Michigan Ornithological Club 87 



all around the nest, making locomotion very difficult. The nest was similar 

 in construction and situation to the one described above. The two eggs 

 measure 3.73x2.55 -f- 3.85x2.60. Incubation in both sets was advanced about 

 one week with the exception of one egg of the '01 set, which was addled. Both 

 sets are very handsome. 



The cranes flew around the marsh after I took the eggs and I could hear 

 their peculiar rolling guttural cries for several hours. I stayed near the nest 

 until dark in both cases and had a good chance to observe the actions of one 

 of the birds — which I believe was the female. 



Early in May of this year I again visited the locality searched this marsh 

 and adjoining one very thoroughly and did not see the birds. A farmer living 

 close by told me both birds were around early in the spring, but had not been 

 seen for several weeks and it is supposed that one or both birds fell victims 

 to a farmer's gun. 



I have a beautiful set taken in Summerfield township, Monroe County, on 

 May 2nd, 1880, by Michigan's veteran ornithologist and collector, Mr. Jerome 

 Trombley. The data reads as follows : "Nest was placed on the ground on a 

 small island of willows in the midst of a small marsh of ten or twelve acres 

 in extent. The marsh was surrounded with trees and bushes in a wild, 

 retired place. The nest consisted of a mass of dried willow brush coarse 

 stems of marsh grass slightly hollowed and lined with a little dry grass, 

 eggs fresh, bird shot." Eggs measure 3.80x2.35 -f- 375x2.34. They are as 

 usual very handsome. The color is a rich brown spotted and blotched with 

 dark brown, reddish brown and grayish violet making the general appearance 

 of the eggs much darker than in my sets. 



Bitterns and Swamp Sparrows were plentiful where I took the crane's 

 eggs and in some future number of the BULLETIN I hope to write an arti- 

 cle on the nesting habits of both of these birds. 



My cabinet contains a series of six sets of this bird. The Florida eggs 

 are the smallest and lightest in color of the series. 



Battle Creek, Mi eh.. Nov. 3rd. 1903. 



PURPLE MARTIN NOTES FROM WAYNESBURG, PA. 



T. WARREN JAC015.S. 



(With plwto by the author.) 



To accommodate the Martins (P rogue subis) which has nested in the 

 oldest of my bird-houses, I built and erected, last April, a handsome sixty- 

 six room structure which brought the total up to one hundred and forty-five 

 rooms for their use. 



Notwithstanding this increase of nesting quarters, my colony did not 

 show much, if any. increase in the number of nesting pairs. This is due, per- 

 haps, to the fact that a week of cold, wet weather, during the latter part of 

 June, 1902, was the cause of death of 150 young and several old birds. 



A similar fate visited' them again this year, but was more sweeping in 

 its effect upon the young, only one brood surviving. At this time, however — 

 June 15th — a very large number of the nests contained eggs which hatched 

 out later. 



From house No. 2 I took 40 young and one old dead bird. This old 

 one covered five young, four of which were still alive, but cold and stiff. I 

 tried to raise these by hand but failed, the last one living only about two days, 



