210 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



to some stream or body of water. Several times during the spring 

 I have seen these birds occupy martin houses for several weeks, 

 until the owners returned, when, after a desperate battle, they 

 would leave. Have never observed them about the town during the 

 breeding season." 



GENUS CLIVICOLA FORSTEB. 



Clivicola FOBSTEB, Syn. Br. B. 1817, 55. Type, Hirundo riparia LINN. 



Cotile BOIE, Isis, 1822, 550. Same type. 



"GEN. CHAK. Bill small; nostrils lateral, overhung by a straight- edged membrane. 

 Tarsus about equal to middle toe without claw; feathered at upper end, especially on 

 inner face, and having also a small tuft of feathers attached to posterior edge near the 

 hind toe. Middle toe with basal joint adherent externally to near the end, half-way in- 

 ternally, the claws comparatively little curved, the lateral reaching beyond the base of 

 the middle. Tail slightly forked. Color dull lustreless brown above, in riparia white 

 beneath with gray pectoral band. Nests in holes in banks; eggs white." (Hist. N. Am. .) 



Birds of the genus Clivicola resemble in general appearance and 

 habits those of the genus Stelgidopteryx, but may always be distin- 

 guished by the small tuft of feathers growing from the lower por- 

 tion of the posterior face of the tarsus. There are also other char- 

 acters, which, however, have been sufficiently mentioned on page 204. 



Clivicola riparia (Linn.) 



BANK SWALLOW. 



Popular synonyms. Sand Martin; Sand Swallow. 



Hirundo riparia LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i. 1758, 192.-Wii,s. Am. Orn. v, 1812, 46, pi. 38. tig. 4.- 

 NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 607. AUD. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 584, pi. 385; Synop. 1839, 36; B. Am. 

 i, 1840, 187, pi. 50. 

 Cotile riparia BOIE, Isis, 1822, 550. RIDOW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 157. COUES, 2d 



Check List, 1882, No. 163. 



Cotyle riparia BOIE, 1826. BAIBD, B. N. Am. 1858, 313; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 229; Re- 

 view, 1865, 319.-COUES, Key, 1872, 114; Check List, 1773, No. 115; B. N. W. 1874, 89; B. 

 Col. Val. 1878, 435. B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. i, 1874, 333, pi. 16, fig. 14. 

 Clivicola riparia STEJNEGEE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1882, 32. 



HAB. Northern Hemisphere in general: in America, south to Brazil, and throughout 

 West Indies, but breeding chiefly in the United States and northward; winters chiefly 

 south of the United States. 



"Sp. Char. Adult. Above grayish brown, somewhat fuliginous, with a tendency to 

 paler margins of the feathers. Beneath pure white, with a band across the breast and 

 the sides of the body like the back. Length, 4.75; wing, 4.00; tail. 2.00 



"Young birds have less emarginate tails, and the feathers of back, rump, and wings 

 edged with whitish." (Hist. N. Am. .) 



