HIRUNDO HORREORUM I BARN SWALLOW. l8l 



FAMILY HIRUNDINID^E : SWALLOWS. 



AMERICAN BARN SWALLOW. 



HIRUNDO ERYTHROGASTRA HORREORUM (Bart.) 

 Coues. 



Chars. Above, glossy steel-blue ; forehead and under parts chest- 

 nut of variable shade, generally deepest on the throat ; an incom- 

 plete steel-blue necklace. Tail, when fully developed, deeply 

 forficate, with linear lateral feathers, like the back in color, with 

 several white spots. Bill and feet black. Sexes similar. Young 

 less lustrous, with pale or even whitish under parts, and the tail 

 simply forked. At a very early stage the young are quite lustre- 

 less brown above, with rusty edgings of some of the feathers. 

 Length very variable, according to the development of the tail, 

 usually 6 or 7 inches ; extent, 12.50-13.50 ; wing, 4.50-5.00 ; tail, 

 3.00-5.00, the depth of fork 2.00-3.00. Like most birds, the Swal- 

 low is subject to albinism, and it is so abundant a bird that this 

 aberration in color has often been observed. 



A very common summer resident, especially in pop- 

 ulated places. The regular return of the Swallows 

 occurs in April, and usually during the latter part of 

 that month ; but the time is very variable, depending 

 much upon the weather, and individuals may some- 

 times be observed in March, or even in February. 

 Such instances, however, no more represent the nor- 

 mal migration, than "make a summer." The return 

 movement is in September, and rather early than late 

 in that month, but largely determined by the weather, 

 as in spring. The Swallows are very assiduous in 

 their household affairs, nesting for the first time usu- 



