486 BULLEXm 179, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



each of three adjacent pairs of rafters. Two incomplete nests were 

 farther down the line. Four of the nests held complete sets, two of 

 four and two of five eggs. Incubation was barely noticeable." 



In the same paper Mr. Willard tells of finding, in August 1915, a 

 somewhat numerous colony of these swallows at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., 

 "nesting in scattered locations all over the fort." Eight pairs had 

 nests "under the eaves of the railroad station and of the section fore- 

 man's house." One nest was "under the roof of the open coal storage 

 shed." Several nests were found in second-story rooms of unfinished 

 buildings. He estimated that there were about 25 pairs in the entire 

 colony. 



With the exception of the pairs nesting in the new quarter, all the nests were 

 attached to well painted woodwork. In the quarters, they were attached to the 

 plastered walls close up against the ceilings. They were the usual gourd-shaped 

 nests of mud pellets, with a few bits of grass for lining and a very few feathers. 

 In the di-y atmosphere of the mountains, the pellets of mud dried very quickly 

 and it was surprising to see how fast a pair of birds could build up the walls of 

 their abode. Both birds took part in the building. On arriving at the nest with a 

 pellet of wet mud, the bird would press it into its appointed place and hold it 

 there for several seconds until it was "set." I never saw a pellet thus held in 

 place drop off when the bird loosened its hold. 



Mrs. Bailey (1928) mentions several large nesting colonies in New 

 Mexico on information furnished by J. S. Ligon ; these colonies were 

 located in the more j^rimitive fashion, on cliffs along the banks of 

 rivers; the smallest colony contained 60 occupied nests, another was 

 occupied by 100 pairs, another "colony was composed of about four 

 hundred and fifty occupied nests extending for a distance of a hundred 

 feet," and in the largest group there were about 500. 



Eggs. — The four or five eggs that usually comprise the full set for 

 this swallow show all the variations seen in eggs of the species else- 

 where. These are fully described under the northern cliff swallow. 

 The measurements of 30 eggs average 19.8 by 14.1 millimeters; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 21.8 by 14.0, 21.5 by 15.0, and 

 18.1 by 13.4 millimeters. 



In all other respects the habits of the Mexican cliff swallow do not 

 seem to differ materially from those of the northern subspecies. 



PETROCHELIDON FULVA CAVICOLA Barboar and Brooks 



CUBAN CLIFF SWALLOW 



HABITS 



The Cuban cliff swallow owes its place on our list to the capture 

 of two specimens by W. E. D. Scott (1890) on Garden Key, Dry 

 Tortugas, Fla., on March 22 and 25, 1890. It was evidently only a 

 gtraggler there, as it apparently has not been seen anywhere iji 



