Bird Stiuiy 



113 



in shape, with an entrance at one side. When building on the sides of 

 cliffs or in unprotected portions of a bam, a covered passage is built 

 around the door, which gives the nest the shape of a gourd or retort; but 

 when protected beneath the eaves the birds seem to think this vestibule is 

 unnecessary. The mud nest is warmly lined with feathers and soft 

 materials, and there are often many nests built so closely together that 

 they touch. The eave swallow comes north about May ist, and soon 

 after that, may be seen along streams or other damp places gathering 

 mud for the nests. It seems necessary for the bird to find clay mud in 

 order to render the nest strong enough to support the eggs and nestlings. 

 The eggs are white, blotched with reddish brown. The parents cling to 



The barn swallow's feather bed. 



the edge of the nest when feeding the young. Both the bam and eave 

 swallows are blue above but the eave swallow has the forehead cream 

 white and the rump of pale brick-red, and its tail is square across the end 

 as seen in flight. The bam swallow has a chestnut forehead and its outer 

 tail feathers are long, making a distinct fork during flight, and it is not 

 red upon the rump. 



The ham swallows — These birds choose a bam where there is a hole in 

 the gable or where the doors are kept open all the time. They build upon 

 beams or rafters, making a cup-shai)ed nest of layers of pellets of mud, 

 with grass between ; it is well lined with feathers. The nest is usually the 

 shape of half of a shallow cup which has been cut in two lengthwise, the 

 cut side being plastered against the side of the rafter. Sometimes the 



