X04 SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



mony with their cousins, whicli build under the eaves. In wihl districts 

 they buikl in caves, which abound in the liluffs along the sea-shore, from 

 San Diego to the Cohuubia Eiver. 



Their nest is built of mud, plastered up against a rafter, or on some sup- 

 porting shelf; it is cup-shaped, and lined with fine liay. The saliva of the 

 bird is supposed to render tlie pellets of mud more adhesive. The eggs are 

 fU-e, white spotted with reddish-broM-n, and they usually raise two broods 

 in a season, but often leave the last to starve, in their sudden dejiarture 

 soutli in August or September. 



I noticed their arri\-al at San Diego March 25th, and have found them 

 far uunv frequent along the sea-coast than inland, probably from the fact 

 that they prefer the vicinity of water, and deliglit to hunt insects over its 

 surface, sometimes even touching it as they skim ahmg. At Sacramento 

 they were found by Dr. Heermann, and I have seen them near there as late 

 as Septemlier 8th. They arrived at Santa Cruz jMarcli 21, 18G6, showing a 

 remarkable regularity in comparison with 1862, though the latter was a 

 much colder spring. They left Santa Cruz about September 15th. 



Hirundo lunifrons, Sat. 

 THE CLIFF SWALLOW. 



HiruMto lunifrons, S.\Y, Long's Expcd. R. Mts. II. 182.3, 47. — B.mkd, P. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 

 307. — Heermann, X. vi. 36. — Cooper and Sdckley, XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 184. — 

 Cassix, Illust. I. 1855, 243.— Brewer, N. Am. Ool. I. 1857, 94 ; pi. 68-73 (Egg). 



/7m(nrfo_/ii/i'a, Bonaparte, Am. Orn. I. 1825, 63 ; pi. ii. (Xot of Vieillot ?) — Audubon, 

 Orn. Biog. I. 1831, 353; pi. 58. In. Birds Amer. 1. 1840, 177 ; pi. 47. — Ndttall. Man. 

 2d c-d. I. 729. 



Sp. CnAR. Crown and back steel-blue ; the upper part of the latter with concealed 

 pale edges to the feathers. Chin, throat, and sides of the head dark chestnut ; breast 

 fuscous ; belly white. A steel-blue spot on tlu-oat. Rump light chestnut ; forehead 



bi'ownishwhito ; a pale nnclial Viand. Tail slightly emarginate. Length, 5.75; wing, 

 4.40 ; tail, 2.20. 



Hub. North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 



