Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-05-17

lBy ".si,tton Of Audubon Societies. Re-
nTiu,ed from Bird Lore
90. ,rrple martin is too well known to
a detailed description. The adult
iaisa lustrous biue-b black, the wings
"a tail being slightly duiier. The adult
-. and the Young of both sexes are
.r,.b brown, CLOSED with steel-bluc on
s.nsr parts, while beneath they are dark
~ ,. shading into whitish on the belly.
Tss Dire 1f the martin is about seven and
half inches in length, but the great
,,,p,d of wings, from fifteen TO sixteen
'nebe,. makes the bird look very much
larger than It really IS.
p,-,og summer the martin is bird of
r.r1 wide distribution in temperate North
America; in autumn 1t migrates to the
.,,r,cs where it spends the winter.
Their are eight species OF this genus OF
,he swallow family, all OF them being
confined to America. Before the white
men discovered and settled the western
so.ld. generations OF martins had made
,ssir annual Journeys from their tropical
riuter homes TO the temperate part of
both continents. Their nesting sites were
then in hollow trees or in caves. While
,orests aud rocky retreats have not been
entirely abandoned by the martins, yet
many of them now breed in homes pro-
yided tog ,hem by man. The red man, a
true lover OF nature, invited the cheerful
martins TO remain about his tepee by
Ia .tFk teh hs.
soard. for a nesting place. The white sue
eessor OF the sborigine has adopted his red
brothers. blrd friend, often providing a
far more elaborate home for its use.
Is there anything In the bird world that
represents home life and community OF
interests as we'll as colony OF martins?
Contentmeus, happiness, prosperity are
there, and the cheerful, social twitter OF
the martins and their industrious habits
are 8 continual sermon from the air to
their brothers of the earth. The only
note Of discord in one OF these happy
colony houses is from the pugnacious
English sparrows, who coycts the COM
Portable homes OF the martins and tries to
eviei the rightful owners and substitute
bis harsh, disagrecable chatter for their
pleasant voices.
The value OF the martin to the human
raee is very great The birds are so pre-
eninently aerial that their food neces-
ssrily consists OF flying insects. Among
these may be some OF the dreaded
iiegomyid. 1t is a weli-established fact
that this and other species OF mosquito
convey both malarial and yellow fever.
Every mosquito, therefore, that Is de-
slfoyed by martin, or, in fact, by any
bird, lessons SO much the chance OF the
spread OF fever plaques. Human lives are
sacrificed every year; immense sums OF
money are expended for Investigation and
Prevention OF yellow fever, ye. in some
localities where this scourge Is found the
martin IS not understood and appreciated
a. !, should be. IL one human life Is
saved each year through the destruction
Of fever bearing mosquitoes by tns mar
TINS and other birds. IL Is sufficient rea-
son why the lives of these valuabIs birds
should be sacred.
The martin is also known to feed on
other injurious insects. DIR. Packard found
one OF the compartments OF martin box
literally packed with the dried remains
OIL little yellow and black squash
eeeiie' and the same author states that
Ten Nebraska specimens, examined by
Professor Aughey, had eaten 2s5 locusts
and ISL other insects"
In portions OF the northern range OF
me martin it is undoubted decreasing in
NUMBERS, and the houses which they once
animated by their welcome presence are
now deserted or occupied by the omni-
present English sparrow. While their
sosenee may, in some instance, be &C.
counted for by the prosecutions OF this
introduced feathered pest, and also to
mortality among the young birds occs-
"oned by cold weather or prolonged
s'osns during the nesting season, it now
seems that their disappearance is in no
'anan measures due to their destruction in
'ne south during their migration.
In recent issue OF the Charleston, s. c.,
To'', the following item appeared: "The
1SsDy uA& hth0W ~ ouh
martins Is practiced every year all over
'ne state, and thousands OF these in
'se'-destroyers and annually siain.n The
sai'or adds: 1.-THE officers in many coun-
uea are looking out for violators OF the
v''a law, and intend to stop the evil prac-
In response to an inquiry, the fact
vas disclosed that in Charleston the mar
Nn' were considered something OF q
.usanee on account OF their roosting in
.Ae Trees Of the parks At night; an effort
", Vas made to drive them out by turning
.ae hfe- hose on them, with little slaugh-
V, put effective dispersion.
hilbert Pearson, the secretary OF this
- a'oeiation, who is . resident OF North
sioiina, contributes the following grue-
'vnae story about martins, and truly adds:
ms is one Of the wild creatures which in
,,sN ea rapidly with the advance Of civiliza-
~ 80 ~ the United States until recent years,
us present decrease must in . large
,s ute be due to the persecution which it
~sNing TODAY N l..