Nesting Habits of the Cliff Swallow 257 



5. Colonies on painted buildings, with the nests attached to painted boards, 

 are not unknown, especially if the boards are rough. Colonies thus situated 

 are usually small — from one to a half-dozen nests — occasionally a few more. 



6. Nests built against paint drop off easily and discourage the return of 

 the birds. On unpainted buildings the nests usually persist and are generally 

 repaired and used for two or more successive years. 



7. Cliff Swallows have been known to breed in the abandoned burrows of 

 Bank Swallows and to build inside, as well as outside, farm buildings. 



8. The English Sparrow is a nuisance. His continued presence has a ten- 

 dency to reduce, if not to completely eliminate, the Cliff Swallows. He should 

 be exterminated. 



Remarks on the Nesting Habits of Swallows 



By ARTHUR H. NORTON, Portland, Maine 



DO Cliff Swallows ever nest on painted barns (or buildings)? is a ques- 

 tion asked of Bird-Lore readers, to which I answer "They certainly 

 do." Why they so seldom nest on painted structures in the North- 

 east, is probably due to the same old reason why black sheep eat less than 

 white sheep, or because there are less of them. The practice is, I feel sure not 

 exceptional, yet the case is one of those in which I can cite but few instances 

 with absolute certainty, nor can I with equal certainty recall more than three 

 unpainted structures upon which Swallows nest, though I have observed 

 many nesting colonies. 



At White Head Island, Knox County, Maine, a United States Life Saving 

 Station was built in 1874, with rafters supporting long eaves, finished with 

 panels. Like all other stations and lighthouse establishments, this was kept 

 heavily coated with white paint. On the Island at the time was a large old 

 barn, with eaves formed by butts of shingles only, and unpainted. I had never 

 known the Eave Swallows to nest on it, nor on the old-fashioned house near 

 it, but the birds soon discovered the new station with its long eaves and formed 

 a large colony there, where they remained for many years, or until the old 

 eaves were remodeled, joining a shed-roofed boat-room on one side. I have 

 not seen the house for some years, and do not know whether the birds still find 

 a nesting-place there. 



The dirt of this large colony of Swallows on the otherwise immaculate 

 building, was a source of irritation, to say the least, to the keeper, my father, 

 and each year the resolution to prevent their occupancy was announced, but 

 through his sympathy for the birds and my own pleading for them, they were 

 allowed to remain. My father's house on the same island, also painted white, 

 was occupied by a smaller colony of the birds. 



These Swallows are very partial to the immediate vicinity of the sea, where 



