196 KEY TO SWALLOWS 



erally a deserted Kingfisher hole or other suitable 

 cavity. An interesting article on the Rough- 

 winged's nesting habits, by Walter Van Fleet, is 

 to be found in the 4 Bulletin of the Nuttall Orni- 

 thological Club,' vol. i. No. i. p. 9. 



Looking back over the Swallows we have 

 spoken of, it becomes an easy matter to distin- 

 guish them. The Barn is known by its long 

 forked tail (see Plate IV. p. 50) ; the Cliff or 

 Eave by its light, buffy rump and its gourd- 

 shaped nest (see Fig. 22, p. 52) ; the Purple 

 Martin by its uniformly blue-black body ; the 

 Tree or White-bellied by its shining white breast 

 (see Fig. 122, p. 194) ; the Bank by the dark 

 band across its breast (see Fig. 24, p. 55) ; and 

 the Rough-wing by its sooty back and lack of 

 distinguishing breast-marks. 



Key to Adult Male Swallows. 



Common Characters. Birds of the air, which catch their 

 insect prey on the wing in their 

 widely gaping bills. 

 1. Tail conspicuously forked. Upper 

 parts steel-blue; under parts choco- 

 late. Beats over meadows for in- 

 sects. 



p. 49. BARN SWALLOW. 



V. Tail not conspicuously forked. 

 2. Back with metallic lustre. 

 3. Under parts shining blue-black. 



p. 48. PURPLE MARTIN. 



