SPECIES 3. HIRUNDO FIEIDIS* 



WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 



[Plate XXX VIII. Fig. 3.] 



PEALE'S Museum, JVo. 7707. 



THIS is the species hitherto supposed by Europeans to be the 

 same with their common Martin, Hirundo urbica, a bird no 

 where to be found within the United States. The English Mar- 

 tin is blue black above; the present species greenish blue; the 

 former has the whole rump white, and the legs and feet are 

 covered with short white downy feathers; the latter has nothing 

 of either. That ridiculous propensity in foreign writers, to con- 

 sider most of our birds as varieties of their own, has led them 

 into many mistakes, which it shall be the business of the author 

 of the present work to point out, decisively, wherever he may 

 meet with them. 



The White-bellied Swallow arrives in Pennsylvania a few 

 days later than the preceding species. It often takes possession 

 of an apartment in the boxes appropriated to the Purple Mar- 

 tin; and also frequently builds and hatches in a hollow tree. 

 The nest consists of fine loose dry grass, lined with large downy 

 feathers, rising above its surface, and so placed as to curl inwards 

 and completely conceal the eggs. These last are usually four or 

 five in number, and pure white. They also have two broods in 

 the .season. 



The voice of this species is low and guttural: they are more 

 disposed to quarrel than the Barn Swallows, frequently fighting 

 in the air for a quarter of an hour at a time, particularly in spring, 

 all the while keeping up a low rapid chatter. They also sail 

 more in flying; but during the breeding season frequent the same 



* Hirundo bicolor, VIEII.L. Ois. de VAm. Sept. pi 31. 



