HABITS OF THE VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW 423 



reach iu a knot hole in strong sound wood. After they were 

 found out, and the hole-breeding character of the species was 

 established, it was natural that the subsequent accounts of 

 cliff and rock nests should be received with caution or mistrust ; 

 and so much has been said one way and an other, that it will 

 tend to put the history of the species in the best light to review 

 the testimony on the subject. 



When in New Mexico, in 18G4, 1 found the Violet-green Swal- 

 lows to be very common iu the Raton Mountains. This was in 

 June, and I have no doubt that the birds were then nesting, 

 though 1 had no chance of observing them closely. I noticed 

 their close resemblance to White-bellied Swallows in general 

 appearance, and particularly in mode of flight ; and I ob- 

 served, then as subsequently, the curiously misleading circum- 

 stance that the birds appeared to have white rumps. In fact, 

 as is well known, the rump is like the rest of the upper parts in 

 color, but the fluffy white feathers of the flanks lie over the 

 part during flight, sometimes meeting over the root of the tail, 

 thus causing the appearance oberved. This appearance of 

 tricoloration — violet, green, and white — is striking. The fol- 

 lowing year, at Fort Whipple, in Arizona, I made quite a study 

 of these birds, whose exquisite beauty could hardly fail to touch 

 even the most insensible observer. They nestled in considera- 

 ble numbers in the pine woods about the fort, usually preferring 

 the edges of the timber, and constructed their nests of hay and 

 feathers in the natural cavities of trees, or in old woodpecker- 

 holes. Sometimes isolated pairs occupied the deciduous trees 

 in the vicinity, as the cottonwoods along the creek and the 

 oaks of the open hillsides 5 but most of the birds gathered in 

 little colonies in clumps of pine-trees. The birds reached 

 this elevated locality the second or third week in March, and 

 remained until late in September. I considered them the 

 commonest of their tribe, quite characteristic, in fact, of the 

 Arizona pine-belt. 



In Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, agrees Mr. Henshaw, 

 this Swallow inhabits the higher regions, abundantly in all 

 suitable localities, preferring the open spaces or edges of the 

 pineries and groves of oaks, where it breeds in old wood- 

 pecker-holes. In Southern Colorado, he found it in large col- 

 onies at the great altitude of 10,000 feet, early iu June, when 

 these ambitious little beauties were preparing to nest on high 

 pine-stubs. In the same Territory, Allen met with them at cor- 



