HIRUNDO PURPUREA. 
34 
individuals have been noted to return to the same boS 
for several successive years. Even the solitary Indian 
seems to have a particular respect for this bird. Tb® 
Chactavvs and Chickasavvs cut off all the top branches 
from a sapling near their cabins, leaving the prongs » 
foot or two in length, on each of which they hang » 
irourd, or calabash, jyroperly hollowed out for theif 
conveuieuce. On the banks of the Mississippi, tb^ 
neo-roes stick up long canes, with the same species o' 
apartment ti-ved to their tops, in which the martui* 
reo-ularly hrmid. VVTierever I have travelled in tin- 
country, 1 have seen with jileasurc the hospitality o' 
the inhabitants to this favourite bird. 
As superseding the necessity of many of my ov'l" 
observations on this species, I beg leave to introduce 
this place an extract of a letter from the late learno 
and venerable .lohn Josejih Henry, Esq. .judge of tW 
supreme court of Pennsvlvania, a man of most amiab 
manners, which -was written to me hut a few moutb- 
before his death, and with which 1 am happy to honoO' 
my performance: — “ The history of the purple martu 
of America,” says he, “ which is indigenous in Penns.vj' 
vania, and countries very far north of our latitude, vi iH' 
under your control, become extremely interestinf 
We know its manners, habitudes, and useful qualitif* 
here ; but we are not generally acquainted with soiw' 
traits in its character, which, in my mind, rank it in tb 
class of the most remarkable birds of passage. Somf. 
where (1 cannot now refer to book and page) in Ansob 
Voyacfe, or in Damjiier, or some other southern voyage^ 
I recollect that the martin is named as an inhabitant 
the regions of southern America, particularly ot Ehib 
and, in consequence, from the knowledge we have 
its immense emigration northward in our own couutC 
we may fairly pre.sunie that its llight extends to tl' 
south as far as Terra del Fuego. If the conjecture K 
well founded, we may, with some certainty’, place t^ 
useful and delightful companion and friend of w 
human race as the first in the order of birds of passa?: 
Nature has furnished it with a lengthy, strong, 
