

 arrives regularly l)y the first day of March, the 

 first arrival this season being noted l)y me the 

 27th of February. On the •22nd of February it 

 was reported that a pair had that morning been 

 seen upon the pole in my gaiden, but as the 

 birds did not come under my personal observa- 

 tion I will not ventui-e here to commit the ar- 

 lival to record. Had I seen the birds, however, 

 I should not have been suiprised, for the peach 

 and plum had l)een in bloom nearly two weeks, 

 and the niai)le was red with blossoms. 



The most interesting period of the Martin's 

 stay with us, embraces tlie interval l)etween 

 the date of arrival and the commencement of 

 nidification. During those six or eight weeks 

 he is all fuss and flutter, each member of the 

 colony endeavoring to make more noise than 

 his neighbor, and each is eminently successful. 

 It is pleasing to watch them rise to the upper 

 air for the purpose of feeding, then suddenly 

 furl their wings and pitch head-long for the 



