Trees, Stars, and Birds 



The bank swallow and 

 rough - winged swallow. 

 These swallows are so 

 much alike that it is> dif- 

 ficult to distinguish them. 

 Their plumage lacks the 

 metallic luster that may 

 be seen on the backs of 

 other swallows. Both of 

 them nest, as a rule, in 

 holes they make in banks. 

 The nests are 2 or 3 feet 

 back from the entrance. 

 The rough-winged swal- 

 low nests also in crevices 

 in rocky cliffs and stone 

 bridges. 



The purple martin. The 

 purple martin belongs to the same family as the swal- 

 lows. It is larger than the swallow, its wings being 

 nearly 6 inches long. The upper parts are glossy bluish 

 black. The under parts are the same color as the back 

 in the adult male, but partly white in the female. Mar- 

 tins will nest in boxes put up for them on high posts or 

 buildings. A bird house with several apartments is often 

 occupied by several pairs of martins, for, like the swal- 

 lows, they are more sociable than most birds. Because 

 bugs that resemble bedbugs are found in their nests, 

 some persons have supposed that they are likely to bring 

 bedbugs to a house. This is a mistake. These bugs 

 are not of a kind that annoy people or that will stay 



FIG. 196. 



Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 Bank swallows and their 

 nesting holes. 



