THE OOLOGIST. 



man can hunt prepared for any size of 

 game, because it can be carried in a 

 pocket or other convenient place and a 

 cartridge withdrawn from the gun and 

 the barrel inserted at any moment 

 necessary, or if small birds are princi- 

 pally desired, it may remain in the gun 

 and the other gunbarrel may be kept 

 loaded for something larger. Hopiug 

 that what I have written may be found 

 of advantage to those who delight in 

 studying and gathering specimens. I 

 close with a few suggestions to H. H. 

 D., Phoenix, Ariz, who wants informa- 

 tion upon collecting eggs from nests in 

 the giant cacti. I believe the trouble- 

 some thorns might be scorched to a 

 harmless shortness by a fire of resin or 

 some substance hat makes great heat 

 when bnrning. It could be placed in 

 a dish and attached to the end of a pole. 

 In this way the people in Southern 

 Texas singe off thorns from prickly pear 

 when they feed it to cattle except that 

 the pear is cut in pieces and on the end 

 of a pointed stick is held over a fire of 

 brush. If H. H. D. cannot climb the 

 cacti, let him send for me, I have felt 

 the points of many a Spanish bayonet 

 and cacti thorn. 



John A. Mokden, 

 Sherman City, Mich. 



The Rough-winged Swallow. 



The Rough-winged Swallow ts im- 

 puted as rare in all places of its occur- 

 rence. However, it may be possible 

 that it is of more general occurence in 

 almost all parts than is thought, it 

 being too frequently overlooked or con- 

 founded with its very near relative, the 

 Bank Swallow. 



In my own county of Orleans I find 

 it to be a summer resident that may be 

 depended upon, and several sets of its 

 eggs are taken each season; although 

 Mr. J. L. Davison does "not mention it 

 in his "List of Birds of Niagara Coun- 

 ty," adjoining, and in the "List of Birds 



of Buffalo and Vicinity'" compiled by 

 Dr. W. H. Bergtold of Buffalo, in 1889, 

 we find the following mention of it: 

 "One taken at Glen wood, N. Y., 1888, 

 by Miss T. M. Schlegel." 



But, to use a common expression, if 

 we "look a little out," I think we may 

 find Slelgidopteryx serripennis to be a 

 trifle more common than we had anti- 

 cipated. 



This bird is so like the Bank Swal- 

 low in every particular that the only 

 safe means of identification is the bird 

 in the hand. However, it may be iden- 

 tified when flying towards one by an 

 observation of its throat and breast. 

 The throat of the Bank Swallow is 

 white and it has a black pectoral band, 

 while the Rough-winged species has a 

 black or brownish throat and no such 

 band on the breast. The bird in the 

 hand will reveal the peculiarities from 

 which it takes its name. 



Although the sand bank, the home of 

 the Bank Swallow, is generally ascribed 

 as the nesting-place of the Rough-wing- 

 ed; in my locality at least, such is not 

 the case as often as otherwise. With 

 me the favorite nesting place of serri- 

 pennis seems to be in the crevices of the 

 stone work which forms the side of the 

 Erie canal or abutments to its bridgas, 

 or in crevices of stone work in the vic- 

 inity of any water, and I think that if 

 those who are seeking for this bird will 

 look carefully about such places in their 

 locality they will find it not uncommon 

 there. 



The nest is loosely composed of straw 

 (almost entirely), with sometimes the 

 addition of some feathers. The eggs 

 are pure white, and I find that they 

 differ from those of the Bank Swallow 

 in at least two particulars. First, they 

 are not so much pointed and may be a 

 trifle larger; and second, the number of 

 them is generally greater, the complete 

 set generally consisting of seven or 

 eight eggs, which are deposited the last 

 week in May. 



