THE BIRD BOOK 



SWALLOWS. Family HIRUNDINID.^ 



611. Purple Martin. 



I'urplt; Ahuliii 



Progne suhis subis. 



Range. — Breeds throughout the United States 

 and temperate British America; winters in 

 South America. 



These large, lustrous, steely-blue Swallows 

 readily adapt themselves to civilization and, 

 throughout the east, may be found nesting in 

 bird houses, provided by appreciative land 

 owners or tenants; some of these houses are 

 beautiful structures modelled 

 after modern residences and 

 tenanted by twenty or thirty 

 pairs of Martins ; others are 

 plain, unpainted soap boxes 

 or the like, but the birds -^ 

 seem to take to one as kindly 

 as the other, making nests in 

 their compartments of weeds, grass, mud, 

 feathers, etc. They also, and most commonly 

 in the west, nest in cavities of trees making 

 nests of any available material. During June 

 or July, they lay from four to six white eggs; 

 size .95 X .65. Data. — ^Leicester, Mass., June 

 16, 1903. 5 eggs in Martin house; nest of 

 grasses. 



White 



Gila. Western Martin. Progne suhis hesperia. 



Range. — Pacific coast from Washington south. 



The nesting habits, eggs, and birds of this form are identical with those found 

 in the east. 



611.1. Cuban Martin. Progne cri/ptoleucti 



Range. — Cuba and southern Florida (in sum- 

 mer). 



Slightly smaller than the Purple Martin and 

 the eggs average a trifle smaller. 



()12. Cliff Swallow. Petrochelidon liiiii- 

 frons lunifrons. 



Range. — Whole of North America, breeding 

 north from the south Atlantic and Gulf States. 



These birds can easily be rec- 

 ognized by their brownish throat ^ ; I>"C 

 and breast, whitish forehead and 

 buffy rump. They build one of 

 the most peculiar of nests, the 

 highest type being a flask 

 shaped structure of mud secure- TVhite 



ly cemented to the face of a cliff or under the 

 eaves of a building, the entrance being drawn 

 out and small, while the outside of the nest 

 proper is large and rounded; they vary from 



372 



(Miff Swallow 



