344 



THE TREE SWALLOW* 



with soft inatcrials, es|)ccially feathers, liyi/s: 4-6, pure wliitc, — pinkish white 

 l)efore remnval of contents. Av. size .75 x .54 ( 19.1 x 1,571. Season: last wcek 

 iii .May. first week in July; two brootls. 



General Kange. — .North .America at large, hreeiling from the Fur Countries 

 south to .New |er>ey, the ( )hio \ alley, Kansas, Colorado, California, etc.; win- 

 tering from Sontli Carolina ami the Ciulf State> southward to the West Indies 

 and ('iMatenia!;!. 



RariKe in W ashin;jton. -Summer resident; ahinidant on West-side; not 

 common east of the Cascade Mountains. 



Migrations. — S[<riiiy: First week in March or earlier; Seattle, .March 4, 

 1889; March 7, i8</5; Tacoina, March 2, KJ07; March 3, i<xj8; I'.ellingham 

 (Edson), Tacoma (IJowlcs), Steilacooin (Dawson), February 25, i>jo-,: Skagit 

 Marshes near I'ir ( L. K. Reynolds), February 1, 1906; Seattle (Dr. Clinton T. 

 Cooke), January 21, 1906. 



Authorities. — Uiniinio bicolor \ ieillot, Baird, Kep. I'ac. K. K. Surv. LN., 

 pt. II.. 1S5S. p. 311. T. C&S. Rh. D'. Kb. Ra. D--. J. U. E. 



Specimens. — I', of W. 1'. IVov. C. 



().NF" Swallow does nut make a sunnner, but a little twittering cotiipaiiy 

 of them faring northward makes the heart glad, and fills it with a sense of 

 exaltation as it resiKinds to the call of these care-fice children of the air. 

 The remark applies to .Swallows in general, but particularly to Tree Swallows, 

 for in their iiiiniaculale garb of dark blue and white, they seem like cry.stalli- 

 zations of sky and templed cloud, grown animate with the all-compelling 

 breath of spring. They have about them the marks of high-born quality, 

 winch we caimot but admire as they spurn witli a wi)ig-stroke the lower 



strata, and rise to 

 acce|>i we know 

 not what dainties 

 of the upper air 

 While not so 

 hardy as Robin 

 and Hluebinl. since 

 it must maintain 

 an exclusive diet 

 of insects. Tree 

 .Swallow is, occa- 

 sionally, very ven- 

 turesome as to 

 the season of its 

 northward lliglit. 

 ; , Indeed a succes- 



TRF.E sw.M.i.ow. Sinn of mild win- 



