AMERICAN ORNITIIOLOGY. 



271 



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Bj- Bkrton Mercer. 



During the course of an extended walk through the country one sum- 

 mer morning, I came to a deep cut where the road passed between very 

 high banks. They were composed oi a rnixture of sandy material and 

 reddish clay, and were covered with a growth of coarse grass and scrub 

 trees. Noticing an unusually large number of swallows circling in the 

 air, I watched them for a time and presently saw one of them fly direct 

 to the bank and disappear in a small opening near the top. Investi- 

 gation revealed the presence of about fifty hurrows scattered over the 

 face of the bank, beginning about twelve feet from the base and rang- 

 ing from there to the summit. These ranged in depth from six inches 

 to two feet. The entrance in most cases was oval in shape, and the 

 tunnel ran straight back with a slight depression at the far end. Some 

 of the nests (for such they were) had a slight lining of dried grass,, 

 while other occupants were content to use the bare sand. 



This unexpected discovery was evidently made in the height of their 

 breeding season, as nearly all the nests contained eggs, ranging in 

 nnmber from three to six. The eggs when fresh were pearly white, or 

 when held up to the light, had a piiik tint, owing to the frail nature of 

 the Shell. When partly incubated they became much soiled from con- 

 tact with the damp sand. The birds did not seem to mind my presence 

 and continued to fly around in careless unconcern while I made an ex- 

 amination of almost every nest in the settlement. 



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