HIRUNDINID^ — THE SWALLOWS. 209 



Tachycineta bicolor (Vieill.) 



WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 

 Popular synonyms. Black aud Wliito Swallow; Greon-bluo Swallow; Tree Swallow. 

 Hirundo hico'or YieilIj. Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, 61. pi. 31.— AuD. Orn. Biog. i. 1831, 491, pi. 

 9S; Syiiop. 1839, 35; B. Am. I, 1840, 175, pi. 46.— Nutt. Man. i. 1832, COS.— Baibd, B. N. 

 Am. 1S5S. 310; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 237; Koviuw, 18G5, 297.— B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. 

 B. i, 1874, 344, pi. 16, fig. 8. 

 Tachycineta bicolor CiBAN. 1850.— CouES. Key, 1873. 113 Cheek List. 1873, No. 112; B. 



N. W. 1S74, 80; B. Col. Val. 1878. 413.— Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 155. 

 Iridoprocne bicolor CouEs. 2d Check List, 1882, No. 160. 

 Hirundo viridis WiLS. Am. Orn. v, 1812, 49, pi. 38. fig. 2. 

 Hab. Whole of temperate North America, breeding from table-lands of Mexico to 

 Alaska and Great Slave Lake; wintering in southern United States, Cuba, Mexico, and 

 Guatemala; Bermudas. 



"Sp. Chab. Glossy metallic bluish green above; entirely white beneath. Female 

 duller in color. Length. 6.25 inches; wing, 5.00; tail, 2.65. 



"Young bird dull sooty gray above, much Uke that of H. thalassina; but may readily 

 be distinguished by the feathers of the throat being pure white to their roots, instead of 

 having the concealed bases grayish as in that species.' (Hist. if. Am. B.) 



The White-bellied Swallow is an abundant species where there 

 are suitable places for the location of its nests. Some years ago 

 there were many large dead stumps standing in the water in a 

 stagnant pond connected with the Wabash Eiver immediately above 

 the dam at the Grand Eapids, near Mount Carmel. This pond 

 consisted of "back water" resulting from the building of the dam, 

 and the dead stumps were presumably the remnants of trees that 

 had been killed by flooding, since they grew so thickly as to leave 

 no doubt of their having once formed part of the adjacent forest. 

 These dead stumps and "snags" were perforated by coimtless wood- 

 pecker holes, and La these the White-beUied Swallows had their 

 nests, as did also many pairs of Carolina Chickadees and Pro- 

 thonotary Warblers. The Swallows were most numerous, however, 

 there being perhaps more than fifty pairs nesting there. In some 

 old elm trees, with dead tops, growing on the "commons" at Mount 

 Carmel, there were also, formerly, several paii'S nesting. 



Regarding this species in Cook county, Mr. Nelson gives us the 

 following information on page 102 of his list : 



"Common resident. Arrives in large numbers March 20th. The 

 first of May only residents remain. Departs in September. This 

 species still keeps its primitive habit of nesting in deserted wood- 

 peckers' holes, hollow stumps, and similar places, generally close 

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