344 



THE TREE SWALLOW. 



with soft materials, especially feathers. Egys: 4-6, pure white, — pinkish white 

 before removal of contents. Av. size .75 x .54 ( 19. i x 13.7). Season: last week 

 in May. first week in July ; two broods. 



General Range. — North America at large, breeding from the Fur Countries 

 south to New Jersey, the Ohio \'alley, Kansas, Colorado, California, etc.; win- 

 tering from South Carolina and the Gulf States southward to the West Indies 

 and Guatemala. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident; aliundant on West-side; not 

 C(jmnion east of the Cascade Mountains. 



Migrations. — Spring: First week in March or earlier; Seattle, ]\hirch 4, 

 1889; March 7, 1890; Tacoma, March 2, 1907; March 3, 1908; Bellingham 

 (Edson), Tacoma (Bowles), Steilacoom (Dawson), February 25, 1905; Skagit 

 Marshes near Fir ( L. R. Reynolds), February i, 1906; Seattle (Dr. Clinton T. 

 Cooke), January 21, 1906. 



Authorities. — Hiriindu biculor N'ieillot, fiaird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX., 

 pt. II., 1858, p. 311. T. C&S. Rh. D'. Kb. Ra. D^ J. P.. E. 



Specimens. — U. of W. P. Prov. C. 



ONE vSwalluw does nut make a summer, but a little twittering company 

 (jf them faring northward makes the heart glad, and fills it with a sense of 

 exaltation as it responds to the call of these care-free children of the air. 

 The remark applies to Swallows in general, but particularly to Tree Swallows, 

 for in their immaculate garb of dark bine and white, they seem like crystalli- 

 zations of skv and templed cloud, grown animate with the all-compelling 

 breath of spring. They have about them the marks of high-born quality, 

 which we cannot but admire as they spurn with a wing-stroke the lower 



strata, and rise to 

 accept we know 

 not wdiat dainties 

 of the upijcr air. 

 While not so 

 hardy as Robin 

 and Bluebird, since 

 it must maintain 

 an e.xclusive diet 

 of insects. Tree 

 Swallow is, occa- 

 sionally, very ven- 

 turesome as to 

 the season of its 

 northward flight. 

 Indeed a succes- 

 TREE SWALLOW. siou of mild wiu- 



Taken in Seattle. 



Photo by the Author. 



