ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 34<1 



is rare along- the sea coast, but on the river courses in the interior it 

 is one of the most abundant species of Swallow. There, as elsewhere, 

 it raises its brood in holes dug in a sand bank. It arrives at the 

 mouth of the Yukon from the 20th to the 25th of May, and leaves 

 for the south about the end of August. 



Genus 8TELGID0PTERYX Baird. 

 STELGIDOPTERYX SERRIPENNIS (Aud.). 



250. Rough-winged Swallow. (617) 



Lustreless brownish-gray, paler below, whitening on the belly ; rather 

 larger than the last. Hooklets on outer web of outer primary wanting, or 

 much weaker in the female. 



Hab. — United States at large (in the Eastern States north to Connecticut), 

 south to Guatemala. 



Nest, in holes dug by the birds in the sandy banks of creeks and rivers, 

 a few straws and feathers at the end of the excavation representing the nest. 



Eggs, five or six, pure white. 



This species seems to be gradually advancing from the west to the 

 east, for we hear every now and then of it being observed at points 

 in the Eastern States where it has not before been noticed. I have 

 no record of it from any part of Ontario except from London, where 

 Mr. Saunders has found it breeding for the last year or two. It is 

 not so decidedly attached to the sand or gravel bank for a breeding 

 place as the Bank Swallow, the nests having been found in crevices 

 of rocks, on beams under bridges, and even in a hole in a brick wall. 



It bears a very close resemblance to the Bank Swallow, and as 

 there are not many of them killed, it is possible the Rough-winged 

 species may be more common than we imagine. When closely 

 examined, the curious little hooklets on the outer web of the first 

 primary, which are most fully developed in the male, are always 

 sufficient to identify the species. 



