146 LAND-BIRDS. 



Eave Swallows are still increasing throughout the Eastern 

 States, and are constantly making their appearance in places 

 where they have not been observed before. An excellent place 

 to study them, particularly for summer tourists, is Mount 

 Desert, where the birds were, and still are, I suppose, very 

 abundant (at least at Bar Harbor). Their habits are easily 

 learned, as they are constantly in the open air, and about the 

 village streets, where all, who wish to, may see them. 



One agreeable trait in the character of the " Eepublicans " 

 is their general amiability. In spite of their gregariousness 

 and crowded dwellings, they never become confused, and rarely 

 quarrel. Could a map be drawn indicating the position of 

 their communities, all their colonies might well be named 

 Philadelphia. 



d. See I, A, e. 



NOTE. Bonaparte, in his continuation of " Wilson's Orni- 

 thology," says of the Cliff Swallow : " A very singular trait 

 distinguishes the migrations of this bird. While the European 

 or white variety of the human race is rapidly spreading over 

 this continent, from its eastern borders to the remotest plains 

 beyond the Mississippi, the Cliff Swallow advances from the 

 extreme western regions, annually invading a new territory 

 farther to the eastward, and induces us to conclude that a few 

 more summers will find it sporting hi this immediate vicinity, 

 and familiarly established along the Atlantic shores. 



"Within ten or twelve years [date of writing, 1825], they 

 have become familiar in different localities of Ohio, Kentucky, 

 etc., whence they are extending very rapidly, and have recently 

 appeared in the western part of New York. In order to show 

 the rapid progress of this little stranger, we quote the follow- 

 ing passage from Mr. Clinton's interesting paper. 



" The Fulvous Swallow 'first made its appearance at Win- 

 chell's tavern, on the highroad, about five miles south of 

 Whitehall, near Lake Champlain, and erected its nest under 

 the eaves of an outhouse, where it was covered by the projec- 

 tion of a roof. This was in 1817, and in this year there was 

 but one nest ; the second year seven ; the third twenty-eight ; 

 the fourth forty; and in 1822 there were seventy, and the 

 number has since continued to increase.' 



