NVTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



NOTES ON THE ROUGH- WINGED SWALLOW (HIRUNDO 

 SERRIPENNIS), IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



BY WALTER VAN FLEET. 



I have, during two years of rather careful observation, no- 

 ticed a constant and decided difference in the breeding and 

 other habits of the Rough-winged Swallow, as compared with the 

 Bank Swallow ( H. riparia). The main points are as follows : 



II. serripennis is not gregarious while nesting, but during the 

 breeding season appears rather to avoid its kind, as well 

 as the Bank Swallows, and to associate only in pairs. Their 

 nesting holes are not placed near each other in the manner of 

 H. riparia, but are scattered along the banks of creeks and riv- 

 ers at irregular intervals, wherever an especially favorable local- 

 ity occurs. They very seldom excavate a hole for themselves, 

 but generaHy take up with any suitable cavity, and alter it to 

 suit their taste. It is quite common to find them breeding in 

 deserted Kingfishers' holes, and in this case placing the nest 

 within a foot or eighteen inches from the entrance. They will 

 also, on finding a decayed root of sufficient size, leading in from 

 their favorite sand banks, remove the soft punky wood, follow- 

 ing the winding of the root, until they have arrivedat a suit- 

 able distance — about two feet — where, after enlarging the cavi- 

 ty, they place their nest. This species is also fond of building 

 in holes in stone bridge piers and other masomy, near water, re- 

 turning to the same place year after year. 



In the few cases which I have observed of their excavating, 

 for themselves, it has been done in a very slovenly manner, and 

 invariably their holes have been much larger than is apparently 

 necessary, and round at the entrance, while on the contrary the 

 holes of the H. ripzria are very symmetrical ellipses, with the 

 longer axis horizontal, and not larger than is needful to permit 

 free ingress and egress of the birds. I have never yet, in this lo- 

 cality, found a Bank Swallow's hole large enough to admit the 

 hand, without enlarging, while the nest of the Rough-wings can 

 generally be readied without any trouble, except when built in 

 masonry. In this case they will pass through a crevice barely 

 large enough to admit their bodies, providing there is a cavity 

 within large enough to contain the nest. 

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