Congdon>—Saskatchewan Birds. 
617 
611. Purple Martin. 
Progue suhis (Linn.). 
In this, region the Martin still follows its primitive custom in 
the selection of a nesting site. The settlers are so few that bird 
houses and suitable nooks about buildings are practically want¬ 
ing and the hollows of trees are made to answer for nesting pur¬ 
poses. The majority of the cavities are probably made by 
Woodpeckers, originally, and when deserted fall to the Martin 
or to the Tree Swallows. Many nests of the Martin were found 
in dead stubs standing in timber bordering a lake. At Basin 
Lake, where much of the shore is bordered by the standing 
trunks of dead trees, the Martins were especially numerous. 
Some of the nests were in trees which stood in several feet of 
water. The nest cavity was usually lined with such materials 
as twigs, leaves and grass. One nest was situated in a tree 
standing only a few feet from a tree in which there was a. nest 
of I\ rider’s Hawk. Both nests were occupied but the Hawks 
seemed to pay little or no attention to their near neighbors. 
612. Cliff Swallow. 
Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say.). 
Two colonies of the Cliff or Have Swallows were seen. The 
odd nests, made entirely of mud by the little plasterers, were 
arranged in rows under the eaves of buildings. Many of the 
nests were so close to each other that they joined, only the double 
wall intervening. At one house the nests had just been torn 
down and the Swallows seemed to be in great dismay. Many 
were flying about in the air while others were clinging to the 
wall where the nests had been, apparently making a very close 
examination. These birds were aided in keeping this position 
on the face of the building by bracing their tails against the 
wall. Ho nests were disturbed. 
614. Tree Swallow. 
Tachycineta bicolor (Vieill.). 
The little White-bellied Swallow was frequently observed 
often in company with the Purple Martin. The nests were 
