OF VIRGINIA 253 
FAMILY HIRUNDINID/E.—SWALLOWS. 
GENUS PROGNE. 
[611]. Progne subis subis (Linneus). Purple Martin. 
[House Martin], 
Rayex.—North and South America, except the Pacific 
coast region. Lreeds from west central Alberta, southern 
Saskatchewan, central Manitoba, northwestern Ontario, 
New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, west to Montana and 
Idaho, and south to the Gulf Coast, Florida, Vera Cruz, 
and Jalisco; occurs in migration in Venezuela and Guiana 
and winters in Brazil; accidental in Bermuda and the 
British Isles. 
This is the largest of the swallow family, and one of 
our most useful birds, especially so, should we have poultry 
around, and small chickens running loose. As a protection 
from hawks and crows, I do not place them second to the 
Kingbird, but both on an equal footing. There is no 
doubt but what they are diminishing in numbers, and it 
seems strange that they should when so much is done to 
help them raise broods. The two reasons for decrease in 
this section is the introduction of the are (electric) light 
in our cities, and the black snake, with possibly some 
mortality now and then from a long rainy spell, when 
young are just hatched and are partly grown. Year after 
year they return and try and build up under the tin top 
of the are lights, invariably to be torn down every morn- 
ing or so, by the attendant when fixing the light. Some- 
times a whole season is wasted in this manner. Probably 
