LAND BIRDS. 551 



of the orange groves of Florida and caused the death of myriads of birds 

 Ijelonging to many different species. 



According to Bicknell "The song is hardly more than a chatter, and is 

 heard as late in the year as the bird is with us. Its ordinary notes are less 

 sharp and rapid than those of the Barn Swallow." 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Tail emarginate or slightly forked, the outer feather not half an inch longer than the 

 middle pair. 



Adult .(sexes alike) : Entire upper parts (except wings and tail) deep metallic steel- ' 

 blue, varying to blue-green; entire under parts pure white, except that the blue of the back 

 sometimes encroaches on the sides of the breast just in front of the bend of the wing; wings 

 and tail clear black, or with faint greenish reflections, without white markings; bill and 

 feet black; iris brown. Adult female usually just like the male, sometimes duller. Adults 

 in late autumn and winter have the tertiaries edged with clear white. Young: Slaty 

 or brownish black above, without metallic gloss; under parts often grayish white. 



Length 5 to 6.25 inches; wing 4.50 to 4.80; tail 2.30 to 2.50. 



249. Bank Swallow. Riparia riparia (Linn.). (616) 



Synonyms: Sand Swallow, Sand Martin, Bank Martin. — Hirundo riparia, Linn., 1758, 

 Wils., Nutt., Aud. — Cotyle riparia, Bonap., 1838. — Cotile riparia, Boie, 1822, and many 

 subsequent writers. — Clivicola riparia, Stejn., 1882, A. O. U. Check-list, 1886. — Riparia 

 riparia, Jordan, 1884. 



Figure 127. 



Smallest of our swallows; sexes alike. Brownish gray above, without 

 any metallic luster; below pure white, except for a brownish-gray band 

 across the chest and often a central spot of the same color just back of this 

 band. Tail slightly emarginate — hardly forked. (Fig. 127). 



Distribution. — Northern Hemisphere; in America, south to the West 

 Indies, Central America, northern South America; breeding from the 

 middle districts of the United States northward to about the limit of trees. 



This well known little swallow is abundant throughout the state and is 

 constantly to be seen about its nesting places in sand banks from the time 

 of its arrival late in April until its departure in Septem- 

 ber. Apparently it rears but one brood each summer, 

 l)ut it is subject to many troubles and undoubtedly 

 many pairs are compelled to make several attempts 

 before they succeed in rearing a family, so that occupied 

 burrows may be found frerj[uently as late as the middle 

 of July, although young are on the wing by the first of 

 that month. While this species seems to have a ^''^- ^-J 



preference for the borders of streams, lakes and other Ta.i of Bank swaiiow. 

 l)odies of water, yet it often selects for a nesting place a railroad cut or 

 sand pit a long distance from any water, but in such cases it runs the risk 

 in dry seasons of being unable to supply its young with a sufficient 

 amount of food. 



Its nests are placed in burrows in sand banks, these burrows being 

 usually at some distance from the foot of the bank, often only one or two 

 feet from the top. They may be straight, elbowed to right or left, or curved, 

 but the entrance is usually lower than the inner end, and although the eggs 

 are sometimes laid on the bare sand, there is oftener a more or less elaborate 

 nest of grasses, leaves and feathers. The eggs are three to six, pure 



