VII CAMPEPHAGIDAE 525 
C. concolor, and made of agglutinated pellets of mud witn a lining of 
straw, chaff, leaves, or feathers; 1t may be similarly constructed but 
semi-ovate, with a hole near the top, as in the Martin; or retort- 
shaped with a tube for entrance at the side, as in several members 
of the genera Hirundo and Petrochelidon: im these cases it may 
be placed inside buildings, under eaves, against rocks or walls. 
Procne—when not accommodated with a box—some species of 
Tachycineta, Petrochelidon nigricans, and other forms, not wncom- 
monly prefer holes in trees, lining them as usual, if at all; while 
many species of Cotile, Psalidoprocne, and Cheramoeca tunnel in 
banks, or, more rarely, choose holes in masonry. Procne furcata 
utilizes the holes of Conurus patachonius ; P. tapera the nests of 
Furnarius rufus in Argentina; Tachycineta leucorrhous occasionally 
that of Anumbius ; Atticora cyanoleuca that of the Dendrocolaptine 
Geositta, itself within that of a biscacha. The eggs are from four 
to seven in number, generally pure white in Martins, and whitish 
with reddish-brown, grey, and lilac markings in Swallows; but 
the cases are occasionally reversed. Two or even three broods are 
reared in a season, and tended with the greatest care. Colonies 
are frequently formed, especially by Bank- and CliffSwallows. In 
Britain the Sand-Martin arrives first, but the Swallow comes early 
in April, while individuals have even been obtained in winter. 
Fam. XII. Campephagidae.—The “ Cuckoo-Shrikes ” are com- 
monly placed near the Laniidae, but are possibly connected with 
the Muscicapidae or the Corvidae. The bill is usually strong, 
and of moderate length, being hooked, arched, and wide at the 
base; it is especially stout im Artamides, decidedly weaker in 
Campephaga, long and thin in Ldoliisoma, The metatarsus 
may be elongated and comparatively robust as in Pteropodocys, 
Lalage, and Symmorphus, or short and less powerful, as in 
Pericrocotus ; the wings are normally long and pointed, and 
more particularly so in Pericrocotus, Lalage, Symmorphus, and 
Graucalus. The tail is also fairly long, and frequently rounded, 
though it may be forked, as in Pferopodocys, and to a less extent 
in Campechaera, or graduated as in Pericrocotus, Campephaga, and 
Graucalus. The plumage is soft, with characteristically stiff 
shafts on the lower back; the nostrils are nearly concealed by the 
feathers; the rictal bristles are feeble. The usual coloration is 
either bluish-grey with a certain amount of black and white, or 
chiefly black and white. The black has generally a purplish or 
