V °\f™] General Notes. 103 



In this connection I wish to state that in recording the occurrence of 

 this bird in Texas (Auk, 1914, p. 401) I entirely overlooked Dr. Louis B. 

 Bishop's previous record (Auk, 1910, p. 459). 



A Colony of the Lesser Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon lunifrons tachina) 

 was found nesting not far from where Petrochelidon fulva pallida was 

 breeding. Most of their nests were roofed over. They select a part of a 

 perpendicular cliff that has a projection and plaster their nests up under 

 this. On these rocky walls of the canon there seem to be ridges, probably 

 the high water mark in times of floods, where the rushing water has eaten 

 into the face of the cliff, leaving a projecting shelf. This supplies a roof 

 in rainy weather, which protects the nests. 



My collector says, " The Lesser Cliff Swallows, I am pretty sure, carry 

 the mud for building in their mouths, while the other one (Petrochelidon f. 

 pallida) carry it in their feet. I judge this by the actions of the birds while 

 alighting on a muddy spot and picking up the mud. The Lesser Cliff 

 Swallows will dive into the mud with their tails up, just skimming the 

 surface like a flock of teal, feeding in a shallow pond. They look as if 

 they were standing on their heads, while the other swallow alights on the 

 mud with head erect balancing himself by quivering his wings, while he 

 settles his feet into the mud, then rises and flies straight to his nesting 

 place." 



The Lesser Cliff Swallow uses very little lining for his nest, sometimes 

 not over two or three feathers, while the Coahuila Cliff Swallow, as a rule, 

 gathers quite a lot of grass-roots and feathers. 



The eggs of these Swallows vary in size as will be seen by the measure- 

 ments, but the coloring is nearly alike, although the Lesser Cliff Swallow's 

 is more heavily marked, while the feature of the other is the fine spots all 

 over the egg instead of large blotches. These markings in the case of the 

 Lesser Cliff Swallow are brownish, while in pallida they are light brown to 

 dark brown and purple. 



Measurements of fourteen sets in hundredths of an inch : 



1. 80 X 56, 82 X 53, 80 X 52, 78 X 56, 79 X 52 



2. 79 X 53, 69 X 53, 73 X 55, 75 X 55 



3. 83 X 55, 75 X 56, 69 X 51, 79 X 53 



4. 78 X 54, 83 X 55, 82 X 58, 83 X 57 



5. 78 X 53, 77 X 52, 80 X 52, 77 X 56 



6. 77 X 54, 77 X 56, 79 X 56 



7. 77 X 55, 73 X 54, 73 X 55, 71 X 53 



8. 74 X 54, 73 X 56, 71 X 52, 73 X 53 



9. 91 X 57, 87 X 53, 91 X 52, 85 X 53 



10. 78 X 57, 76 X 58, 76 X 56, 77 X 56 



11. 76 X 54, 79 X 51, 77 X 52, 77 X 53 



12. 80 X 55, 84 X 57, 82 X 58, 79 X 57, 82 X 57 



13. 79 X 54, 76 X 57, 84 X 56, 78 X 58, 80 X 56 



14. 76 X 53, 82 X 55, 79 X 53, 78 X 56 



Average of 58 eggs. 80 X 54. — John E. Thayer, Lancaster, Mass. 



