File:A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris (1862) (14748420991).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish02morr (find matches)
Title: A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris ..
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Groombridge and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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st certainly be mistaken, as I neverknew an instance of Martins eating peas; but he repliedwith coolness that he had many times seen them himselfblaying near the hife, and going schnip, schnap; by whichI understood that it was his bees that had been the sufferers;and the charge could not be denied. It is a sociable and half-domesticated bird; and it wouldappear that in America it is the custom to encourage theseMartins to frequent the neighbourhood of farmsteads, as theyare supposed, or rather indeed known to be useful in drivingoff birds of prey. They are the terror of Eagles, Hawks,and Crows; which at their first appearance they assail sovigorously, that they are instantly compelled to have recourseto flight. Poultry, as soon as they hear the voice of theMartin engaged in fight, instinctively know what is thematter, and exhibit alarm and consternation. The King-birdis in like manner attacked, but if a common enemy appears,he is united with in repelling such.. Wilson relates an anec-
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PQRPLE MA KiliS, PURPLE MARTIS-. 149 dote communicated to him by the late John Joseph Henry,Esq., Judge of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, of theplace put up by him for the reception of the Martins havingbeen forestalled by Blue-birds. The latter succeeded inrepelling the former, and kept possession of their abode, andthis for eight successive years; the Martins always attemptingto obtain a footing, but being as uniformly forced to giveU23 the attempt. The following specimens of the Purple Martin have beenmet with in this country:—Two were shot on different daysby Mr. John Calvert, of Paddington, the first week in Sep-tember, 1SJ^2, at the reservoir, Kingsbury, Middlesex. Onewas a young bird of the year, the outside tail feathers notbeing grown to their full length, the other was an old malein full plumage. In Ireland, one was shot near Kingstown, in the countyof Dublin, and is now preserved in the Museum of thelloyal Dublin Society, The Purple Martin, as may be imagined, is migr

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