278 PROF. W. NATION ON PERUVIAN BIRDS. [Mar. 17, 



little Gothic building used for a telegraph and railway station, so 

 near the line that I observed that the nests were surrounded by the 

 smoke of the engine. The man in charge of the station informed 

 me that the building had been scarcely finished before it was taken 

 possession of by tlie colony. In the neighbourhood there was a 

 large sugar plantation with many buildings, of which the roofs and 

 walls had been taken possession of by Attkora cyanoleuca, but not 

 a nest of the Cliff-Swallow could be seen on them. On examining the 

 nests, I found them in every stage of construction, from the first 

 circular row of wet pellets to the perfect nest inhabited by a family 

 of young birds nearly fledged. On the outside (for the roofs inside 

 had been taken possession of also) I counted 12.3 nests. The rafters 

 under the eaves were covered by the nests in many places. The nests 

 were placed one upon another. The sill of one window had a row of 

 nests upon it ; and I observed one or two nests affixed to the sides 

 of the walls of the house. 



The nest is very large for so small a bird. The one I removed 

 weighs two pounds ; it stands 7 inches high, and is (i^ inches wide 

 at the base. The neck is about 2^ inches long and 2 wide. 

 The lining is very scanty, scarcely sufficient to cover the bottom of 

 the nest, and is composed of a few bits of fine grasses with one or two 

 feathers. The eg'^s which I found in this nest, in which incubation 

 had many days commenced, were three in number, white, thickly 

 speckled with I eddish-brown ; they are ten twelfths of an inch long 

 by seven broad. 



I never saw anything more beautiful than the appearance of a 

 colony of these birds in their curious-shaped nests, out of which 

 project the heads of the owners at the slightest alarm. It is by no 

 means a shy bird ; while I was examining the nests they flew around 

 me like bees, almost touching my (ace, uttering piteous cries. I felt 

 sorry to see the distress of the parent birds wliose nest I removed. 



Of the nest I brought away I made a drawing, and sent copies of 

 it to almost every part of Peru, and in a short time 1 was in 

 possession of many important facts respecting its range in Peru. 

 Unfortunately al)out this time difficulties between Chili and Peru 

 commenced, and soon after broke out the terrible war of the Pacific. 

 Personal observations and postal inquiries became impossible. 

 Since the departure of the Chilian army and the return of the 

 Peruvian authorities, I have done all I could to add to my knowledge 

 of its range and habits ; but I regret to say with little success. The 

 colony I first discovered was swept away ; the bones of many of 

 my friends are laid under the battle-field ; and the state of the country 

 renders it unsafe to stray far from the city gates. 



According to my present knowledge of this species it seems to 

 be confined to the cultivated lands in the river-districts of the narrow 

 strips of arid country situated between the Pacific and the mouths 

 of the Andean valleys, from the southern border of the great desert 

 of Sechura to the desert of lea, from about 7° to 13° S. latitude. 

 It is remarkable that I have never been able to obtain any evidence 

 that it builds its nest on a rock or cliff, or that it is seen inside the 



