112 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY . 



EXTRACTS FROM "THE STORY OF A MARTIN COLONY." 



BY J. WARREN JACOBS (See page 215.) 

 Before the advent of the English Sparrow in this community, the 

 Purple Martin found numerous friends and admirers among the people, 

 who encouraged it by erecting beautiful bird-houses for its accommo- 

 dation. 



Every bird house in town eventually became crowded with sparrows 

 and instead of the twitter of the industrious Martins, bubbling-over with 

 happiness, the monotonous jingle of the sparrows became the rule, 

 changing the charm of the Martin houses into rasping "chatter-boxes." 

 The sparrows had their day however, and people who had either en- 

 couraged them or treated them with indifference, began a crusade 

 against them by killing them and tearing out their nests. Persons who 

 had Martin houses fostered the return of the Martins until now the 

 birds are increasing. The desire to have Martins coupled with a deter- 

 mination to oust the sparrows, which nested about our building, prompt- 

 ed me to erect a martin house in 1896 and established a colony which 

 has grown to large proportions, necessitating additional houses until 

 now the birds have ninety-nine nesting rooms at their disposal, about 

 three-fourths of which were occupied in 1902. 



The weather affects their return very much, but generally by April 

 5th several individuals can be seen. The first arrivals usually come 

 singly, are males in adult plumage, and stay only a few hours; they dis- 

 appear as quickly as they came. Then they come in small bands and 

 later in large numbers. Nest building covers a period of several days, 

 the male assisting, though he often gets in the wrong room. They 

 collect twigs, straws, bits of wood and grass from the garden and street 

 and along the creek. The eggs are deposited in a close cluster in the 

 center of the nest, and, after the set is complete, are partly covered 

 with bits of apple leaves. From three to six and rarely seven are laid. 

 Incubation lasts from twelve to fifteen days, the female, I believe, at- 

 tending to this duty exclusively. The height of the hatching period is 

 from the 10th to the 15th of June. The young, when they first leave 

 the egg shells, are repulsive looking objects with large heads, eyes 

 closed, and small shiny bodies without down. After the fifth day the 

 birds grow very rapidly and are clamorous for food- At the end of 

 eighteen days the young are pretty well feathered, and somewhat re- 

 semble the mother birds. From twenty-four to twenty-eight days 

 elapse from the time the young break the shells until they are strong 

 enough to leave the nest and safely soar away with the parents during 

 the day- 



My records show a total of about eleven hundred and fifty eggs laid 

 during the seven years; and the number of young reaching maturity 

 eight hundred and fifty. 



