340 NiiUTIl A.Mi;i{l('AN lilUDS. 



tail- It'll tliors, and in Iiavinij; a very lnoad, continiKiits ndlar of sti-fd-bliiu 

 across till' juyiiliiiii, ciitiridy isoliiling tlio cdicstnut ol' tlai tiiroal ; tliu abdo- 

 iiicii a|i|)('ais to lie imu'li iiiori! wliitisli tlian in tlic Anu'i'icau species. 



Many s|)ecina'ns of H. Iiurrcoritin show a conlinudus cii'lar, but tlien tlie 

 twolaleral iicsfents arc liiit just barely conncctetl. lu No. :>.,\\)\ 9,('arli.sle, 

 I'enn., J\lay, llien! is an indication of as broad a collar as in tlie Kuro|ieaii 

 sjiccies; but tiu! aica, lliou.^li sliarjily iioiinded, is nut uniformly black, beinj,' 

 niucli nn.xcd centrally witli lij^lit rufous. 



Specimens of IF. /lormiriuit from both coasts of North America appear to 

 be perl'ectly identical. 



JI.MilTs. No one of all our Xortli American birds is more widely dilfused, 

 more iicnerally aliun<lant, wherever found, or better known, than the graceful 

 and familiar IJaiii Swallow. ^Vnil no one is nioi'e iiuiversuUy or more 

 deservedly a fa\iirite. Found throughout >i'orth America from Florida to 

 tlreenland and I'rom ocean to ocean, and breeding nearly throughout the 

 same wide e.vtent, its distribution is nnixersal. W'litui'ing with a confiding 

 trust into our crowded cities, and l)uilding their ehiborute nests in the 

 porches of the dwellings, as well as entering in greater numbers the barns 

 and farm-])uildings of the agriculturists and placing them.selves under 

 the ]irotectiou of man, thtty rarely fail to win for themselves the inti'rest and 

 good-will they .so well deserve. Innocent and blameless in tlu'ir lives, there 

 is no evil blended with the many btMiefits they cmiier on num. They are his 

 evei'-constaut benefactor and friend, and are never known, even indirectly, to 

 do him any injury. For their daily IVxxl, and for that of their offspring, 

 they destroy the in.sects that annoy his cattle, injure liis fruit-tree.s, sting 

 his fruit, or molest his person. Social, affectionate, and kind in their inter- 

 course with each other ; faithful and devoted in the discharge of their conju- 

 gal and parental duties ; exemplary, watchful, and tender alike to their own 

 family and to all their race ; .syni]iathizing and benevolent wlicn their fel- 

 lows arc in any trouble, — tliese lovely and beautiful l)irds are l)right e.\am- 

 ]ilcs to all, in their blameless and useful lives. 



'i'his Swallow passes the winter mnnlhs in Central and South America as 

 far south as ihiizil and I'aiaguay, and tiie West Indies, and is found through- 

 out lh«'ycar in tiie Plateau of Me.vico. It appears in the Southern States 

 in .March, and in the Central States early in April. In the latter ])artof this 

 month it reaches New York and Xew Kngland, becoming abundant near 

 liosioii aliout the first of May. Sir dohn Itichardson found tiiem breeding 

 as far noith as latitude (17° :'>(•'. They reacheil Fort Chippewyan, latitude 

 57', as eaily as the l.^lh o|' ,M ay, taking possession of their nests. It has 

 been found tliroiigli<iut Canada and in all the British Provinces, has been 

 met with in New Mexico, and is comm<in in certain ])ortions of Texas and 

 the Indian 'rcriil(ay. I »r. Cooper states it to be less abundant on the I'acitic 

 than on the Kastcrn coast, — a fact altril)Uta!ile to the lack of suitable places 

 in which to Imild. A;o .settlements have multiplied, tiiese birds liiive gradu- 



