HABITS OF THE WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW 417 



holes in rocks, though thalassina sometimes does so. Agree- 

 ably to its choice of nesting-site, which renders plastering need- 

 less, it uses no mud in building its nest, the fabric being loosely 

 constructed of fine soft hay, with a copious warm lining of 

 feathers. The latter are often so disposed as to curl prettily 

 over the treasure within, like the Acanthus that suggested the 

 Corinthian capital ; and the eggs are sometimes almost entirely 

 thus covered. It is attested that the same pair will reoccupy 

 their premises year after year; and Dr. Brewer witnesses that 

 they may come to such familiar terms with persons from whom 

 they are accustomed to receive materials for nest-building, as 

 to watch for him and fly toward him. "A pair which had 

 thus, year after year, received supplies of feathers for their 

 nests from the younger members of the family in whose yard 

 their nest was built, would almost take them from the hands 

 of their providers. This pair sat so close as to permit them- 

 selves to be taken from their nest, and when released would at 

 once fly back to their brood.' 7 



There are some points in the earlier history of this Swallow 

 that I wish to rehearse here. I may premise, that though the 

 species was named by Wilson viridis, it had before been called 

 bicolor by Vieillot; but that this even is not the root of the 

 matter ; for it was known to Latham and Gmelin as a variety 

 of the European House Martin, Chelidon urbica of Boie and 

 late naturalists. Next, this species is said to depart from the 

 insectivorous customs of its family so far as to feed at times 

 principally on the berries of the myrtle (Myrica cerifera). The 

 fact is attested by Wilson, and Audubon speaks of Mcolor as 

 roosting by night on the drier, as the French Louisianians 

 call this plant. Thirdly, in connection with the well-known 

 fact that these Swallows spend the winter in great numbers in 

 Florida and the Gulf States, some items respecting their enor- 

 mous congregations have been noted. I have already spoken 

 of the vast assemblages of Swallows of various kinds which 

 may be witnessed during the season of migration ; the books 

 are full of instances, and it seems that the present species is 

 no whit behind its better-known congeners in this respect. 

 Wilson saw hundreds of White-bellies on the sandy beach of 

 Great Egg Harbor. They " completely covered " the myrtle- 

 bushes of the low islands thereabouts; a man told him he had 

 seen a hundred and two killed at a shot, and we need not pre- 

 27 B c 



