OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 197 



abundant in our latitude, and is chiefly a denizen 

 of eminently rural districts, where it breeds in 

 small numbers in the excavations of the Bank 

 Swallow, but more generally between crevices in 

 walls and arches of bridges over running water; 

 in some instances, less than a foot above the sur- 

 face. It arrives about the 2Oth of April; but in 

 very backward seasons, as late as the 5th of June. 

 During its early visit, it delights in the retirement 

 of solitary streams, and then manifests consider- 

 able shyness. Its chief concern is the procure- 

 ment of food. 



Whilst forao-ine it is not so strictly aerial as the 



^5 ^ * 



Barn Swallow, but has been observed on several 

 occasions to glean among the foliage and branches 

 of trees, but very rarely upon the ground. Its food 

 consists principally of dipterous and lepidopterous 

 insects, with a small percentage of coleoptera. 

 Remains of the following insects have been found 

 in the many stomachs which we have examined: 

 Anthrax elongata, Tipnla ferniginea, Culex 

 t&niorhynchus, Tabanus iineola, Stonwxys calcitrans, 

 Syrphus obliquus, Musca cczsar, and smaller diptera 

 which inhabit aqueous situations; common May- 

 fly and other small neuropterous beings, and 

 Spilosoinci Virginica, S. a era a, Orgy a lcucostigiiia> 

 Utetkeisa bclla, Col ins pliilodicc, the smaller 

 Argynni, with the most common of the Lyc&nid&> 

 Noctuidce, and Tortricidtz. 



Its flieht resembles that of the Bank Swallow in 



o 



being less firm and sustained than that of Hirundo 

 horreonun. 



