352 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



their burrows. In Arizona, according to Dr. Cones, they are summer resi- 

 dents, breeding abundantly, arriving latu in April and remaining until nearly 

 the last ot September. 



At Eagle Pass, Mr. Dresser met these birds, arriving from tlie South, on 

 tlie 21st of February. There, and also at San Antonio, they were very com- 

 mon, breeding in the towns, making their nests under the eaves and in Iioles 

 in the old walls, depositing their eggs by the 25th of April. Dr. Kennerly 

 also found this Swallow very abundant along the Colorado River in Febru- 

 ary. Its fliglit seemed to him to be like that of the common Barn Swallow. 

 Dr. Heermann frequently met with this species during the journey from the 

 junction of the Gila and Colorado Rivers through Mexico, New Mexico, and 

 Texas, to San Antonio. In the latter place he found them breeding almost 

 entirely iu crevices in the walls of houses. 



In the vicinity of Washington, Dr. Coues found this Swallow a summer 

 resident, but rather rare, arriving in the third week of A])ril, and leaving 

 about tlie middle of September. 



Mr. Ridgway speaks of this bird as one of the most abundant Swallows 

 of the AVest, inhabiting the river valleys, ami breeding in holes in tlie banks 

 of tlie rivers. He says that iu Southern Illinois it is much more abundant 

 than the C. riparia, though both nest in the same banks. 



This species was fiist found breeding in Carlisle, I'enn., by Professor Piaird, 

 in the summer of 1843. The following year I visited this locality early in 

 June, and liad an opportunity to study its habits during its breeding-season. 

 We found the bird ratlier common, and examined a number of their nests. 

 None that we met witli were iu places that liad been excavated by the birds, 

 althougli the previous season several had been found tliat liad apparently 

 been excavated in banks in the same manner witli the Bank Swallow. All 

 the nests (seven in number) tliat we tlien met with were iu situations acci- 

 dentally adajited to their need, and all were directly over running water. 

 Some were constructed in crevices between the stones in the walls and arches 

 of bridges. In .several instances the nests were but little above the surface 

 of the stream. In one, the first laying liad been Hooded, and the eggs chilled. 

 The birds had constructed another nest above tlie first one, in wliich were 

 six fresh eggs, as many as in tlie other. One nest had been built between 

 tlie stones of the wall that formed one of the sides of the flume of a mill. 

 Two feet above it was a frequented footpath, and, at the same distance below, 

 tlie water of the mill-stream. Another nest was between the boards of a 

 small building in ^^•hich revohx'd a water-wheel. The entrance to it was 

 through a knot-hole in the outer partition, and the nest rested on a small 

 rafter between the outer and the inner boardings. 



The nests were similar in their construction to those of the Bank Swal- 

 low, composed of dry grasses, straws, and leaves, and lined with a few feathers ; 

 but a much greater amount of material was made use of, owing, perhaps, to 

 the exposed positions in which they were built. 



