280 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



613. Barn Swallow. Hirundo erythrogastra. 



Range. Whole of North America; winters south to South America. 



This Swallow is the most beautiful and graceful of the fam- 

 ily, and is a familiar sight to everyone, skimming over the 

 meadows and ponds in long graceful sweeps, curves and turns, 

 its lengthened outer tail feathers streaming behind. Through- 

 out their range, they nest in barns, sheds or any building 

 where they will not be often disturbed, making their nests of 

 mud and attaching them to the rafters; they are warmly lined 

 with feathers and the outside is rough, caused by the pellets 

 which they place on the exterior. Before the advent of civilized man, they 

 attached their^nests to the sides of caves, in crevices among rocks and in hollow 

 trees, as they do now in some localities. Their eggs cannot be distinguished 

 from those of the Cliff Swallow. Data. Penikese Is., Mass., July 2, 1900. Nest 

 on beam in sheep shed; made of pellets of mud, lined with feathers. Collector, 

 Chas. E. Doe. 



614. Tree Swallow; White-bellied Swallow. Iridoprocne bicolor. 



Range. Whole of temperate North America, breeding from middle United 

 States northward; winters in the Gulf States and along the Mexican border and 

 southward. 



This vivacious and active species is as well known as the 



last, and nests about habitations on the outskirts of cities and 



in the country. They naturally nest in holes in trees or 



stumps, preferable in the vicinity of water, but large numbers 



now take up their abode in houses provided for them by man, 



rwh'te 1 providing that English Sparrows are kept away. They make 



their nests of straws and grasses, lined with feathers, and lay 



four to six plain white eggs; size .75 x .50. Data. Portage, Mich., May 26,1897. 



Nest in a gate post; hole about 6 inches deep, lined with feathers. Collector, 



Chas. Sickles. 



615. Violet-green Swallow. Tachycineta thalassina lepida. 



Range. United States in the Rocky Mountains and west to the Pacific coast, 

 breeding from Mexico to British Columbia; winters south of our borders. 



This very beautiful species is smaller than the last, but, like 

 it, is white below, but the upper parts are blue, green and 

 purple without gloss. They are common in their range and 

 nest, usually in'holes in trees, less often in banks and under 

 eaves; the nests are made of grass and feathers, and the eggs 

 are pure white, four or five in number; size .72 x .50. [White.] 



6l5a. St. Lucas Swallow. T. t. brachyptera.' 



Range. Southern Lower California. Practically the same bird as the last but 

 with the wing very slightly shorter. Nesting habits or eggs will not differ. 



[615.1 .] Bahaman Swallow. Callichelidon cyaneoviridis. 



Range. Bahamas; casual at Dry Tortugas, Florida. 



This very beautiful species is similar to the western Violet-green Swallow, as 

 are also its eggs. 



