196 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



think that the male assists. The young are fed 

 by both parents, which vie with each other in en- 

 dearing attentions. Their food consists of mos- 

 quitos, small lepidoptera, and coleoptera; while 

 their parents subsist upon larger insects. The 

 following list embraces the bill of fare of the 

 latter: Stomoxys calcitrans, Tabanus atratus, T. 

 lincola, Asilus sericeu s, Tipula ferruguinea, Chryso- 

 juela cceruleipennis, Donacia metallica, Spilosoma 

 Virginica, Anisopteryx vernata, Penthina pomonella, 

 and many of the Noctiiidt?, Lycrrnidtf, and Tortri- 

 cidce; besides spiders and aphides. 



Like most of the Hirundinidce, the male is ex- 

 tremely sedulous in his attentions to the female. 

 He is also as jealous as the male Petrochelidcm 

 InnijTons, and manifests his aversion to interfer- 

 ence by repeated vociferations and gesticulations. 

 Both birds are very fond of their young, as shown 

 by the little attentions which they bestow upon 

 them, and by the reckless bravery which they 

 exhibit in protecting them from danger. The 

 young are 12 days old when they leave the nest; 

 in a week more they are able to sustain themselves. 



The eggs are five in number, pure white, with 

 a roseate tinge in unblown specimens, oval in 

 shape, and pointed at the smaller end. They 

 measure .71 of an inch in length, and .46 in 

 breadth. 



Stelgidoptesyx serripennis, Baird. 

 The Rough-winged Swallow is by no means 



