t 38 ) 



HIRUNDO FULVA— VIEILL. 



CLIFF SWALLOW. 



Fulvus or Cliff Swallow, Hirundo filva, Bonap. Syn. 

 Fulvus or Cliff Swallow, Hirundo fulva, Nutt. Man. 

 Republican or Cliff Swallow, And. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character. — Forehead white ; crown and a patch on the 

 fore, neck black ; sides of the head, beneath the eye and sides of the 

 neck deep brown-red. Adult with the forehead white, the lower 

 part margined with a black band, which passes back to the eyes, 

 meeting the black patch that occupies the whole upper part of the 

 head; throat, sides of the neck, and a narrow band on the occiput 

 deep brownish-red ; a broad band on the hind neck grayish-brown, 

 of which color are the fore part of the breast and sides of the body — 

 those parts being tinged with brownish-red, which color appears 

 about the vent and on the lower tail coverts ; on the fore neck a 

 patch of black ; abdomen grayish-wnite ; back black, glossed with 

 bluish ; rump light reddish-brown ; wings and tail feathers dusky 

 brown. Length five inches and a half, wing four and seven 

 eighths. 



The appearance of this Swallow in the lower parts of the State 

 of New York is quite recent. The first that I have known to have 

 been observed in this vicinity, was shot at Manhattanville, in 1842, 

 by Mr. Lawrence. In the month of June of the present year, a few 

 specimens were seen in the suburbs of Brooklyn by Mr. Brasher, and 

 in the latter part of August I met it at Gravesend. Previous to this 

 year, 1 have no knowledge of its occurring on Long Island; but I 

 should not be surprised if even in a few years it were found quite 

 common. On Long Island I am not aware that the Cliff' Swallow 

 has been known to breed ; but Mr. Bell has informed me that he 

 found its nest near his residence in Rockland County, in the month 

 of May last — and according to his observations, it had not visited 

 his section previous to the present year. 



