THE SWALLOWS 91 



from Central and South America, where they have passed 

 the winter, insects are just beginning to fly, and if they can 

 be captured then, before they have a chance to lay their 

 eggs, how much trouble and money are saved for the farm- 

 ers by their tireless allies, the swallows. Unfortunately, 

 purple martins are not so common at the North as they 

 were before the coming of those saucy Uttle immigrants, 

 the English sparrows, who take possession, by fair means 

 or by foul, of every house they can find. In the South, 

 where the martins are still very numerous, a peach grower 

 has set up in his orchard rows of poles, with a house on 

 each, either for them or for the equally useful bluebirds. 

 He says these bird partners are of inestimable value in 

 keeping his fruit trees free from insects. The curculio, one 

 of the worst enemies every fruit grower has to fight, de- 

 stroying as it does millions of dollars' worth of crops every 

 year, is practically imknown in that Georgia planter's 

 orchard. Some day farmers all over the United States 

 will wake up and copy his good idea. 



A colony of martins circling about a house give it a 

 delightful, home-like air. Their very soft, sweet conversa- 

 tion with one another as they fly, sounds like rippling,' 

 musical laughter. 



Barn Swallow 



Length — 6.5 to 7 inches. A trifle longer than the English 

 sparrow. Apparently considerably larger, because of its 

 wide wing-spread. 



Male — Glistening steel-blue shading to black above. Chin, 

 breast, and underneath bright chestnut-brown and 

 brilHant glistening buff. A partial coUar of steel-blue. 

 Tail very deeply forked and slender. 



