PASSERES — HIRUNDINID^. , 159 



syllables, cluckity chuckity chuck, or chuckity tuckity tuck. 



This tanager's food is like that of the Scarlet Tanager — 

 insects, varied by frequent helps of weed seeds and wild 

 fruits in their season. It is distinctly useful. 



It seems to slightly precede the Scarlet Tanager in its 

 arrival, appearing during the last week in April and tarry- 

 ing well into September. 



Family Hirundinid.e. Swallows and Martins. 



Five swallows and one martin spend the summer in Ohio. 

 These birds pass most of their days on the wing feeding and 

 playing. The martins are less active on the wing, but are 

 good flycatchers nevertheless. All of this family not only 

 rival but exceed the true Flycatchers as destroyers of fly- 

 ing insects, usually feeding upon the insects which fly high- 

 er or in the more open fields. Some glean from the top of 

 the grass as they fly. A large colony of swallows under the 

 eaves of a stock barn is the best friend of the milkman. 



220. (611.) Progne subis (Linn.). 76. 

 Purple Martin. 



Synonyms: Hirundo purpurea, H. subis, Progne purpurea. 



Martin, Purple Swallow, Black Martin, Black Swallow, Great 

 American Martin^ Blackbird Swallow. 

 Kirtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 162. 



Dr. Wheaton reported this as an "Abundant summer res- 

 ident." If abundant anywhere now it is not so reported. 

 There may still be a few colonies where large numbers of 

 individuals breed. I have seen more at Lewiston reservoir, 

 where we found them nesting in the stumps projecting 

 above the water, than elsewhere. But even here they were 

 not abundant. It seems clear that twenty years have served 

 to greatly diminish their numbers over the entire state. 

 What the cause of this decrease may be is hard to determine. 

 Many have declared that since both Martins and English 

 Sparrows use the bird-houses, and since the sparrows are 

 on hand all winter, the Martins find their homes preempted 

 when they return, and are unable to regain possession. If, 



