110 



THK PURPLE MARTIN. 



related, but not very closely. The form of the tail and 

 coloration is so different in our swallows that they may 

 readily be distinguished as given in the accompanying fig- 

 ures and descriptions 



PURPLE MARTIN. 



Size, large, over eight inches long. Tail, moderately forked. Color, 

 uniform, dark steely blue throughout. Female similar, but grayish beneath. 

 May 1 to Sept. 15. Temperate North America. 



Flight, rather heavy. Song, loud, clear detached notes, frequently ut- 

 tered as the birds fly high in the air. Eggs, white, unspotted. 



The purple martins breed, I think now, almost universally in bird houses 

 erected for their accomodation, but which are too frequently occupied by 



Fig. 56. 



Head and foot of adult Purple Martin. 



English sparrows. In fact, the sparrows have driven the martins completely 

 away from some sections which they have occupied for years. On May 6, 

 when, with members of my class at Concord, Mass., we observed a bird house 

 which, being three stories high, had quite a number of apartments, all of 

 which were occupied by English sparrows, excepting one hole of two in the 

 attic, in which sat a male purple martin, evidently guarding this last foot- 

 hold in the house which must once been wholly occupied by martins. 



