Ill la'N DIMD.E — TlIK SWALLOWS. 





Hiniivlo bieolor. 



distin^'iiisht'tl liy the (l-atluTs ot" the tliroat luiiiu" i»nre white to their rtxits, instoail ol'huv- 

 in<f th«' coiiri-alcil liases ;^rayish as in tluit sjx'cif:^. 

 * II.vu. Wholt' L'liitftl Sfati's, ami north i«» Slave Lake, south to (Juateniulaj Bcnnuda; 

 (.'nha, common in wintei-. Ureeds* on tahje-lautls ol Mexiro. 



Hauits. Tills Swiinow lias (Hiitr an cxtcndt'd (listrilnition. Found 

 tliifnioliout North Anu'ricii in iho seasons of its migrations, or ItrcL'ding, it is 

 only a little less restricted in its area ot" nestiir_i than the pieeeding species. 

 It breeds from latitude ^18" to 

 liiifh Arctic; regions, and is also 

 resident throiiulioiit the year in 

 the Plateau of Mexico. It is 

 aliinidant in winter in the West 

 Indies, in Central America, and 

 in Xorthern South America. It 

 is 11 ciuiimon Lird alxnit lioston, 

 where it replaces the Ptnj>le 

 ^lartin, and is even more ahun- 

 dant in the liritish Provinces. 

 Dr. Cooper also found it a very 

 common species in the western 



])ortions of Washington Territory, where it was invariahly found to breed 

 in hollow trees. In California he states it to be a more or less constant 

 resident, a few wintering in the southern portion of the State. He met with 

 it both at San Die^o and at Stockton, in February. He regards them as 

 the hardiest of the Swalk»ws, preferring the coast and the mountain-to]is 

 for their residence in that State. At Santa Cruz live or six ]iairs in ISOC 

 were resident throuuli the winter, where he saw them in Januarv duriii'i 

 the coldest of the season. They ro(»sted in the knot-holes in the houses 

 in which they had ])reviously raised their young. 



This Swallow, in tlie more thicklv settled portions of the countrv in which 

 it breeds, exhibits a marked dej)arture in many of its habits from those 

 observed in wilder regions. In the latter places we lind it a eom]»aratively 

 wild si)ecies, avoiding the society of man, and breeding exclusively in hollow 

 trees and stumps, and deserving the name by which it is known in tlu^ Prit- 

 ish Provinces, of the " Wood Swallow." In the islands ctf (Iraud Menan, 

 in ISol, where rejjeated attempts had been made to induce these birds to 

 build in martin-boxes, the endeavor bail been entirely unsuccessful. Yet the 

 birds were so abundant that haiiUy a hollow tree or stum]), on certain of the 

 smaller islands, could be found, that did not contain a nest of this species. 

 This is still the ease on the Pacific coast, though not exclusively so. It 

 was not until after the })ublication of his Ornithological liiography that Au- 

 dubon was aware of any de])arture from this mode of nesting on the ]>art of 

 this Swallow, although it had not escajied the notice of Wilson. 



In Eastern Massachusetts these birds have underi^one an entire change of 



44 



