HIRUNDINID.E - THE SWALLOWS. 35I 



Sp. Ciiau. (No. ;i2.2(ii) (J.) .Minvi- siiiokv-ln'own, liillicr dccpiM' 011 tlic licsid, pi'ihaps 

 a litlle paler on tlio iiiiii|i. Liu-nvi- ((iiills and tail-IWitlii-is diisky-lirown ; the .socondarics 

 and j;r('ali'r covci Is .soiiiL'tinii's lif^litcr nlon;; their I'xteiiial edyes. The under paits (for 

 alioiit hah' the total length) lioni hill to and inehiding bieast, witii the t:ide.s of body and 

 lining of wings, luonse-gi-ay, ratluT liglilei' along the throat; ihe rest of under parts, in- 

 elnding erissnni, white, th(^ latter with the shal'ls sometimes dusky, and very rarely with 

 dusky blotehes at the ends of the longer leathers. 



Young birds fas in 1,120) ditl'er in a tinge of reddish-fulvons on lh(> upper parts; the 

 wing- 'overts, secondaries, and imier [n'imaries margined more or less broadly with a 

 brighter shade of the same. The gray of tin; under [)arts is also washed v/itli this color, 

 especially on the eliin and across the breast. The hooks of the edge of the wing have not 

 yet become developed. 



(\o. 32,2i>!) (J, fresh spi'cimen before being skiimeil.) Total length, 5.40 ; expanse of 

 wings, 12.20; wing from carpal j<iint, 4.")0. 



(No. ;i2,2(i'.) ^, prejiared specimen.) Total length, 0.20; wing, 4.')0; tail, 2.25, depth 

 ol' fork, .1."); dilfercMice of primai-ies, 2.2S ; length of bill frcjin forehead, .40, from nostril, 

 .24, along gajte, .Gt!, width of gape, .4.'); tarsus, .45; middle toe and claw, .57 ; claw alone, 

 .10 ; hind too and claw, .41 ; claw alone, .lii. 



Hah. Whole United States (exclusive of Northeastern States ?) south to Central 

 Mexico. 



Haiuts. The Eoiigli-winged Swallow wns fir.st met with by Amliibon, in 

 Louisiana, but desciil)e(l by hiiu i'loui .spceinious afterwards jn'ocured near 

 Charleston, S. (.'. He knew nuthino in regiird to its habits, and its distribu- 

 tion was et[ually unknown to liini. It has since been found, l)ut nowhere very 

 abundantly, in various parts of the United States. It has not been met with 

 on the Atlantic coast farther to the north tliaii Mew Jersey and rennsylvania. 

 On the Pacific coast it is more common. Dr. Suckley sjjcaks of it as quite 

 abundant both in Oreoon and in Washington Territory. J)r. Cooper, in his 

 Zoidogy of Washington Territory, siietiks of it as common about the sandy 

 elilfs of the bays and iidets of that coast, arriving near the Columbia in 

 May, and remaining oidy until the middle of August, when all these Swal- 

 lows go southwards, though their last brood is hardly able to tiy. He says 

 that they burrow holes in the soft sandy banks near the tops of elifl's, and 

 have generally the same habits tis the connuon Uank Swallow. They have 

 no song, only a few chirping calls. 



Dr. Cooper, in his lieport on tiie birds of California, further states that this 

 Swallow, iu summer, is found throughout tlie lower ])ortions of that State. 

 He saw them at Fort ^lojave as i!arly as the 27th of February, and as he has 

 met with them at San Diego iu Novend)er, and also in Jamiary, he thinks 

 they may winter within the State. He describes their burrows iu the sandy 

 banks of rivers as being to the d('])th of three feet, crowded very near 

 together, and near the u])])er edge of the bank, in no wise diil'orent from the 

 nesting of the common V. ripariu. The ne.sts tire composed chietly of dry 

 grasses, with a few feathers, and contain (ive white eggs. Occasionally, how- 

 ever, they resort to natural clefts in the bank or iu l)uildings, and to knot- 

 holes iu trees. In the fall they congregate in great nundvirs about certain 

 I'avorite spots, and keep much together iu Hocks. At night they roost iu 



