IIIIirXDLNID.E -THE SWALLOWS. 351 



Sp. CiFAH. (X«), .''2.200 (^.) Al»ov<' smokv-brou'ti, rather dot'por on the he:ifi, perhaps 

 a little pah'r on the lumj). Laru'er quills and tail-leathers dusky-hrown; the secondaries 

 and <ireater coverts soinetiiiies lijiht«'r aloiiir tln-ir external edg«'s. The nnder parts (lor 

 aliout hall' the total length) from lull to and ineliiding breast, with the sides of b<^dy anil 

 lining of wiiigs, mouse-gray, rather lighter along the throat; the rest of nnder parts, in- 

 tluding erissnni, white, tin; latter with the shafts sonielinies dusky, and very rarely with 

 <lusky blotches at the ends of the longer featheis. 



Young birds (as in 1,120) diller in a tinge ol" reddish-fulvous on the ujiper parts; the 

 wing foverts, .<e«'ondaries, and inner primaries margined more or less broadly with a 

 brighter shade of the .<aine. The gray of the under parts is also washed with this color, 

 especially on the chin and across the breast. The hooks of the edge of the wing have not 

 yet become <leveloj)ed. 



(No. 32,2()0 (J, fresh specimen before being skinned.) Total length, 5.40 ; expanse of 

 wings, 12.20 ; wing from carpal joint, 4.')0. 



(Xo. ;i2.2n!) <J, prepared specimen.) Total length, o/jO; wing, 4.50 ; tail, 2.25, depth 

 of fork, .15; dilference of primaries, 2.28 ; length of bill from forehe:id. .40, from nostril, 

 .24, along gape, .50, width of gape, .4."J ; tarsus, .45 ; middle toe and claw, .57 ; claw alone, 

 .I'j ; hind toe and claw, .41 ; claw alone, .10. 



Hab. Whole L'nited States (exclusive of Northeastern States ?) south to Central 

 Mexico. 



Habits. The Iiougli-win^^ed Swallow was first met with l»y Audubon, in 

 Louisiana, but described by him t'roiii specimens afterwards procured near 

 Charleston, S. C. He knew nothinu in regard to its habits, and its distribu- 

 tion was ecpially unknown to him. It has ."^ince been found, but nowhere very 

 abundantly, in various parts of the United States. It has not been met with 

 on the Atlantic coast farther to the north than Xuw Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

 On the Pacific coast it is more common. Dr. Suckley speaks of it as quite 

 abundant both in Orej^(jn and in Washington Territory. Dr. Cooper, in his 

 Zoology of Washington Territory, sjteaks of it as common about the sandy 

 dill's of the bays antl iidets of that coast, arriving near the Columbia in 

 May, and remaining only until the middle of August, when all these Swal- 

 lows go southwards, though their last brood is hardly able to fiy. He says 

 that they burrow holes in the soft sandy banks near the tops of cliffs, and 

 have generally the same habits as the common JJank Swallow. They have 

 no song, only a few chiri)ing calls. 



Dr. Cooper, in his lieport on the birds of California, further states that this 

 Swallow, in summer, is found throughout the lower ])ortions of that State. 

 He saw them at Fort ^lojave as early as the 27th of February, and as he has 

 met with them at San Diego in Xovember, and also in January, he thinks 

 they may winter within the State. He describes their burrows in the sandy 

 banks of rivers as being to the depth of three feet, crowded very near 

 together, and near the up])er edge of the bank, in no wise different from the 

 nesting of the common C. riparia. The nests are composed chiefly of dry 

 grasses, with a few feathers, and coiitain five white eggs. Occasionally, how- 

 ever, they resort to natural clefts in the bank or in buildings, and to knot- 

 holes in trees. In the fall they congregate in great numbers about certain 

 favorite spots, and keep much together in flocks. At night they roo^t in 



