246 ' Bird - Lore 



belonging to North America, you may possibly gain a clearer idea of the 

 relationship and distribution of this great order. Do not forget that in the 

 Old World there are many other kinds of perching birds which are not included 

 in this list.— A. H. W. 



Suggestion: Add up the number of families, genera, species and subspecies in this 

 order, that are found in North America. 



References: Chapman: Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America. 

 Bailey: Handbook of Birds of Western North America. 

 The A. O. U. Check-List of North American Birds, 3d ed. 

 Chapman: The Warblers. 

 Correctioti: In the outline presented in the preceding issue of Bird-Lore, page 

 179, substitute 25 for 24 in the column giving the number of families of perching birds. 



FROM YOUNG OBSERVERS 



Notes on the Purple Martin 



In the spring of 191 1, we had planned to build a bird-box for the accom- 

 modation of the Purple Martin, and to have it up before any Martin prospectors 

 had returned, but the weather was so bad during the first half of April that 

 one could not work out-of-doors, and it was April 25 before the box was ready 

 to be put in position. 



The first Martin was seen on April 10, an adult male, and, in spite of the 

 unfavorable weather, quite a number of Martins had returned to the other 

 bird-houses in town by the i8th. 



The house built by us was erected on April 25. It contained twenty rooms. , 

 While it was being put in position, a male Martin came and inspected several I 

 rooms, but did not remain long. 



It was fully a week later before other prospectors came, and we had already 

 begun to think that they had found suitable nesting-places elsewhere. This 

 was not the case, however, as they began to come to our house regularly and . 

 on May 6 several of them were carrying nest material. From this date until . 

 July I, nest-building was carried on at different times. At the time these « 

 operations stopped, the box held fifteen nests. 



At noon on May 19, I saw my first immature bird, a male. On the 2 2d f 

 others were seen on and about the box. 



Although I feel sure that eggs were deposited in most of the nests, our ' 

 Martins did not all bring out broods successfully. On inspecting the nest 

 rooms after the young had left the house, nine dead young were found. 



The first young left the box on July 14, and the last on August 13. After 

 the young had left the box, the birds returned to it only occasionally. 



On August 22, the first signs of preparation for the fall migration were 

 witnessed, when several hundred Martins collected upon the roof of an elevator. 



