130 ACULEATED SWALLOW. 



appear to be merely the young in their immature 

 plumage : one has the throat and fore-part of the 

 neck dirty white, spotted with greenish brown : 

 the other is blueish brown ; has the rump grey, 

 and the throat and fore-part of the neck rufous 

 grey. 



This species arrives in Pennsylvania late in 

 April or early in May, and builds its nest in high 

 chimneys that are seldom used ; but in those parts 

 of America that are inhabited with Indians, and 

 where there are no chimneys, they construct it in 

 hollow trees : it is of a singular construction, and is 

 formed of very small twigs, fastened together with 

 a strong adhesive gummy substance, which is said 

 to be secreted by two glands, situated on each side 

 of the hinder part of the head, and to be mixed 

 with the saliva*. With this substance, which be- 

 comes as hard as the twigs themselves, the whole 

 nest, which is small and shallow, is thickly covered: 

 it is attached by one side or edge to the wall, and 

 is totally destitute of the soft lining with which 

 those of the other Swallows are so plentifully sup- 

 plied : its eggs are four in number, and of a pure 

 white : it has two broods in the season. The 

 young are fed at intervals during the night : and 

 the nest is frequently detached from the sides of 

 the chimney, by the heavy rains, and is preci- 

 pitated to the bottom : the eggs, if there be any, 

 are destroyed ; but if there be young, they will 

 scramble up to the upper part, by clinging to the 



Wilson's American Ornithology, vol. 5, page 64. 



