Nov., 1900] BIRDS OF THE KOTZEBUE SOUND REGION, 53 



Inlet. The nest was constructed as usual of a mixture of mud and grasses, with 

 a lining of finer grass and a large quantity of white ptarmigan feathers, almost 

 burying the eggs. One of the birds had been seen the previous day carrying in 

 its bill one of these conspicuous white feathers. After the spring moult of the 

 ptarmigan their winter feathers are to be found abundantly scattered over the 

 tundra. This nest contained two fresh eggs. The last Barn Swallows in '98 were 

 seen near Cape Blossom on August loth, several flying southward high overhead, 

 I did not see the species on the upper Kowak. A single one, the first for '99, 

 was seen near the confluence of the Squirrel River with the Kowak on June 9th. 

 This is only about fifty miles east of the mouth of the latter. The species was 

 seen on a few occasions in the Kowak delta, in the latter part of June, The Barn 

 Swallow is called by the natives TDO-loo-an-a-siir'uk, 



Tachycineta bicolor (\"ieill.). 

 Tree Swallow. 



The presence of the Tree Swallow was first detected on June 3rd, '99, near 

 our winter camp on the Kowak. I saw a pair flying back and forth along a hill- 

 side; now and then one of the birds would hover in front of an old woodpecker's 

 hole in a tall dead spruce^ whi<:h had evidently already been selected as a nest- 

 ang^ite. The species was seen but once again, on June 23rd in the Kowak delta. 

 A pair of Tree Swallows, a pair of Barn Swallows and a large number of Bank 

 Swallows were coursing back and fcrtb together over a marsh-bcrdered lake at 

 about 10 p.. ]VL 



Clivicola rjparia (Linn.). 

 Bank Swallow. 



The Banlv Swallow was very common all along the Kowak, from the delta 

 close to Hotham Inlet, eastward. On our trip up the Kowak from August 12 to 

 19, '98, many colonies of the nesting burrows were observed in the sandy river 

 banks. In the case of one visited on the 17th, the burrows were nearly all on the 

 ■same plane, being dug in a soft stratum in the bank ten feet above the water and 

 two feet below the edge above. The young bad apparently- nearly ail left, but 

 two burrows were, seen with juveniles at the entrances where they were being 

 fed at frequent inten^als by the parent birds. They were full-grown and would 

 undoubtedly have left tlie nests in a day or two. A good many Bank vSwallows 

 were seen in the vicinity skimming over the water or hawking back and forth 

 above the thickets on the banks. Save for an occasional weak twitter they were 

 notably silent. None were seen after August 19. The following spring, the first 

 were seen on May 25, On June 15th in the Kowak delta, nest burrows were ex- 

 amined, but were as yet empt5\ They were, however, complete, the cavities at 

 the extremities beings lined with grasses. Their length did not exceed 12 inches 

 in an}- case, for the ground was thawed but little deeper. The birds select a re- 

 frigerator to incubate in.' 



