IOO Birds of Oregon and Washington 



THE VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION : 



Upper parts : a soft rich green (but not lustrous). 



Under parts : pure white. 



Length, 5 inches. 

 Found about houses and out-buildings. 



This bird belongs to the Pacific coast ; and a 

 particularly beautiful bird it is, having a beauty 

 as rare as the peculiarity of its color. To enjoy 

 this, one needs, in just the right light, to catch 

 sight of the sheen of the plumage in a slanting 

 vision ; for the beauty of the plumage of this 

 bird is, like many of the finest things in the 

 world, not striking, but exquisitely delicate. 

 The glossy bluish-black of other Swallows will 

 easily command your admiration, but this bird is 

 by far the most beautiful. 



This delightful creature is perfectly domestic, 

 choosing his nesting-place in and about human 

 dwellings. He still, however, to some extent, 

 rears his family in holes of trees in the woods, 

 his constant habit before human habitations be- 

 came numerous. He welcomes a bird-house, 

 while he will enter through a knot-hole, or any 

 opening in cornice or gable, to find a secure 



