138 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. H 



;m(l aloiii!' river ranyons, iind on t)nilclings. preferring eitlier stone buildings or 

 wooden ones that are not painted. Nests in colonies that are sometimes very 

 large. 



Tlie migrations take phice in i\lay and August. The birds evidently ari'ive 

 somewhat earlier in the prairie region than in the mountain valleys. Six years 

 at Terry give an average of May 16, with tlie earliest date May 8, 1900. F'oui- 

 years at Big Sandy average Mny VI. with the earliest May 2, 1905 (Oberholser, 

 1017, p. 321). In more western localities dates are as follows: Gallatin County, 

 •June 4, 1909; Gregson. Silver Bow County, May 30, 1910; Anaconda, May 2S, 

 I'll!: and Choteau. May 17, 1912; Bitterroot Valley, May 27, 1910, May 24, 

 1911, .May 25, 1912, and May 16, 1913 (Bailey, MS). Pall dates are: Columbia 

 P'alls, September 4, 1895 (Oberholser, 1917, p. 322) ; Logan, Gallatin Count,v, 

 August 25. 1909; Nyack, August 21, 1915 (DuBois, MS). 



This species nests very abundantly, but there seem to be no recoi'ds to show 

 when eggs are laid. I have noted birds building nests or gathering material from 

 June 23 until as late as July 11. One colony at Choteau began building on Jul.v 

 1 , Vmt had no eggs laid or nests lined by July 6. The nests were knocked down 

 by the owner of the building a day or two later, and I found out nothing more. 

 I have noted broken egg shells at the foot of a cliff on which these swallows were 

 nesting, late in July, shells that I believe were thrown out of the nest by the old 

 liirds immediatel.y after the eggs hatched. 



261. Hirundo erythrogaster Boddaert 



Barn Swallow 



A regular summer resident throughout the state, commoner eastward, but 

 nowhere abundant. The numbers of this species are very few when compared 

 to the Cliff Swallow. Reported by nearl.y all observers and from all parts of the 

 state. Nests in the upper Sonoran and Transition zones in barns on rocks and 

 under bridges. 



The migrations occur in ilay and late August or early September. Seven 

 .vears at Terry average ]\Ia,y 11, with the earliest Jlay 5, 1894. and four years at 

 Great Falls average May 15, with the earliest ^lay 12, 1890 (Oberholser, 1918, 

 p. 151). The average arrival in Custer'and Daw^son counties is May 13 (Came- 

 ron, 1908a, p. 45). Other dates of arrival are: Gallatin Valley, May 24, 1909 

 and ]\Iay 28, 1911; Choteau, May 23, 1912; Bitterroot Valley, May 13, 1910, May 

 24, 1911, May 13, 1912, and May 7, 1913 (Bailey, MS), The only definite fall 

 date I have is from Fridley, Park County, August 29, 1908. It is, however, 

 mentioned as abundant in Gallatin County in early September (Richmond and 

 Knowlton, 1894, p. 306), and is recorded from Great Falls, September 4, 1889 

 (Oberholser, 1918, p. 152). 



There are only a few notes on the nesting of this species in Montana. Two 

 broods are raised in Custer and Dawson counties (Cameron, l^OSa, p. 45). Birds 

 were observed gathering nesting material at Bowen, in the Big Hole Basin, June 

 20, 1913 (Forrest, 1914, p. 195). The only nests that I have seen have been in 

 Jul.v. in locations where it was impossible to determine their eontcnts. A nest 



