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Male and female birds take turn in 

 boring, working only in the morning, 

 the rest of the daylight hours being 

 spent in feeding and play. They lay 

 four to six pure white eggs. 



THE EASTEEN HOUSE 

 SWALLOW. 



HIRUNDO GUTTUEALIS, (sCOP). 



Description. — Length six and one 

 half inches. Bill black. Iris black. 

 Tarsus brown. 



Upper parts blue black. Throat and 

 upper breast rufous, followed by a 

 black band, broken in the middle. 

 Eemainder of the under parts whitish. 

 Tail deeply forked, with a row of white 

 spots at the base. These spots are 

 often visible as the bird circles in 

 flying. 



Distribution. — Mongolia, China, 

 Japan, Malaysia, and India, A common 

 summer visitant in the Yangtse Valley. 



Nest and Eggs. — These birds seem to 

 prefer the inside of Chinese houses for 

 a nesting place, and their presence is 

 considered a good omen. All sorts of 

 little devices are put up to attract them, 

 and their nests are carefully protected. 

 The nest is made of mud, mixed with 

 bits of straw, paper, grass, and similar 

 materials. It is fixed to a rafter, or 

 plastered to any convenient upright 

 surface. The cup is rather shallow, 

 and is frequently lined with feathers. 

 The eggs are four to six in number, 

 and vary much in shape, and markings. 

 The ground color is white, spotted with 

 shades of brown, and purplish gray. 



