352 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



their burrows. In Arizona, according to Dr. Coues, they are summer resi- 

 dents, breeding abundantly, arriving late in April and remaining until nearly 

 the last of September. 



At Eagle Pass, Mr. Dresser met these birds, arriving from the South, on 

 the 21st of February. There, and also at San Antonio, they were very com- 

 mon, breeding in the towns, making their nests under the eaves and in holes 

 in the old walls, depositing their eggs by the 25th of April. Dr. Kennerly 

 also found this Swallow very abiindant along the Colorado Eiver in Febru- 

 ary. Its flight seemed to him to be like that of the common Barn Swallow. 

 Dr. Heermann frequently met Avith this species during the journey from the 

 junction of the Gila and Colorado Elvers through Mexico, New jNIexico, and 

 Texas, to San Antonio. In the latter place he found them breeding almost 

 entirely in crevices in the walls of houses. 



In the vicinity of Washington, Dr. Coues found this Swallow a summer 

 resident, but rather rare, arriving in the third week of April, and leaving 

 about the middle of September. 



Mr. IJidgway speaks of this l)ird as one of the most abundant Swallows 

 of the West, inhabiting the ri^•er valleys, and breeding in holes in the banks 

 of the rivers. He says that in Southern Illinois it is much more abundant 

 than the C. riparia, though both nest in the same banks. 



This species was first found breeding in Carlisle, Penn., by Professor Baird, 

 in the summer of 1843. Tlie following year I visited this locality early in 

 June, and had an opportunity to study its habits during its breeding-season. 

 We found the bird rather common, and examined a numl)er of their nests. 

 None that we met with were in places tliat had been exca\-ated by the birds, 

 although the previous season several liad been found that had apparently 

 been excavated in banks in the same manner with the Bank Swallow. All 

 the nests (seven in number) that we then met with were in situations acci- 

 dentally adapted to their need, and all were directly over running water. 

 Some were constructed in crevices between the stones in the walls and arches 

 of bridges. In several instances the nests were but little above the surface 

 of the stream. In one, the first laying had been flooded, and the eggs chilled. 

 The birds had constructed another nest above the first one, in which were 

 six fresh eggs, as many as in the other. One nest had been built between 

 the stones of the wall that formed one of the sides of the flume of a mill. 

 Two feet above it was a frequented footpath, and, at the same distance Ijelow, 

 the water of the mill-stream. Another nest was between the l)oards of a 

 small building in which revolved a water-wheel. The entrance to it was 

 through a knot-hole in the outer partition, and the nest rested on a small 

 rafter between the outer and the inner boardings. 



The nests were similar in their construction to those of tlie Bank Swal- 

 low, composed of dry grasses, straws, and leaves, and lined witli a few feathers ; 

 but a much greater amount of material was made use of, owing, perhaps, to 

 the exposed positions in which they were built. 



