OYPSELID.E — THE SWIFTS. 433 



the Red River, in what is now the northern part of Minnesota. Its western 

 range is not well determined, but is presumed tu l)e terminated by the great 

 plains. It has been found as far west as Bijoux Hill, in Nebnxska. 



In its habits, especially during the breeding-season, this Swift presents 

 many remarkable dilferences from the European species. While the latter 

 are shy and retiring, shunning the places fre([Uented by man, and breeding 

 chiefly in caves or ruined and deserted habitations, their rei)resentatives in 

 eastern North America, like all the Swallow family here, have, immediately 

 Upon the erection of the dwellings of civilized life, manifested their apj)re- 

 ciation of the protection they afl'ord, by an entire change in their habits in 

 regard to the location of their nests. When the country was first settled, 

 these birds were known to breed only in the hollow trunks of forest trees. 

 The chimneys of the dwellings of civilized communities presented sufficient 

 inducements, in their greater convenience, to tempt this bird to forsake their 

 primitive breeding-places. The change in this respect has been nearly com- 

 plete. And now, in the older portions of the country, they are not known 

 to resort to hollow trees for any other purpose than as an occasional roost- 

 ing-place. 



In wild portions of the country, \;here natural facilities are still afforded 

 to these Swifts, they are occasionally found breeding within the hollows 

 of decaying trees. Mr. George A. Boardman, of St. Stephen, N. B., writes 

 that in his neighborhood this bird continues to build in the hollows of 

 trees. He adds, that in the summer of 1863 he found them building within 

 a hollow birch. He also met with one of their nests built against a board 

 in an old winter logging-camp, at a distance from any chimney. Mr. 

 Ridgway has also met with the nest of this bird inside the trunk of a large 

 sycamore-tree, and also mentions finding another attached to the planks of 

 an outbuilding, in the Wabash valley of Southeastern Illinois. 



Mr. J. A. Allen found this species quite numerous in Kansas, where it 

 was breeding chiefly in the hollow trees of the forests, which it always 

 seems naturally to prefer to chimneys, to which it is compelled to resort, in 

 most of the longer settled districts, or else wholly to abandon the country. 



The Chimney Swallow is known to breed throughout the Central and 

 Northern States, from Virginia to Canada. Dr. Woodhonse states that he 

 found this species very abundant throughout the Indian Territory, as also in 

 Texas, and New Mexico, even to California. It was not, however, taken at 

 San Antonio by Mr. Dresser, nor in any portion of Texas, and was not pro- 

 cured by any of the naturalists in the other Western expeditions. 



The Chimney Swallow is crepuscular, rather than nocturnal, in its habits, 

 preferring to hunt for its insect prey in dull and cloudy weather, or in the 

 early morning and the latter part of the afternoon. In this it is proba- 

 bly influenced by the abundance or scarcity of insects, as it is not unfre- 

 quently to be seen hawking for insects in the bright glare of noon. When 

 they have young, they often continue to feed them until quite late at night. 



VOL. IL 16 



