The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-03
Tins Bird Regarded as One Of Mans
Best Friends.
Insects That Constitute the Bulk OF
the Birds Food Decidedly Injurious.
The Martin One OF the Best Known
and Most Popular Representatives
OF the Bird Family.
Editor Messenger

which occur regularly in North ar
DINA. Before the advent of civiliza-
ton into our southern wilderness
these birds built their nests n reared
their young in the natural cavities of
trees or in hollows ~excavated by the
larger species Of woodpeckers. But
the martin is one of those birds which
soon learned that in the immediate
vicinity of mans home greater protec-
ton was found from their natural en-
emies.
In order to their pres
ence the planters soon began to erect
bird boxes and goards for their ac-
-comrnodation. The martins responded
to this kindness by driving the hawks
away from the farmers poultry yard
and Kidding the farm of many iniu-
r1ous insects. AS ~ result. for Ion
years the martin has been one Of the
best known IN most popular repre-
sentatives of the bird world in our
state. For some reason they have of
recent years become less numerous
throughout the central and northern
states. and as a breeding bird has
apparently disappeared from many
localities in the south. the cause for
which is not we'll understood.
The swallow family is purely in
sectiverous. and it's representatives
gather their food while on the wing.
Therefore upon the approach of cold
weather the birds retire to the far
south whe~n they NAV procure their
living in those lands where the killing
frost does not come.
1t is the custom Of swallows to ac-
cumulate in large 1ocks before begin
ming THEN Autumn migrations. and
in some of the marshes. barn swal-
lows. tree swallows. and others. often
cOngregate to roost in immense num-
bers. Being a true swallow the pur-
pie martin is gregarious at this sea-
son of the year.
For many years great numbers of
these birds have roasted among the
shade trees of a private estate in
Greensboro. They ppear about the
first of July. the numbers seeming to
increase daily until the time of their
departure about six weeks later. The
birds annually attract much attention
owing to their phenomina3 numbers.
and are frequently remarked upOn by
people in the streets who late in the
afternoon see them circling in great
clouds o the town.
Desiring to study their habits more
carefully the writer climbed to the
top of a five story building one after
noon to watch the birds as they came
III ~ SA1OAl 1iASAAti -
about ar hour before shutdown when
the first bird appeared. 1t came leiS-
urely flying in from the north. and in
a few minutes was followed by 9TH
ers. and then by a dozen or more. the
numbers increasing until within thirty
minutes the flyers were passing my
station in swarms so great that it
was impossible to count them. The
flight continued until nearly undow
The birds which had already arrived
in the town circled in a wide sweep
about their roosting place making
sudden sallieS to one side for a quar-
ter of a mile or more the whole flock
moving in perfect unison as though
impelled by a common purpose.
A few minutes after SHUTDOWN the
birds began aliohting in the trees. one
great flock after another sweeping
downward and settling upon the top
most boughs. For a time there was
much f1uttering from place to place
as the birds sought more comfortable
perches or were crowded from those
already selected. by their more greedy
~neighbors. A continuous chatter was
kept up. this possibly being a com
parison of notes regarding the expert
ences of the day. or more probably
simple notes of contentment or dis
pleasure.
At IL o'clock the sounds from the
tree tops was still going on. and at
three in the morning when / again
visited the place I found the noise
still continuing although there seemed
to be considerable abatement.
From the roof of a nearby building
I watched the birds leave. The morn
ing flight occurred shortly after day
light. and within three minutes after
the first bird left the trees the whole
assembly had departed.
The martin is q strong flyer. easily
making forty or fifty miles an hour
when in a hurry and the representa-
tives Of this vast assemblage doubt
less scatter far and wid over Gull
ford and Rockingham counties. cours-
ing for insects through the painless
wastes of the upper air.
It was simply impossible to count
these birds by any mea that / could
devise. but from m made at
various times. which,. of course. are
nothing but rude estimates I am led
to believe that the flock numbered
some place between loo. 900 and $780,
600 individuls.
In making their downward sweeps
to the roost they woul occasionally
strike the telephone and telegraph
wires and become disabled. / picked
up three of these birds n evening
and placing their stomachs in alcohol
forwarded the same to the Agricul-
turaf department at washington. D.
c.. with the reduest that their ento-
mologist make an examination OF the
contents. The report Shove that
these stomachs contained the remains
of eight species of insects. Three OF
these are regarded Is beneficial"
that is. they prey upon some injurious
insects. aid in the colonization of flow
ers. or are in some a Of service to
mans interests. The remaining five
species. and those which constitute
the main bulk of the birds food were
decidedly injurious TO the states agri-
cultural interests. Omitting the scien-
| tiic names there were as follows:
Bean weevils. (insects very Injurious
| to the COW peal. Glover leaf weevils:
bark beetles. Cniur:ous TO fruit n
shade trees1: Flying ants n Lygus
| {tarnished plant bug). The birds OF
course feed upon MANY species
of insects. and in a region where any
| particular kind of insect is specially
| numerous it is probably the case that
it would be eaten in greater numbers
H-