334 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



their own. The occupation was not accomplished, however, 

 without many a scuffle with the original tenants and other pairs 

 of Martins who had nesting ideas of their own. The building did 

 not commence immediately after possession had been obtained, 

 but, either to make sure that the pew house was safe — it swayed 

 very much in the wind — or more firmly to establish their right, it 

 was well on towards the middle of May before the mother laid 

 her first egg. 



" In the meantime other pairs had commenced to build, selecting 

 various portions of the huge beams that acted as plates for 

 Kalacoon House. The nests were composed of sticks, straws, 

 dried grass, string, cloth, and anything that would act as building 

 material. Th6y were placed back from the edge of the beam 

 usually in a corner next to a floor joist. The spot, where the 

 birds had been regularly roosting, was usually selected for the 

 home site, for when they find an ideal location they remain there 

 all their lives, or at least until the conditions change. Unlike the 

 Purple Martin, the too near company of others was not desired, 

 and it went hard with the individual who inadvertently overstepped 

 his neighbour's territory. In this respect they resembled some 

 human beings. 



" The Kalacoon Martins commenced to lay about the first of 

 April. Every bird had been busy for the two preceding weeks 

 collecting material, courting, and fighting. Sometimes a dozen 

 or more would gather on the ground in front of the house and 

 sort over the little twigs and dried grass blades lying there. This 

 was always attended with perfect harmony until two birds would 

 decide that they both liked the same stick. They resorted then 

 to force in the dispute that followed, and the fight would go on 

 up in the air or down on the ground, until both were exhausted. 

 In the meantime the object of their differences was usually 

 spirited away by a third party. At any rate they always forgot 

 what they were fighting about and never returned to the spot to 

 look for it. Again, one would be sitting alone awaiting her 

 mate by the prospective nest. Suddenly, after many beautiful 

 evolutions in the air, he would join her, and their admiration for 

 one another was shown by wide open bills and a perfect babble of 

 warbles. They would sit thus for a few moments each with its 

 mouth open, or they snapped bills at imaginary insects, as if one 



