THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



81 



ed into a spherical cavity at the 

 end. In this is placed the soft 

 dry grass and few feathers that 

 serve as a receptacle for the 4 or 5 

 and rarely 6 white egfg-s. The 

 birds sleep in the burrows, and 

 may be caug-ht in the early morn- 

 ing- or during the period of incuba- 

 tion if sufficient care is used in 

 approaching the bank," (Carleton 

 .R. Ball, Lyon, Co.) "Common 

 resident in Sioux Co. wherever a 

 bank is found in which it can 

 build. Does not only stay along 

 the river and large creeks but also 

 builds in any suitable bank or in 

 the side of a sand-pit even thoug-h 

 the latter may be several miles 

 from any river or large stream." 

 (Wilmon Newell. ) "Common. 

 Nests from May 25 th. to June 

 25 th. Holes generally about 3>^ 

 feet deep. 3, 4 or 6 eggs laid on 

 weeds, grass, straws and hair. " 

 (W. W. Loomis.) "Arrived at 

 Iowa City May 3, 1894" (Paul 

 Bartsch.) "Have n5\er lak.n sets 

 of this species though am con- 

 fident that the species nests in the 

 county. Occasional stragglers 

 are noted each year." (W. A. 

 Bryan Mahaska, Co.) "Abundant 

 summer resident; breeding in col- 

 onies along the river bank. May 

 19, '94, Set 1-6 fresh. May 30, 

 Set 1-6 fresh." (J. Eugene Law, 

 Dallas, Co.) "Abundant. May 

 to September. Nests in holes in 

 banks. Most of them in this sec- 

 tion nest in banks of creeks, some- 

 times the holes are but a foot or 



two above the water and get 

 swamped in freshets. Present 

 from April 26, to Sept. 19, 1894" 

 (H. J. Gidding, Jackson, Co.) 



617. Stelgidopteryx serripennis, (Aud.) 



ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 



"This species and the Bank 

 Swallow are often confused. The 

 Rough-winged is larger however, 

 has a more labored flight, lacks 

 the pure white of the under parts 

 and the pectoral collar is incom- 

 plete and obscured. The booklets 

 of the wings of the present species 

 are only fully developed in adult 

 rids. The eggs are four to 

 seven in number, pure white, and 

 closely resemble those of the 

 Bank Swallow, but the shells are 

 more tender, and they average a 

 trifle larger; ,75 x .53."( Davie's 

 Nests an I Eggs of N. A. Birds.) 



"Arrived at Iowa City April 28, 

 1894. This bird nests quite com- 

 monlv in the crevices of the Bur- 

 lington Bluffs, and is not at all 

 rare in that locality, althoug-h it 

 is often very hard to obtain the 

 nest. (Paul Bartsch. ) "Have never 

 noted this species." ( W. A. Bryan, 

 Mahaska, Co.) "May occur 

 though I am unacquainted with 

 it." CJ. E. Law.) "I find the 

 Rough Winged Swallow more 

 common than I had formerly sup- 

 posed it to be. Here is a "stun- 

 ner" but a fact. On June 14. '93, 

 I found a nest of a R. W. Swallow 

 about 4 feet in a bank and dug- in 



