SWALLOWS 419 



is reached about August 15, when they outnumber all other Swallows 

 together by at least three to one. They return to their roosts in the 

 reeds with great regularity every night, and early in the morning fly 

 out over the country to feed. Their flight in the evening is compara- 

 tively low, at an average height of thirty to forty feet. They sail about 

 in circles more than other Swallows, and many pause to rest on tele- 

 graph wires, where their pure white breasts easily distinguish them from 

 the Swallows v/hich may be associated with them. In the morning 

 their flight is much higher and more direct. They migrate by day, 

 leaving their roosting-ground in flocks, which sometimes contain myriads, 

 and, after attaining a great height, pursue their journey to the south. 

 When migrating along the coast they sometimes collect in large 

 numbers in bayberry bushes (Myrica) and feed on their fruit. 



1900. CHAPMAN, F. M., Bird Studies with a Camera, 89-105 (roosting). 



The BAHAMA SWALLOW (615.1. Callichelidon cyaneoviridis) has been once 

 recorded from the Dry Tortugas and Tarpon Springs, Florida, and may 

 occur more or less regularly in the Keys off southeastern Florida (Scott, 

 Auk, VII, 1890, 265). It is satiny white below, dull bottle-green above; 

 wings and tail bluer, the outer tail-feathers an inch longer than the 

 middle ones. 



The EUROPEAN MARTIN (615.2. Chelidonaria urbica) is of accidental 

 occurrence in Greenland. 



616. Riparia riparia (Linn.}. BANK SWALLOW. (Fig. 110.) Ads. 

 Upperparts brownish gray; throat white; a brownish gray band on the 

 breast; outer vane of first primary without recurved booklets ; a small tuft of 

 feathers above the hind-toe. L., 5'20; W., 3'95; T., 2'00; B. from N., '18. 



Range. N. Hemisphere. In N. A. breeds in Boreal, Transition, and 

 Austral zones from near limit of trees in n. Alaska and n. Ungava s. to s. 

 Calif., Ariz., Tex., La., and Va.; migrates through Mex. and Cen. Am. (cas- 

 ually West Indies), and probably winters in S. A. to Brazil and Peru. 



Washington, common S. R., more common T. V., Apl. 13-Sept. 19. 

 Ossining, common S. R., Apl. 18-Oct. 1. Cambridge, formerly common S. 

 R., Apl. 28-Sept. 1; common T. V. N. Ohio, common S. R., Apl. 6-Sept. 20. 

 Glen Ellyn, fairly common T. V.; a few S. R., Apl. 22-Sept. 3. SE. Minn., 

 common S. R., Apl. 10-Sept. 25. 



Nest, of grasses and feathers, in a hole in a sand-bank, 2-3 feet from the 

 entrance. Eggs, 4-6, white, '68 x "48. Date, Chester Co., Pa., May 10; 

 Ossining, N. Y., May 20; Cambridge, May 28; se. Minn., June 1. 



This is a locally distributed species, breeding in colonies only where 

 sand-banks offer it a favorable nesting-site. Probably for the reason 

 that such banks are more frequently found bordering streams than 

 inland, the birds are more numerous in the vicinity of water. 



Bank Swallows may be readily known from other Swallows, except- 

 ing the Rough-winged, by their nesting habits, small size, and absence 

 of metallic coloring. 



From the Rough-wing they differ in having the underparts white, 

 with a conspicuous band across the breast, and in their somewhat 

 quicker movements. 



617. Stelgidopteryx serripennis (Aud.). ROUGH-WINGED SWAL- 

 LOW. Ads. Upperparts brownish gray; throat and breast pale brownish 



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