BARN SWALLOW 439 



currence even in November are mentioned by several persons, but none 

 are seen after that montli." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Rcunge. — The martin is generally distributed, as a summer resident, 

 in the British Isles, but it is more local, especially in Ireland, than 

 the swallow; it is a scarce breeder in the Orkneys; it only occasionally 

 nests and is not common, as a migrant even, in the Shetlands, and 

 it is a rare vagrant to the Outer Hebrides. In Europe it breeds 

 from latitude 70° N. in Scandinavia southward to the Mediterranean 

 and eastward in Asia to the Yenisei and Turkestan. It is replaced 

 by other forms in other parts of Asia and in northwestern Africa. 

 It "Winters in southeastern Africa and Mossamedes and in north- 

 western India. It is casual in Iceland, Greenland, and Madeira. 



Spring migration. — The main arrival in England of summer resi- 

 dents begins ordinarily early in April, and lasts through Maj', the 

 later birds merging with the passage migrants. There are, however, 

 a number of earlier dates running all through the last week in March, 

 the earliest being March 23, 1913. 



Fall migration. — In England, summer residents begin to move south 

 about the middle of July ; the departure from the south coast begins 

 the first week in August and lasts until the third week in October; 

 stragglers are frequent up to the middle of November and occasionally 

 up to the first week in December ; there is a late record for January 

 10, 1912. The main movement of passage migrants occurs in Septem- 

 ber and October. 



All the above data on distribution and migration are taken from 

 Witherby's Handbook (1920) and do not claim to be complete. 



HIRUNDO ERYTHROGASTER Boddaert 



BARN SWALLOW 



PL.VTES 63, 64 



HABITS 



The familiar barn swallow is widely distributed over most of North 

 America, breeding from northwestern Alaska to Mexico and from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, including much of Canada and the 

 United States. 



Everybody who notices birds at all knows, admires, and loves the 

 graceful, friendly barn swallow. No bird in North America is bet- 

 ter known as a welcome companion and a useful friend to the 

 farmer, as it comes each spring to fly in and out of the wide-open 

 barn door, delighting him with its cheerful twittering, or courses 



