104 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 71. 



ever, all trips have been too late iu the season to coincide with the 

 nesting period. I know of no nestings in bird boxes in this region. 



182. Riparia riparia. — Banli Swallow. 



Common wherever there are banks of earth suitable for nest 

 holes. The banks facing the lake are the favorite places, but the 

 banks of streams, or even of railroad cuts are utilized. During the 

 spring migration and after the young have left the nest these swal- 

 lows are more widely distributed over the country, often feeding 

 over meadows and pastures at some distance from water. During 

 the spring migration numbers visit the Oberlin Water Works reser- 

 voir almost daily. In the fall they gather in great numbers on the 

 telegraph wires, associating with Barn and Tree Swallows, but 

 usually flying in companies by themselves. The median date of 

 spring arrival is April 22, the earliest being April G, 1902. They 

 are usually common, but gathered into large companies near the 

 lake mitil the middle of August. A few linger well into Septem- 

 ber (October 7, 1907). There are no suitable nesting places on the 

 sand spit, and very few on any of the islands, except Kelley's. yet 

 numbers are seen flying about over the lake in the vicinity of the 

 islands all summer. Mention has already been made of the migra- 

 itons accompanying those of the Purple Martins. 



183. Stelgidoptenjx serripeiiiils. — Rough-winged Swallow. 

 Common along the river gorges, where it nests among the shale 



cliffs, and often noted about large stone culverts, where it was evi- 

 dently nesting. Individuals are generally seen in groups composed 

 of most of the other swallows which hawk up and down the lake 

 beach. This swallow may be readily distinguished by its manner 

 of flight, by its note or song, and by its dirty grayish underparts. 

 It has been reported as sometimes nesting with the Banks, but I 

 have seen no evidence of this. The median date of arrival is April 

 23, and the latest fall record is September 23, 1907. Mill Hollow, 

 a horse-shoe bend of Vermilion River, with a large area of exposed 

 shale surface, was a favorite nesting place of this swallow until 

 the English Sparrows emigrated to it and preempted all of the 

 available clefts which were the rightful homes of the swallows. 

 There are practically no swallows there now. If it had not been 

 a human settlement the sparrows would probably not have found 

 lodgement in the shale cliff. 



184. Bombijcilla calrorum. — Cedar Wnxwing. 



Tolerably conunon over the whole region, including the larger 

 islands, in larger numbers and more constant at Cedar Tolnt than 

 elsewhere. No nests have been found near the Lake Laboratory, 

 but there can be little doubt that the young are reared thereabouts. 



