HIIUTNDINID.l': — THE SWAIJ.OWS. 337 



mast, wlipre tlicv ln'cod on tlio clills, iiiid liavc^ nil tlic iipiPi'avaiici' nf Ikmii^- 

 iii(li;4eiK)U.s. Tlicy ii]i]ieiii- iit San Difyn as eaily as Mairli !."), a wtx'k l)i>f'or(! 

 the IJurn Swallow, and do not iwivc nnlil OcIoIkt. Tlioy Imild men in tlio 

 noisy streets of San Fnuicisco. I)r. ('o(]])er observed lliciu calcliiiiL^' yonni,' 

 grasslio]i])ers, wliich is certainly niinsnal food lor Swallows, and one Uiat lias 

 proved fatal to yonnj; IJarn Swallows wlieii fed to tlie latter in continenienl. 

 At Santa Cruz they bred as early as April 12, and had second liroods July '>. 



The nests of this Swallow, when built on the side of a elilV or in any ex- 

 j)osed position, are eonstrneted in the sha])e of a retort, the lar.uer [lortiou 

 adhering to the wall, arched over at the toj) and projectin.^' in front, witli a 

 covered passage-way o])ening at the tiottoni. The normal original nest, in a 

 state of nature, is an elaborate and remarkably ingenious structure shelter- 

 ing its inmates from the weathe. and from their many enemies. Since they 

 ]iave sought the shelter of man and built under the eaves of barns and houses, 

 the old style of their nests has been greatly changed, and the riitort-like shape 

 has nearly disapi)eared. 



In building and in re])airing their nests they work with great industry, and 

 often conii)lete their task with wonderful celeiity. Where they exist in a 

 large colony, it is not an uncomnuni thing to see several birds at work ui)ou 

 the same nest, — one liird, aj)parenlly the female owner, always assisting and 

 directing the whole. After the work of coristruction has gone so far as to 

 permit the occujiation of the nest, it is ofttui to be observed tliat tlie task of 

 completing and improving the, structure is kept up by tlu; male. In a large 

 eoh)ny of these Swallows, whose nests wen; built iinder the projecting roof 

 of a barn in a small island in tlu^ Hay of I'Vudy, every nesi was as open as are 

 those of the ISarn Swallow. These liirds hail been eneouiagtMl to build liy 

 the owner, and boai'ds had been ]ilaced almve and lielowtlieir nests, of which 

 they at once took advantage to build an unusual nest. These nests are 

 made of various kinds of adhesive earth and mud. They are neatly and 

 warmly lined with line dry grasses and leaves, intermingled willi I'eatheis, 

 woo], and other soft, warm substances. It has been thoughl that the mud 

 of which these nests are composed is agglutinated liy the saliva of tlie 

 birds; lint of this I liavi' ne\ei' lieen able to detect any exideiice in ihe nests 

 themselves, the criimliling nature oj' wiiich wiieii dry is against this supposi- 

 tion ; and tlu^ birds tiienisehes ai'e of en to \n'. seen about puddles of water, 

 apparently gathering materials. 



When the nests of a large colony are in\aded,the birds manifest great un- 

 easiness, collecting in a swarm over the head of I lie intruder, wheeling around 

 in circles, uttering loud outcries, and e\-en Hying close to his head, as if to 

 attack him, with loud snap]ping of the liills. 



The song of this Swallow is an unmusical creak, radier tlian a twitter, 

 I'recpuMit rathe)' tha 1 loud, and occasionally harsh, yet so earnest and genial 

 in its expression that its effect is far from being unpleasant. 



The ground-cuh)r of their eggs is while, and they are marked with dots, 

 ■i;i 



