90 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



north of the Koyukuk and lower Alatna Kivers, nor did any of the 

 Nunamiut recall seeing nests north of those localities. The con- 

 spicuous method of nesting would have brought notice of bank swal- 

 lows which remained to breed in the mountains. Accordingly, I con- 

 clude that the bank swallows occasionally seen in the mountains are 

 visitors from nearby colonies along the Koyukuk and Alatna Eivers, 

 where I have found them to be numerous and regular nesting birds. 

 Some of these colonies are within 80 miles, which would be an easy 

 flight. 



The single specimen collected by Tom Brower, two which I obtained 

 from a regular nesting colony at Bettles, and nine adult and ten young 

 bank swallows collected for me by Tom Cade from along the Yukon 

 River in the vicinity of Eagle and Forty Mile all fit among specimens 

 referred to Biparia riparia maximiliani by Arny (1952), but con- 

 sidered uncertainly separable from typical riparia. 



The bank swallows are only known as visitors to the Valley. 



Hirundo rustica erythrogaster Boddaert 



1 male June 6, 1949 weight 17.7 g. 



The barn swallow is known by the Nunamiut to be an occasional 

 visitor to their country, but they do not know its nesting place. I 

 have not seen one in the Koyukuk or Alatna Valleys. Charles Sheldon 

 of Kobuk clearly described their appearance and nests and told me the 

 Kobukmiut name for barn swallow. He said that nests were very 

 uncommon near Kobuk. Tom Brower told me that he collected the 

 young barn swallows at Barrow which are remarked upon by Bailey 

 (1948) and that they were too young to have flown very far. Unusual 

 nesting sites appear so often attributed to swallows that they may be 

 currently venturing to extend their range. In Alaska, violet-green, 

 tree, bank and cliff swallows now nest intensively about human 

 habitations which only a few years ago did not exist. These species 

 have recently taken new sites for nesting and the adaptability which 

 they exhibit may also indicate a current tendency to extend the terri- 

 tory over which they breed. 



As far as concerns the occurrence of barn swallows at Anaktuvuk 

 there is no indication that their rare visits there represent other than 

 the usual explorations of strong flying birds. 



Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Vieillot) 



In the winter of 1908 or 1909, Simon Paneak recalled, he and some 

 other boys, who were then near the head of the west branch of the 

 Kuparuk River (lat. 68° 35' N., long. 149° 20' W.) found over a hun- 

 dred mud nests built against the rock cliffs. When these were knocked 

 down for examination they were found to contain frozen young 



