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1905| NATURE Stupy—No. 28. 143 
NATURE STUDY.—No. XXVIII. 
A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO SOME OF OUR ComMoN BirDs. 
SWALLOWS AND SWIFTS. 
Rev. C. W. G. EIFRIG. 
When a bird lover has solved the riddles that the identifica- 
tion of the members of the Finch, or Sparrow, family presents to 
him, of which Nature Study No. 25 treated, other birds also 
clamor for recognition at his hands. The Finches vresent them- 
selves first and insistently for his consideration, on account of 
their greater abundance, variety, difficulty of separation and near- 
ness to one’s home. However, in small cities, along the outskirts 
of larger ones, and especially around country homes, there are 
certain birds just as plentiful at places, and then even more ap- 
parent than the sparrows. These are the Swallows, those wel- 
come harbingers of spring. 
Although they are swift of flight and do not settle very often, 
thus making it somewhat difficult to get a good view of them, yet 
their identification should not present any insuperable difficulties, 
even.to the novice, on account of the small number of species 
belonging to this family. There are only five kinds of Swallows 
to be found in most parts of Eastern Canada, or at most six. 
The first Swallow to arrive in spring, in fact one of the first 
of birds, is the lively and pretty Tree or White-bellied Swallow. 
The latter name, though not the most euphonious; is the better, 
because it gives at once the distinguishing mark, i.e., the pure 
white under parts. It arrives at Ottawa the first or second week 
in March, and fora month it is the only Swallow ; and, as all 
Swallows make themselves very noticeable by their swift graceful 
flight, made possible by their comparatively long, sickle-shaped 
wings, the Tree Swallow can not long remain unnoticed. So, when 
you see a swallow darting around over rivers and ponds, white 
only below and steel-blue or green above, that is the Tree Swallow, 
Tachycineta bicolor. It is called Tree Swallow because it makes 
its nest in cavities, knot-holes or old woodpecker holes in trees 
and fences. A 
The second swallow to arrive from the south—the first or 
second week in April at Ottawa—is at the same time the largest 
