504 Burleigh, Bird-life in Southwestern France. [o"f 



ance this bird closely resembled our Barn Swallow, and in habits and notes 

 differed from it in no way. Flying by overhead or circling about the barn 

 in which was its nest, it had the same cheery twitter and the same happy 

 disposition. It was plentiful about both the scattered farms and the towns, 

 and nested indiscriminately under the eaves of the sheds, the barns, rail- 

 road stations, and houses. The first bird was seen March 29, five being 

 observed flying low over a field, and by April 13 they could be found 

 everywhere. On June 6 young nestlings of the first brood were well 

 grown. On June 12 a nest with four fresh eggs was found on a beam under 

 the eaves of a railroad station. The nest was of pellets of mud and grasses, 

 with a lining of feathers. The eggs were white, spotted over the entire 

 surface with varying shades of brown. Another, on the 27th of June, held 

 five fresh eggs, and was on a beam under the eaves of a small shed at the 

 side of a road. A third, on July 10, held three slightly incubated eggs and 

 was under the eaves of a railroad station. A fourth, found at Dax on the 

 12th of July, held four slightly incubated eggs and was on a beam in the 

 roof of a balcony of a hotel. By August 18 the birds were found gathering 

 into flocks, fifty being seen at one place on telephone wires at the side of a 

 road. On September 1 a flock was noticed noisily convening in the top of 

 a large sycamore. This habit of alighting in trees was found to be a com- 

 mon practice with this species. The last birds for the year were seen 

 November 10, a flock of ten being found at the edge of Sangon, feeding 

 about an old church. 



38. Chelidon urbica urbica L. House Martin. — In appearance 

 this bird, with the exception of its white rump, resembled closely our Tree 

 Swallow. It was a plentiful summer resident about all the towns, there 

 being none in which one pair at least could not be found nesting. The 

 first bird was seen April 28, and on May 16 a pair were seen working on a 

 newly started nest under the eaves of a house. A nest found June 14 held 

 four fresh eggs and was under the eaves of a railroad station, on the top 

 of an old nest of the Chimney Swallow. This was an unusual situation, for 

 all the others found were plastered against the sides of the buildings, with 

 no support of any kind . The nests were flask-shaped, of pellets of mud and 

 grasses, with a lining inside of grasses and feathers. The eggs were white, 

 unspotted. Fully fledged young were seen still being fed in the nest on 

 July 28. The last birds for the year were seen October 24, a flock of ten 

 being found feeding over an open field with a number of Chimney Swallows. 

 At all times these birds were quite sociable, and it was seldom that a single 

 pair were found nesting alone. 



39. Riparia riparia riparia (L.). Sand Martin. — This bird is 

 of course our familiar Bank Swallow. It was for some reason but an 

 irregular migrant, although there were many banks suitable for it to nest in. 

 During the spring it was seen but once, five birds being found April 28, 

 feeding over the lower end of the lake. August 11 it was seen again, this 

 time twenty birds being found on a telephone wire at the side of a road. 

 August 18 a flock of fully a hundred was observed at almost the same spot. 



