Some Notes on Martin Colonies 131 



On May 20 the writer removed seven dead male Purple Martins of mature 

 plumage from his bird-house at Kittanning, Pa. This colony is about twenty 

 years old, and for years has been made up of about fourteen pairs of older 

 birds, all in high plumage, and this is the first year that many birds in second- 

 season plumage are in evidence. Last year's young birds do not return until 

 May, and usually cannot get room in a well-established colony, hence seeking 

 new homes. It is estimated that between one-third and one-half the older 

 Martins perished during April. 



Upon going back over the daily weather reports for March, April, and May 

 for Pittsburgh, Pa. (45 miles south of Kittanning), the following exceptional 

 conditions were found: 



It rained almost continuously from April 4 to 8, inclusive, with the highest 

 temperature for each day under 50°, except on the 5th, when it climbed to 61°. 

 From the 9th to nth, inclusive, it was fair and cold, the highest daily tem- 

 peratures being 40°, 34°, and 49°. During the remainder of the month there were 

 shorter periods when the Martins were unable to feed. 



The fact that all the dead birds found were males leads to the conclusion 

 that the high mortality must have been early in the season, as the males 

 precede the females in migration. The date of arrival for the Kittanning 

 colony is not known, but it is known that the Martins returned seven to ten 

 days ahead of their usual time throughout the state. The first Martin, male, 

 reached McKeesport on March 26, and many first arrivals were seen on the 

 24th at Waynesburg, Pa. 



Referring to the mortaHty among the Martins at McKeesport, the writer's 

 present home, there are now only six to eight birds where sixteen to twenty were 

 seen in previous years. The two big local colonies are nearly wiped out. 



While this calamity is only a light killing when compared to the almost total 

 destruction of Purple Martins throughout the New England States in 1903, 

 had the bad weather come two or three weeks later there would have been 

 few Martins left to replenish our colonies. 



V. A COLLAPSIBLE MARTIN-HOUSE 



By G. HILLER, Cincinnati, Ohio 



For the benefit of some of your readers, I enclose herewith pictures of 

 a 'Homemade Martin-House,' made of soap-boxes, the lower story being 

 somewhat smaller, thus giving the effect of a Swiss cottage. The house is 

 hinged together and collapsible. The removable pins in the hinges allow the 

 house to be taken apart for cleaning. The side of the house where the 

 openings are for the nesting chambers is provided with hinged porches, thus 

 making it possible to keep the house closed to Sparrows until the proper 

 tenants, the Martins, arrive. The partitions inside are worked in grooves, 

 thus allowing a thorough cleaning. The pole or pipe is made of two 



