North American Birds Eggs. 



279 



SWALLOWS. Family HIRUNDINID/E. 



611. Purple Martin. Prixjnr >>iit)is. 



Range. — Breeds throughout the United States and temperate British America; 

 winters in South America. 



These large, lustrous, steely-blue Swallows readily adapt 

 themselves to civilization anil, thnnighout the east, may he 

 found nesting in bird houses, provided by appreciative land 

 owners or tenants; some of these houses are beautiful struct- 

 ures modelled after moilern residences and tenanted by twenty 

 or thirty pairs of Martins; others are plain, unpainted soap 

 boxes or the like, but the birds seem to take to one as kindly 

 as the other, making nests in their compartmentss of weeds, 

 grass, mud, feathers, etc. They also, and most commonly in the west, nest in 

 cavities of trees making nests of any available material. During June or July, 

 they lay from four to six white eggs; size .95 x .65. Data.— Leicester, Mass., 

 June 16, 1903. 5 eggs in Martin house; nest of grasses. Collector, A. J. Green. 



61 la. Western Martin. Prognc subis hesperia. 



Range. — Pacific coast from Washington south. 



The nesting habits, eggs, and birds of this form are identical with those found 

 in the east. 



61 I.I. Cuban Martin. Prngne cnjptoleuca. 



Range. — Cuba and southern Florida (in summer). 



Slightly smaller than the Purple Martin and the eggs average a trifle smaller. 



612. Cliff Swallow. PetrochelUlon lunifroiifi. 



Range.— Whole of North America, breeding north from the south Atlantic and 

 Gulf States. 



These birds can easily be recognized by their brownish throat 

 and breast, whitish forehead and buffy rump. They build one of 

 the most peculiar of nests, the highest type being a flask shaped 

 structure of mud securely cemented to the face of a cliff or under 

 the eaves of a liuilding, the entrance being drawn out and small, 

 while the outside of the nest proper is large and rounded; they 

 vary from this typical nest down to plain mud platforms, but are 

 all warmly lined with grass and feathers. In some localities, cliffs resemble bee 

 hives, they having thousands of these nests side by side and in tiers. Their 

 eggs are creamy white spotted with reddish brown; size .80 x .55 with great vari- 

 ations. Data. — Rockford, Minn., June 12, 1890. Nest made of mud, lined with 

 feathers; placed under the eaves of a freight house. Collector, M. B. Rich. 



[\Vhite. 



[612.1.] Cuban Cliff Swallow. PetrochdUJon fulva. 

 Range.— West Indies and Central America; accidental on Florida Keys. 



612.2. Mexican Cliff Swallow. PctrochelUJon mclanogastra. 

 Range. — Mexico; north in summer to southern Arizona. 

 A similar but smaller variety of the Cliff Swallow; eggs will not differ. 



