Family Hirundinidce Tree Swallozv 91 



42. TREE SWALLOW 



WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW 



(Tachycineta bicolor.) 



Jpper parts metallic blue-green ; wings and tail dark brown ; under 

 parts pure white. Beak weak, black; feet small, dark. Bird 

 rather smaller than a sparrow. Sexes alike, but female some- 

 what less lustrous. 



THE tree swallow comes to us in early April, and 

 remains until early October. He is to be found 

 in cultivated districts, and sometimes in wild ones 

 as well. He is especially common near water, for 

 he obtains much of his food from the insects which 

 are most abundant in such regions. Maynard re- 

 marks that they gather " upon the salt marshes 

 during the latter part of August and first of Sep- 

 tember, literally by millions." They are less peace- 

 able than other swallows ; and, according to Wilson, 

 they frequently fight in the air for a quarter of an 

 hour at a time, particularly in the spring, all the while 

 keeping up a low, rapid chatter. If kindly treated, 

 they will become extremely tame, and the same pair 

 ivill return year after year to the same premises. 



The nest is ordinarily built in a bird-box, though 

 in sparsely settled districts they still keep to the 

 primitive habit of nesting in a hollow tree. Eggs 



