Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1908-02-13

rOuBnWlng as OFTEN TO be taken
for it. 1t is common wherever
it finds sand banks in which to
dig holes for its nests. Unlike
the roughwing it usually builds
in good sized colonies, which, if
protected from mischievous
boys and destructive cats, will
flourish. 1t is desirable to in
crease the number of colonies to
the utmost extent, and in re-
gion where sand and gravel
banks abound this is easily done
by cutting down the banks to
make smooth faces good for
nests and devoting them exclu-
sively to the use of the swallows.
Cliff s2OaIIoaO; mud dauber.-
Seventy-fve or one hundred
years ago this fine swallow was
rare east of the Mississippi, be-
ing abundant only in the West,
where abound suitable cliffs to
which the bird attaches it's mud
nests. Within recent times, how
ever, it has become numerous
throughout the North, having
discovered that the caves of
barns and outbuildings are sat
isfactory substitutes for cliffs:
The species is already present in
Western and Southern Texas,
and, if protected and it's pres
ence encouraged, there would
seem to be no reason why in time
it should not extend it's range
over the entire cotton growing
area; but no practical method of
Fastening it's occupancy of new
territory has so far been sug-
gested. In Germany the pres
ence of a related species about
dwellings is so much desired that
artificial nests are made of clay
or other suitable material and
sold by dealers to be put up for
the accommodation of swallows.
Probably the same method would
be found effective in this coun-
try.
MdTt5n.-This, the largest and
prehaps the most domestic of
our swallows, occurs in summer
here and there throughout the
cotton states from Florida to
Texas. Its large size, powerful
flight, and the great numbers of
insects (boll weevils among 9TH
ers) it requires for its own sus-
tenance and that of it's young
make the martin the most valu-
able of its tribe to the southern
planter; moreover, its habit of
nesting in boxes provided for it
renders it's semidomestication
comparatively easy, as its socia-
BILE disposition enables the size
of a colony to be increased by the
addition of new quarters to prac-
tically the limit of the local food
supply.
Where martins occur sparing-
ly it is not difficult substantially
to increase the number of colo
MES simply by putting up adj
ditional boxes. AS the settle
ment becomes populous, other
boxes may be put up a mile or
two away, and thus gradually
the birds range may be extend
ed. 1t should not be forgotten
that the nearer to the cotton
fields the birds are the more
weevils they will destroy.
In districts not visited at all
by the martins further steps
must be taken to induce their
presence. The practicability of
of transporting martin houses
containing parent birds and
their young from one locality to
another has often been sug-
gested, and in at least one in
stance has been tried with sue
cess.
The best time for the expert
ment is when the young martins
are about two-thirds grown. To
trap the birds in their house,
doors are so arranged as to close
the openings when a cord is
pulled, which is done after the
occupants are in for the night.
If close to railroad the captives
may be transported many miles
|by train before daylight the next
morning. However transported,
the house containing colony OF
say six or eight pairs of old
birds with their young should