PURPLE MARTIN. * 409 



the sea-shore escaped with comparatively little loss, yet the place of 

 the dead Martins has never to this day been made good, excepting by 

 the intrusion of another species. Perhaps this fact proves nothing ; it, 

 however, appears to me to shew that these birds return in spring to the 

 places where they are reared ; or why, if the young of the last year 

 ramble in search of convenient boxes, should none have come here, al- 

 though they are around us ? It cannot be that they are not a match 

 for the White-bellied Swallows, Hirundo hicolor, which have taken their 

 places." 



This statement is interesting as illustrative of the readiness with 

 which certain species, while seeking for places in which to breed, take 

 advantage of any favourable circumstance. The White-bellied Swal- 

 lows, instead of continuing to resort to hollow trees, as they are wont 

 to do, here took possession of the empty boxes of the Purple Martins. 



A curious instance of the expedition with which this bird is apt to 

 make choice of a situation to breed in, and there form a nest, happened 

 on the 13th of May 1837, whilst the Crusader was lying at anchor a 

 few miles above New Washington, close to a point of sand, where our 

 men were engaged in fishing with the seine. The sails of our craft 

 were furled, and the morning was perfectly calm, clear, and warm. 

 Several pairs of Martins were seen to alight on the main-yard, and then 

 to pour forth their not unmusical song, after which, one by one, they 

 were all observed to examine and enter the folds of the furled sails. 

 In a few moments several were seen to go on shore, and return with 

 materials to form their nests. I gazed on all their movements with 

 painful anxiety, for the more they laboured at this time, the greater I 

 knew would be their loss. About mid-day they had made so much pro- 

 gress that they were seen gambolling around and over the water, as if 

 in ecstasy at their success ; but a fresh breeze happening to spring up, 

 our men were recalled, and the sails were unloosed, by which the frag- 

 ments of their nests were strewed on the deck. The Swallows came 

 round the now-moving bark, and followed us for several hundred yards, 

 not with songs of joy but with notes of sorrow. 



An adult female preserved in spirits measures to end of tail 1^^ 

 inches, to end of wings 6^§ ; wing from flexure b^^ ; tail 3 ; extent of 

 wings 15x2 ; bill i|. 



The mouth is of extreme width, its breadth being 10 twelfths ; 

 its roof flat, covered behind and in the middle with numerous papillae. 



