MARTIN (from Martin, Fr. Martin, from SIT,. Martin-us, Martin, from Lat. Mars, the god of war). A swallow: in the United States. one of the large purple swallows of the genus ['rogue. Several of the South American species are famil iar birds in Argentina, one species (['rogue to pera) breeding only in the clay structures of an oven-bird. common purple martin (Progne statist is widely distributed in North America, ranging in summer as far north as Newfoundland and the Saskatchewan. and wintering in Central and South America. The martin is eight inches long and sixteen across the wings. The male is shining hlue-black, while the female is bluish black above and brownish-gray beneath. The nest was primitively made in hollows of old trees, but in all settled parts of the country the birds now occupy bird-houses set upon poles for their• accommodation. and they have distributed themselves accordingly. not frequenting farms or villages where bird-houses are not erected for them. In occupying these houses they must with stand the competition of bluebirds, wrens, Eng lish sparrows, and, worst of all, of white-bellied swallows. The growing scarcity of the bird in New England is attributed mainly to the usurpa tions of the last-named species, which arrives in the spring SOIllewlizit earlier than the martin, and. having got possession of the quarters. can
not easily be dislodged. These various influenees make the distribution of the species more and more local, and are lessening its numbers in the Northeastern States. In the South they are more numerous and familiar. and they are every where regarded with affection. The eggs are pure w•liite. The food and habits of the martin are like those of other swallows (q.v.).
In Europe the black swift is sometimes called 'black martin,' and in France the name 'martin' is applied to the kingfisher; but the French colo nists in the Orient call the grakles of the genus Acridotheres 'martins.' In the United States the bank-swallow (q.v.) is sometimes called `sand-ma•tin,' and the kingbird is occasionally called 'bee-martin.' Such uses of the word. how ever, are confusing. and it is desirable that the name martin should be confined at, least to the swallows, and in America to those of the genus Progne. See Plate of SWALLOWS.