36 THE SAUD BO NB ULES Ean 
Martins 
By Crayton H. TANNER 
The first martin of 1932 was seen flying over the house April 7, 
high up in the air and singing, and the first black male arrived at my 
martin house on April 12. It was clear, with a strong southwest wind, 
and very cool. After the first one arrived the weather was mild, and 
from then on, they did not have occasion to leave as they do most springs 
during sudden cold snaps. 
The young martins left their nests July | and for two or three days 
after I could hear the young chirping in the top of my neighbor’s trees. 
The day they left the box there were from eight to ten old birds flying 
about the house making considerable noise and commotion trying to 
get the young to fly. I never knew whether any of this brood of young 
birds lived or not, as the old and young did not come back to the box 
at night to roost as they usually do for a week or so after the young fly. 
On July 19, I discovered a large flock gathering at dusk on the 
roof of the University of Illinois woman’s gymnasium located on the 
south campus. ‘They seemed to come from all parts of town until a 
large flock would be swarming around the south chimney of this build- 
ing, some alighting and then flying again. I presume they were strengthen- 
ing their wings for the long trip south. 
This mass flying would start with just a few birds, and within 
thirty minutes there would be some three or four hundred in the flock. 
During this time it had grown fairly dusk, and they would gradually set- 
tle to the roof. I counted 150 birds silhouetted against the sky with 
approximately 250 farther down on each side of the slanting part. “Chey 
would sit thus for ten or fifteen minutes, not a bird in the air, then 
suddenly fly up in one large mass and disappear on the opposite side of 
the building. ‘This disappearance was solved on August 10. After leay- 
ing the roof of the gymnasium they would fly in a mass directly to the 
University’s forestry where they seemed to dart into the tops of the 
trees like plummets. Part of this forestry is located due east of the 
gymnasium, and covers an area one block wide by four and one-half long. 
I often stationed myself between the building and forestry to watch the 
martins make their flight. It was a wonderful sight to see this mass of 
birds upon the roof, perfectly still for.ten or fifteen minutes, then sud- 
denly it would seem that, at an appointed time, they would fly up in one 
large flock, swoop low over my head, gain a little altitude, and dart into 
the tree tops of the forestry. “This routine was not governed by time, 
but by the growing darkness, because as the summer advanced and the 
darkness came earlier, this whole thing would be performed propor- 
tionately earlier. Clear and cloudy evenings would govern it slightly. 
