202 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



over the whole United States (except Rio Grande Valley and 

 northwestern Mexico). In winter through Mexico and Central 

 America to Honduras, possibly to Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, 

 etc. Rare south of Potomac and Ohio Rivers; no record from 

 Florida and the West Indies. 



In Missouri the Cliff Swallow is a summer resident of only 

 local occurrence and not as numerous as it formerly was. At 

 breeding stands where traces of thousands of former nests are 

 to be seen, as for instance on the ledges above Elk River near 

 Noel in McDonald Co., none are left. In localities where twenty 

 years ago hundreds of nests were seen on barns, none are seen. 

 Prejudice and cruel delight in destroying the nests at the time 

 of incubation or when feeding young have done it. The arrival 

 in spring takes place in the second half of April and early May, 

 when they begin at once to build their mud-nests. The only 

 time when the species is present in great numbers is from the 

 middle of August to the middle of September. At this period 

 of southward migration thousands and thousands gather at 

 night at the common roosts in the Spartina marshes of north 

 Missouri. All are gone before the end of September (In the 

 Spartina with the Swallows, by 0. Widmann. Bird-Lore, 

 vol. 1, p. 4, Aug. 1899). 



*613. HiRUNDO ERYTHROGASTER Bodd. Barn Swallow. 



Chelidon erythrogastra. Hirundo rufa. Hirundo horreorum. Hirundo 

 americana. Hirundo rustica. 



Geog. Dist.— North America, north to Newfoundland, Lab- 

 rador, Ungava, the Northwest Territories and Alaska ; breeding 

 over whole of United States (except Florida) and through 

 central and western Mexico; in winter from southern Florida 

 and southern Mexico through Central and South America to 

 southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, West 

 Indies. 



In Missouri a summer resident of general distribution, but no- 

 where common. It is found in the state from early in April 

 to the middle of October (earliest April 3, 1903, Currier, Keokuk; 

 latest, October 14, 1905, Horse Shoe Lake, St. Charles Co.). 

 The ranks of breeders fill up slowly and troops of transients 

 have been noticed as late as the middle of May. The species 

 is most numerous in fall migration, when large flocks gather in 

 the marshes and roost in the reeds of lakes. As a breeder the 



