ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 333 



the Northwest, along the wooded bottoms of streams, where the 

 dry trees are its favorite breeding places" (Trans. Am. Philos. 

 Soc, xii, 1863, p. 162). This primitive habit of nesting in hol- 

 low trees seems to have been abandoned for many years, at least 

 in Iowa. During the latter part of August large flocks congre- 

 gate, usually making their rendezvous upon the roof of some 

 large building, or church spire, and all disappearing at once about 

 the last of August. 



The Martin is strictly insectivorous, capturing its prey on the 

 wing. Mr. O. Widman of Old Orchard, Mo., observed a colony 

 of sixteen pairs from 4 a. m. to 8 p. m., during which time the 

 parents visited their offspring 3,277 times, or an average of 205 

 times for each pair. The males made 1,454, the females 1,823 

 visits {Forest and Stream, xxii, 1884, p. 484). 



Genus Petrochelidon Cabanis. 

 271. (612). Petrochelidon liidifrons (^2i\) . Cliff Swallow. 



The Cliff Swallow or Have Swallow is a common summer resi- 

 dent in all parts of the state from the latter part of April until 

 September. It is rather locally distributed, remaining quite close 

 to its breeding place, where the bottle-shaped nests are placed in 

 large colonies under the eaves of barns and other large buildings. 

 Before the settlement of the country this Swallow plastered its 

 nest of mud pellets on the vertical sides of cliffs and river bluffs. 

 Prince Maximilian noted large colonies along the Missouri River 

 bluffs in 1833 (Reise, i, p. 90, etc.), and F. V. Hayden describes 

 colonies along the Missouri "often covering the vertical sides of 

 the river bluff with their nests." With the settlement of the 

 country the species has almost abandoned the cliff-nesting habit, 

 finding the eaves of buildings more suitable. This has resulted 

 in a much more general diffusion of the species over the prairie 

 country. 



J. A. Allen says: "The older settlers in Dallas county told me 

 it made its first appearance there three years before, when a col- 

 ony settled in Redfield, building under the eaves of a large sand- 

 stone store. This season there were several large colonies in the 

 same vicinity, resorting to the eaves of barns for nesting sites" 

 (Mem. Bost. Soc, i, 1868, p. 495). Wilmon Newell reports that 

 in Sioux county, "along the Rock and Big Sioux Rivers, these 



[Proc. D. \. S.. Vol. XI. 1 45 [Dec. i6, 1906.! 



