346 



HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



THE BARN SWALLOW. 



Swallow (Hirundo Lunifrons\ the Bank Swallow 

 (Hirundo riparia\ and the Barn Swallow (Hirundo 

 Americana.} Of this bird Mr. Nuttall says : 



Their northern migration extends to the sources of 

 the Mississippi, the Rocky Mountains, and the fur 

 countries, where distant from the habitations of man 

 they inhabit caves, particularly those in the limestone 

 rocks. They retire from Massachusetts about the 

 18th of September, and are observed, in the same 

 month and in October, passing over the peninsula of 

 Florida on their way to tropical America, where they 

 probably pass the winter. I have seen a straggling 

 pair in this vicinity even on the 15th of October. In 

 the months of January and February the common 

 Chimney Swallow of Europe has been observed to 

 moult, by Mr. Pearson of London, and Mr. Natterer 

 of Vienna ; with the latter they survived in cages, to 



