Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-08-22

made dwellings,, rent'free, and In tnl
way the range of this extremely usefu
species might be materially increased
The cliff swallow ia one of the moa
indefatigable insect destroyers extant
and every motive of patriotism anc
humanity should prompt communitie
among which they live to protect anc
foster them in every, possible way.
PURPLE MARTIN.
This, the largest and in many re
spects the most beautiful Of all oul
swallow tribe, is the most local anC
the least numerous. In New Eng
land, and perhaps in most of the North
ern States generally. this fine bird il
steadily diminishing in numbers. Tht
English sparrow often takes possession
of it's boxes, ruthlessly kills the younl
martins or throws out the eggs, anc
usually succeeds in routing the colony
and appropriating the boxes. Wher
measures are not taken to abate the
sparrow nuisance in the immediate
vicinity Of martin colonies, the usuaI
result is that the martins are forced tc
abandon their houses. The habit oi
putting up houaes for the accommoda'
tion of martin colonies is not as com.
mon in the North as it formerly was
and to this indifference to the mar.
tins presence, to persecution by the
sparrow, and to losses due to the prev
alence of cold storms during the nest
ing season, no doubt, is due the present
scarcity of the bird.
Simply to put up martin boxes in
localities where the birds do not now
live may or may not ultimately re-
suit in the formation of new colonies,
for the martin is conservative by ma.
ture and loves its birthplace too well
to colonize strange localities until
forced away by lack Of accommoda-
tions in the old home, More active
measures, therefore, have been sug-
gested to induce colonization, partic.
ularly the transfer at night Of one or
more martin houses, with both parent
birds and nestlings, from their
old homes to new ones.
Having their nestlings to care. for,
the old birds probably will not al
ways desert them, but are likely to
resume parental duties in the strange
neighborhood, especially if the old
home is far distant. The theory ia
that the following spring on their re-
turn from the South the young mar
tins, and possibly their parents, will
ge back to the new home. AS the
young can be raised by hand without
serious difficulty, it may prove easier
to start the new colony with nestlings
alone, feeding them on meal worms,
grasshoppers, and the like. Six OF
eight pairs can well be spared from q
strong colony without unduly weak.
ening it. This method promises well,
and if the experiment can be tried
from year to year, even on small
scale, gradual increase in the num-
Der of martin colonies is likely to re.
RESULT and new centers of distribution
to be formed.
From the standpoint of the farmer
and the orchardist, perhaps no birds
more useful than the swallows exist.
They have been described as the light
cavalry Of the avian army. Specially
adapted for fight and unexcelled in
aerial evolution, they have few rivals
in the art of capturing insects in mid
air. They eat nothing Of value to
man except few predaceous wasps
and bugs, and in return for their ser.
vices in destroying vast numbers OF
noxious insects ask only for harborage
and protection. 1t Is to the fact that
they capture their prey on the wing
that their peculiar value to the cotton
grower is due. Orioles do royal SER
vice in catching weevils on the bolls
and blacL birds, wrens, hycatchers, and
others contribute to the good work /;
but when swallows are migrating over
the cotton fields they find the weevils
flying in the open and wage activ,
war against them. As many as Al
adult weevils have been found in che
stomach of a single cliff swallow
What may be termed the interstate
relations of birds are not always as
simple as in the case of the swallows