ROUGIi-WINGED SWALLOW. 



541 



wings. Distributed during tlie breeding season throughout the United States, exclusive of New England.- 



Winters in South America. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Length, 5.20 to ."i.-W ; stretch, 11.50 to 12.25: wing, 4.25 to 4.!J0; tail, 2.10 to 2.15; bill, .25 to .00; 

 tarsus, .40 to .42. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests<, placed in holes ; composed of coarse grasses and roots, the lining consisting of grass blades. 

 Eg(5S, from four to seven in number, rather long and pointed in form, pure white in color. Dimensions, 

 from .70 bj' .55 to .05 by .50. 



HABITS. 



The (jviaint and ancient t'ity of St. Augustine is situated on an arm of tlie ocean; 

 consequently it is necessary to jirotect the lower section by a sea-wall, which extends the 



entire lenutli ot'the town. This wall. I)einu: hroad unoh 

 the top, is useil as a promenade bv the iidiabitants. While 

 sauntering along this walk one day in April, I observed 

 some Swallows alighting in front of me. I saw at once 

 that they were a species which I had never seen before, 

 but a closer view proved them to be Rough-winged 

 Swallows. At first there wei'e only lour or five to be seen, 

 but in a few days there were quite a number flying about 

 Frc. GS. Newly-hatched young the place. This is the only time I ever met with this 

 of Rough-winged Swallow. . ,. • ■ t i " <• i •. i i- • ,i 



species livmg, and I have never lound it breeding in tlie 



State ; but having met Mr. Allen, in Jacksonville, a few 

 ■weeks later the same season, he informed me that he found a small colony evidently 

 about to breed on some blufis along the St. John's river not far from the mouth. 



I found the Rough-winged Swallow common at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the first 

 Aveek in May, 1876. These birds fly quite heavily and are much less agile in all their 

 movements than are the Bank Swallows. They appear to be fond of the vicinity of the 

 Avater and pas.s a greater portion of their time in flying over it. In fact, they usually, in 

 the A-icinity of the Susquehanna River, build near the water. Contrary to opinions 

 given, the Rough-winged Swallow here does not, as a rule, dig a hole for itself l)nt 

 always, as far as my e-xperience goes, finds some cavity ready made in wliicli to place its 

 nest. During the season of which I sj)eak above, 1 had considerable experience with tlie 

 gpecies, for I traver.sed the- Sus(iueliaiiiia between Williamsport .-iiid Watsontown. 

 exploring both banks (piite thoroughly. 



I found my first nest May lOtli, in a large hole which liad been evidently e.\ca\ated 

 by a Kingfisher the previous year, but this nest contained no eggs, being partly 

 constructed. On the S-ithof the month I found nests with eggs. The favorite nesting 

 place is an old Kingfisher's hole, but on some occasions they occupy t)ld holes of the Bank 

 Swallow and I liave seen the nest in holes of wooden Ijridge ]>iers, also occasionally in 

 the masonry of stone bridges, iind once I saw a pair entering a hole under the eaves of 

 a j)ortico over a door of a house that .stood a short distance from thi' river. 



