420 BULLETIN 179, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



at Waterville had been observed for a great many years before Mr. 

 Bates made his observations and probably continued long after that 

 date. 



E. J. Sawyer (1918) records a large roost of swallows at Black 

 River Bay on Lake Ontario, Jefferson County, N. Y. At this place 

 the flocks consisted of bank, tree, and barn swallows, and incidentally 

 a single rough-winged swallow was noted. The birds roosted in largo 

 marshy area where cattails, iris, arrowhead, and pickerel weed pre- 

 dominated. Sawyer also refers to the swarms of swallows near the 

 Hackensack Meadows near New York City. 



Louis W. Campbell (1932) writes concerning unusually large flocks 

 of bank swallows observed near Toledo, Ohio, as follows : 



Because of their proximity to the lake marshes, Toledo and its suburbs extend- 

 ing to the east play host to varying numbers of swallows each year. Up to 1931 

 the greatest flock I had ever witnessed was a flight of about 10,000 Bank Swal- 

 lows (Riparia riparia) seen on July 15, 1928. This year, probably as the result 

 of the drying up of all inland ponds. Bank Swallows were unusually common. 

 The greatest number appeared on August 8, 1931, when the Little Cedar Point 

 marsh, about ten miles east of Toledo, was visited by a huge flock of Bank 

 Swallows, the number of which I estimated to be more than 250,000. 



This congregation marked the climax of the flight, although large flocks were 

 seen both before and after that date, roosting on telephone wires along the road- 

 side. This habit of roosting makes estimating numbers a very easy task for the 

 observer. The count for the entire season is: July 12 — 100; July 18 — 200; July 

 26—3,000 ; August 2—8,000 ; August 8—250,000 ; August 15—30,000 ; August 23— 

 50,000 ; August 30—500 ; September 7—50 ; and September 13—8. 



According to O. Widmann (1907) bank swallows begin to collect 

 in immense flocks in the Mississippi River bottoms at St. Louis as 

 early as July 1. Migration is well under way by the first of August 

 and continues during the entire month. All the birds have gone by 

 the middle of September. 



John H. Sage (1895) gives an interesting account of a swallow roost 

 made up of bank, tree, barn, and cliff swallows that he observed near 

 Portland, Conn. : 



On the opposite side of the Connecticut River from Portland are what are 

 locally known as the "Little River" meadows. These meadows contain several 

 hundred acres and through them flows Sebethe (Little) River which empties 

 into the Connecticut. Along the banks of this "little river" and its tributaries, 

 water oats (Zizania aquatica) grow in abundance, giving food and shelter to the 

 Rail, Marsh Wrens, and many other birds. These oats are the roosting place 

 of thousands of Swallows, the birds spending the night clinging to the upright 

 reeds, one above another. * * * 



The Swallows commence to congregate in the marshes early in August, and a 

 small number of them may be found there the last week in October ; the bulk, 

 however, are seen from the middle of August until late in September. During 

 the day they leave the meadows and only a few are seen in the vicinity, but at 

 half past four in the afternoon they begin to appear from all directions, the 

 flight ceasing about 6 P. M. My house is situated on high ground some two miles 



