394 BULLETIN 179, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



was fighting of a rather general nature among all three pairs of birds, but 

 soon the Swallows in box No. 1 managed in some way to make good their 

 title and the scene of battle centered about box No. 2. For two or three days 

 this second pair of Swallows constantly harassed the Bluebirds, so that it 

 was difficult for them to bring any food to their young, and at the end of 

 this time they abandoned their nest and left the garden and vicinity. 



The following year the swallows had a pair of starlings to deal 

 with. Mr. Hersey says: "Their method of getting rid of the 

 Starlings was interesting. While either of the Swallows was away 

 from the nest the other was on guard, perched on the roof of the 

 box. When the Starling appeared she was either attacked and driven 

 away, or the Swallow immediately entered the box and sat looking 

 out the hole, effectively blocking the entrance. For several days 

 I did not see the nest left unguarded for a moment and the Starlings 

 soon went elsewhere." 



The swallows are not always able to oust a bluebird; a bluebird 

 may even drive them away from the vicinity of its nest. Helen J. 

 Kobinson (1927) tells of such a case. She says: "The Bluebirds 

 kept a vigilant lookout from their own tree, a young oak, and watched 

 the Swallows circle about the other boxes. When the Swallows 

 seemed about to enter, one or both Bluebirds charged them, straight 

 as an arrow. The mere sight of the enemy was usually enough to 

 put the Swallows to flight, circling and screaming as they retreated 

 a short distance, but returning as soon as the coast seemed clear. 

 Sometimes Swallows flew bravely to attack the Bluebird, but such 

 birds were always borne to earth by the larger bird, which then 

 tweaked the victim's crown feathers without mercy.*' The same 

 author speaks also of the discord that arises among the swallows. 

 She says: "The usual internal warfare among the Swallows them- 

 selves proceeded briskly, beginning the day of arrival and continuing 

 a full calendar month." 



There are several reports in the literature of strange behavior on 

 the part of the tree swallow. Lewis O. Shelley (1934b) describes 

 the actions of a female bird with a lust for killing the nestlings of 

 other pairs of tree swallows; he (1936b) tells of another female that 

 reared a nestling cliff swallow, which he introduced into her nest 

 just as her own brood was about to fly, and J. A. Munro (11929) 

 gives an account of a male that fed the 8-day-old nestlings of a pair 

 of western robins whose nest was built on the top of the swallow's 

 bird-house. 



Voice. — The voice of the tree swallow has a pleasing, gentle quality. 

 SiUp, he seems to say, a quick, rapidly pronounced note, sometimes 

 rippled into three or more syllables. It may run into a chatter, but 

 it is never jarring; it always retains its delicacy. A little excite- 

 ment brings more emphasis to the voice and introduces a long 



