538 



BANK SWALLOW. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily ilistinguii^hcil fnun mr other Swallows by the eonsi)icnnu.s chestnut rump. Occurs in the 

 breeding season throughout North America, excepting possibly Florida, south to Northern Mexico. Winters 

 in South America. 



Length, ij i o to O.S." 

 tarsus, .oO to .35. 



DIMENSIONS. 



stretch, lL'.l.""i to 12.30: wing. -4. 3(1 to 4 S.j ; tail, -JMi to 2.1U; bill, ..>"> to .58 ; 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed under cliffs or eaves of buildings, globular in form : composed of mud. E(;gs, four to six 

 in number, oval in form, white in color, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown and lilac. Dimensions. .50 

 by .75 to .56 by .85. 



HABITS. 



The Clifi" Swallow is anioiitr (xir most common Swallows, hut is .somewhat local in 

 (listrilmtion. as thev hreed in colonies in the settled districts placing their singidar 

 globular or hottle-shaped nests in long rows under the 

 eaves of bnildings. They arrive from the south in New 

 England a))Out the first week in May aiid may he seen in 

 company with other Swallows Hying over the meadows in 

 l)ursuit of insects, but the ClilF Swallow is at once dis- 

 tinouished from all of our other Swallows, even when too 

 far away to sve its conspicuously chestnut rinnp. by the 

 comparitively heavy Hight, it being much less grace- 

 ful and easv hi movement on the wing than the other 

 Swallows. The note is a rather harsh twitter, which i.s- 

 not as musical as the song of the Barn Swallow^ but is 

 enli^'ening when heard about the farm huildings. 



The Cliff Swallows are among the first to leave us in 

 antunm. departing in AngTist. They appear to migrate 

 both north and south, through Mexico, avoiding Florida 

 and the West Indies. 



Fir,. (r5. Head and tail of Adult 

 Cliff Swallow. 



GENUS V. CLIVICOLA. THE BANK SWALLOWS. • 



Gen. Ch. Bill, proportionately stout. Tail, slightly forked. Tarsus, with a tuft of feathers near hind 

 toe (See Fig. 67, d, t). We have one species within our limits. Sexes similar. 



CLIVICOLA RIPARIA. 

 Bank Swallow, 



Hirnndo riparia Linn., Syst. Nat 1, I7(J(i, 344, 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cu. Size, small. Form, slender. Upper mandible, slightly arched. Feet, not small and provided 

 with a tuft of feathers which grow from the heel. Tail, moderately forked. Sternum, quite similar to tliat 



