338 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Genus CHELIDON Forster. 

 CHELTDON ERYTHROG ASTER (Bouu.)- 



i'+7. Barn Swallow. (<n.S) 



Lustrous steel-lilue ; helow, i-ufous of pale chestnut of \ai ying shade ; 

 forehead, cliin and throat, deep chestnut ; breast, with an imperfect steel-blue 

 collar ; tail, with white spots on the inner web of all the feathers, except the 

 inner pair. Sexes alike, yoiuiij, less Instrou.s. much ))aler below ; tail, simply 

 forked. Wing, 4i-4J ; tail, 2.^-5. 



Hab. — North America in geneial, from the Fur Countries southward to 

 the West Indies, Central America and South America. 



Nest, in a barn or other outbuilding, composed of pellets of mud and bits 

 of straw, and lined with feathers. 



Eggs, font' or five, white, spotted with reddish-brown. 



While the ClifT Swallow choose.s to fix its nest outside the l>uildin,i^ 

 under the eaves, the present species prefers the inside, where its 

 dwelling is seen attached to the beams and rafters. 



They, too, are to some extent gregarious, as many as twenty or 

 thirty pairs l)eing often found nesting together in the same outhouse. 



The Swallows, as a class, from their great rapidity of flight and 

 graceful aerial evolutions, are the most easily recognized of all our 

 birds, and this species is perhaps the most accomplished of the group. 

 It is seen skinnning over the fields and mearlows at a rate which 

 leaves the "lightning express" far behind, and suddenly checking its 

 course it will dart, with surprising rapidity, to right or left in pursuit 

 of some passing insect. It likes to be near a still, sheltered pond, 

 where it can flrink and bathe while on the wing. Beautiful it is, on 

 a still summer evening, to see these birds take their plunge bath, 

 and, almost without checking their speed, rise gracefully from the 

 surface of the water, shake sparkling drops from their Ijurnisherl 

 backs, and continue their airy gamlwls till the fading light calls 

 them to their humble home. They arrive in Ontario early in May, 

 and are generally distributed over the country during summer, but 

 about the end of August they begin to move toward the south, ami 

 soon all have disappeared. 



During the summer this species seems to be somewhat ii regularly 

 distributed, for in Manitoba Mr. Thompson speaks of it as a i-are 

 spring visitant, and Dr. Coues sfiys it is a veiy rare sunnner i-esident 

 at Moose River and various other points along tlic bouiid.iiy line. 

 while in Alaska Mr. Nelscm says tliat it is the most comuioii and 

 widely distributed of all the swallows throughout the north. 



