82 



this has taken place the Martins alight on the ground, pursuing them there with 

 the greatest activity. 



None of the Swallows, Swifts, or Night Hawks ever under any circumstances 

 take any vegetable food while in this Province, nor have they any habits that are 

 open to objection of any kind, so that our utmost efforts should be put forth to 

 preserve them and encourage them to build about our premises. 



I have heard one or two people state that they did not like Swallows about 

 their houses because they brought bed bugs ; how such an idea got into any person's 

 head is difficult to understand, and let me say most emphatically that there is no 

 foundation for the belief whatever. Swallows, like all other living creatures, have 

 their insect parasites, but no parasite affecting the Swallows will ever trouble 

 human beings. 



SWALLOWS. 



Description. 



PUEPLE MARTIN. 



Adult male. Glossy blue black; wings and tail duller. 



Adult female and immature. Upper parts glossy bluish black, duller than in 

 the male; wings and tail dusky black; throat, breast and sides brownish gray, more 

 or less tipped with white ; belly white. 



L., 8.00; W., 5.80; T., 3.00. 



Nest, in holes in buildings or in bird houses. Eggs, four or five, white. 



CLIFF SWALLOW. 



Forehead creamy white, crown steel blue; throat and sides of the head 

 chestnut; a brownish gray ring round the neck; breast brownish gray, tinged with 

 rufous and with a steel blue patch in its centre ; belly white ; back steel blue ; upper 

 tail coverts, pale rufous; tail dusky. 



L., 6.00; W., 4.35; T., 2.00. 



Nest, of mud generally flask shaped, beneath the eaves of buildings, or under 

 cliffs. Eggs, four or five white, spotted with reddish brown. 



BARN SWALLOW. 



Upper parts, glossy steel blue; tail deeply forked, all but the middle feathers 

 with white spots on their inner webs. Forehead throat and upper breast rich 

 chestnut ; lower parts same colour but paler. 



L., 7.00; W., 4.70; T., 3.30. 



Nest, generally on or against a rafter in a building. Eggs, four or five, 

 white, spotted with reddish brown. 



WHITE-BREASTED SWALLOW. 



Upper parts glossy greenish blue ; under parts pure white. 



Immature. Upper parts brownish gray; below white. 



L., 6.00; W., 4.75; T., 2.50. 



Nest, in a hole in a tree or building. Eggs, five or six, white. 



