14 s PROCEEDINGS MANCHESTER INSTITUTE 



state. It breeds in the Connecticut valley at least as far up as 

 Colebrook, where Dr. Walter Faxon ('97) has recorded that 

 Mr. William Brewster found a pair in 1896, nesting under the 

 hood of an electric arc light. I have never found it breeding at 

 Intervale, though two miles farther down the valley at North 

 Conway a small colony annually inhabits a large bird house. 

 Apparently the birds are slowly falling off in point of numbers. 

 Dates : April 19 to September. 



191. Petrocheliclon lunifrons (Say). Cliff Swaeeow. 



A common spring and fall migrant and common local summer 

 resident throughout the lowland districts of the state up to at least 

 1,500 feet. The birds breed in colonies under the eaves of barns 

 and outbuildings, and the j^oung after leaving the nest are often to 

 be seen in little squads on the roof, where they are fed by their 

 parents. Even after the young are strong on the wing they are 

 still fed occasionally by the old ones, and not infrequently have 

 I observed the parent perform this duty in mid-air, both birds 

 hovering for a second to effect the transfer. Concerning the 

 supposed immigration of this species from the west in the early 

 part of the century, there seems to be no conclusive evidence. 

 Peabody ('41) states that the earliest information he had of its 

 appearance in New England was from Chief Justice Shaw, who 

 "found it at the White Mountains in the summer of 1816." 

 Belknap, writing in 1792, does not mention it as a bird of New 

 Hampshire. 



Dates: April 28 to September 1. 



192. Hirmido erythrogaster (Bodd.). Barn Swal- 

 low. 



A common spring, and abundant fall migrant, and fairly com- 

 mon summer resident, nesting throughout the farming districts 

 in the large open barns, up to about 1,500 feet in the White 

 Mountain valleys. It is said to be abundant at Lake llmba- 

 gog. In August, the birds gather in large flocks and move 

 southward. At Intervale, one may see them during this mouth 

 flying leisurely down the valley at all hours of the day, and sev- 

 eral times I have seen an entire flock of some 25 birds pause in 



