PURPLE MARTIN. 
33 
takes up his abode. I never met with more than one 
man who disliked the martins, and would not permit 
them to settle about his house. This was a penurious, 
close-fisted German, who hated them, because, as he 
said, “ they eat his peas” I told him he must cer- 
tainly be mistaken, as I never knew an instance of 
martins eating’ peas ; but he replied with coolness, that 
he had many times seen them himself “ Maying 1 near 
the hife, and going 1 schnip, schnap” by which I under- 
stood that it was his bees that had been the sufferers ; 
and the charge could not be denied. 
This sociable and half domesticated bird arrives in 
the southern frontiers of the United States late in 
February, or early in March ; reaches Pennsylvania 
about the 1st of April, and extends his migrations as 
far north as the country round Hudson’s Bay, where he 
is first seen in May and disappears in August ; so, 
according to the doctrine of torpidity, has, consequently, 
a pretty long annual nap in those frozen regions, of 
eight or nine months, under the ice ! We, however, 
choose to consider him as advancing northerly with the 
gradual approach of spring, and retiring with his young 
family, on the first decline of summer, to a more con- 
genial climate. 
The summer residence of this agreeable bird is uni- 
versally among the habitations of man ; who, having 
no interest in his destruction, and deriving considerable 
advantage, as well as amusement, from his company, is 
generally his friend and protector. Wherever he comes, 
he finds some hospitable retreat fitted up for his accom- 
modation, and that of his young, either in the projecting 
wooden cornice, on the top of the roof, or sign-post, in 
the box appropriated to the bluebird ; or, if all these 
be wanting, in the dove-house among the pigeons. In 
this last case, he sometimes takes possession of one 
quarter or tier of the premises, in which not a pigeon 
dare for a moment set its foot. Some people have large 
conveniencies formed for the martins, with many apart- 
ments, which are usually fully tenanted, and occupied 
regularly every spring ; and, in such places, particular 
VOL. ii. c 2 
