194 THE BARN SWALLOW. 



aquatic insects, and roots and seeds of grasses. When 

 feeding along ponds and streams, they become fat, tender 

 and luscious. Very little seems to be known of this Duck's 

 breeding habits, the single brood found in Maine, and the 

 single nest of eggs reported from New Brunswick, being 

 regarded as stray cases. Mr. Fortiscue does not report it 

 from Hudson's Bay; reports from the great northwest ter- 

 ritory do not mention it, and Dr. Coues is silent as to its 

 breeding in the northwestern States and Territories. 



In 1876, May 27th, the nest was found by Thos. S. Roberts, 

 of Minneapolis, Minn., in Hennepin County, about eight 

 miles from the city. It was pretty substantially built and 

 well finished, on the top of a pile of rotten debris — perhaps 

 the remains of an old muskrat-house — and was lined with 

 fine grasses, with a little moss intermixed, and a neat trim- 

 ming of down. The nine eggs, some 2.23X1.60, were 

 smooth, and ''of a light greenish-white color." 



THE BARN SWALLOW. 



On the 19th of April I observe the first Barn Swallows 

 {Hirundo horreonini). About 4.50 long, this swallow is 

 readily distinguishable from any other by its extensively 

 forked tail, and by building its nest inside of the barn on 

 the sides of beams and rafters; and is so well known to every 

 one, as scarcely to need description or historical record. 

 Who is not familiar with its swift, sailing flight, the widely 

 spread tail, its manner of gliding in through open doors or 

 windows, or the small, diamond-shaped opening in the 

 gable of the old-fashioned barn ? Lustrous steel-blue above, 

 which color extends down the sides of the breast in the 

 form of an imperfect collar; belly, reddish white; breast and 

 forehead, chestnut, he is differentiated from the Cliff or 

 Eave Swallow, not only by the furcate tail, but also by the 



