184 ZOOLOGY. 



Family HIRUNDINIDAE. T he Swallows. 



Barn Swallow. 



Hirundo horreorum, BARTON, Fragments N. H. Penna. 1799, 17. BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 308. 



Hirundo rufa, VIEILLOT, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 60 ; pi. xxx. (Not of Gmelin.) CASSIN, Illust. I, 1855, 243. 



BREWER, N. Am. Ool. I, 1857, 91; pi. v, f. 6367, eggs. 



Hirundo americana, WILSON, Am. Orn.V, 1812, 34; pi. xxxviii, f. 1, 2. (Not of Gmelin.) RICH. F.B. A. 11, 1831, 329. 

 Hirundo rustica, AUDUBON, Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 413; pi. 173. IB. Syn. 1839, 35. IB Birds Am. I, 1840, 181; pi. 48. 



(Not of Linnaeus.) 



SP. CH Tail very deeply forked; outer feathers several inches longer than the inner, very narrow towards the end. Above 

 glossy blue, with concealed white in the middle of the back. Throat chestnut; rest of lower part reddish white, not conspicu 

 ously different. A steel blue collar on the upper part of the breast, interrupted in the middle. Tall feathers with a white spot 

 near the middle, on the inner web. Female with the outer tail feather not quite so long. Length, 6.90 inches; wing, 5; 

 tail, 4.50. 



Hab. North America, from Atlantic to Pacific. 



The barn swallow seems to be limited by the Columbia river, as I have seen none at Puget 

 Sound, or other more northern places. Near the mouth of the river they built in large 

 numbers in the high caverns formed by the sea in Cape Disappointment, and into which the 

 tide flows, the base of the rock being exposed to the full force of the waves which break 

 against it. 



They had also lately begun to build under the eaves of houses. C. 



I saw nests of what I took to be this species of birds in caves and the hollows of cliffs near 

 the Bear s Paw mountains, not far from Fort Benton, Nebraska. S. 



HIRUNDO LUNIFRONS, Say. 



Cliff Swallow. 



Hirundo lunifrons, SAY, Long s Exped. R. Mts. II, 1823, 47. CASSIN, Illust. 1, 1855, 243 BREWER, N. Am. Ool. I, 



1857, 94; pi. v. No. 6873, egg. BAIRD, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 309. 

 Hirundo opifex, DEWixx CLINTON, Ann. N. Y. Lye. I, 1824, 161. 

 Hirundo respublicana, AUDUBON, Ann. N. Y. Lye. I, 1824, 164. 

 Hirundo fulva, BONAP. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 63; pi. ii. (Not of Vieillot.) AUDCBON, Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 353; pi. 58. 



IB. Syn. 1839, 35. IB. Birds Am. I, 1840, 177; pi. 47. 



SP. CH Crown and back steel blue; the upper part of the latter with concealed pale edges to the feathers. Chin, throat, 

 and sides of the head dark chestnut; breast fuscous; belly white. A steel blue spot on throat. Rump light chestnut; forehead 

 brownish white; a pale nuchal band. Tail slightly emarginate. Length about 5 inches; wing, 4.40; tail, 2.20. 

 Hab. North America, from Atlantic to Pacific. 



The cliff swallow seems to be rather scarce as yet north of the Columbia river. I saw none 

 in the bare mountainous regions traversed in 1853, though apparently adapted to their habits. 

 They were almost unknown about Puget Sound, though at Olympia I noticed a few flying about 

 the streets in July, which had nests in some tall dead trees near the town. At Vancouver I 

 saw none, though south of there, at Portland, only seven miles distant, they had many nests 

 under the eaves of high buildings, and were common in all the towns of Oregon. 



Nuttall mentions their building on the side of &quot;Pillar rock,&quot; and there are many cliffs along 

 the Columbia were they probably build. They may become more abundant with the increase 

 of settlements, as in the eastern States. C. 



