BARN SWALLOW. 89 



This species has been confounded by most 

 writers with the Common Swallow, which it very 

 much resembles, but differs in having the under 

 parts of the body chesnut-colour, instead of white ; 

 and it builds its nest in barns, sheds, or other 

 outhouses, on beams or rafters, and not in chim- 

 neys, as that bird does : its nest occupies about a 

 week in building, and is commenced early in May: 

 it is in the shape of an inverted cone, with a per- 

 pendicular section cut off, on that side by which 

 it adheres to the wood ; at the top there is a ridge, 

 that seems to be intended for the*old birds to perch 

 on while tending their nestlings ; it is formed of 

 mud, mixed with fine hay, and disposed in regu- 

 lar strata from side to side, and is about an inch 

 in thickness ; within there is a quantity of hay, 

 which is profusely lined with goose feathers : its 

 eggs are extremely transparent ; white, sprinkled 

 with reddish brown, and are five in number : it 

 has generally two broods in the season, the first 

 about the middle of June, and the second about 

 the tenth of August. 



These birds appear to live in great harmony, as 

 twenty or thirty pair often build in the same barn, 

 and several of their nests are within a few inches 

 of each other, and no symptoms of quarrelling 

 ever take place amongst them. 



When the young birds first leave the nest thej 

 are observed to fly about within doors, for some 

 days before they venture out ; which when they 

 do they are conducted by the old ones to the 

 sides of rivers, and similar places, where the food 



