44 THE NIDOLOGIST 
Three sides were surrounded by a barbed- 
wire fence, thé fourth was open to the salt 
water. _On one side was a little knoll. I 
chose that side to commence operations. 
Lying flat, I crawled through the wet grass 
until my head just came above the knoll, 
when I saw the Killdeer run (they are very 
wary birds) and getting my bearings by a 
mullen-stalk near where I first saw her, I 
took a line about twenty feet back of that, 
as I judged she possibly might have ran 
that distance before I discovered her. I 
walked slowly into the center of the field, 
and when I was opposite my mullen-stalk I 
took a step or two to the left, looked down 
and saw four handsome eggs of the Killdeer. 
They proved to be perfectly fresh, and in 
my opinion were laid since the 25th. This 
is the second set of which there is record of 
their having been taken in Rhode Island, 
aset having been taken on May 12, 1894, 
in another part of the state. I account 
partly for the lateness of my set from the 
fact that our annual May storm in 1895 
was considerable later than in 1894. In 
fact, my observations on the 18th were made 
during a cold, drizzling rain. A field glass 
was used on each day except the last. The 
fields were barren pastures, scantily covered 
with coarse grass and bits of stubble. A 
few bitsof broken grass stems were scratched 
together to form a nest, and the eggs were 
all laid with pointed ends toward the center 
and partly on end. I have taken a good 
many eggs during my lifetime, but none of 
them gave me the satisfaction that I felt in 
finding. after so much labor, this, my first 
set of Killdeer’s eggs. 
Providence, R. I. 
—+ © +—_____ 
Swallows of Minnesota. 
BY WALTON MITCHELL. 
LIFF SWALLOW :—From the first of 
May until the latter part of August 
this isthe commonest of our Swallows. 
Going out into the country a few miles there 
is scarcely a barn, with suitable eaves, that 
is not occupied by a colony of these pretty 
birds. 
About the 20th of May the Swallows pair 
and select a suitable place for nesting. 
Sometimes only two or three pairs nest in 
the same locality, but usually from ten to 
fifty pairs will occupy a barn that is large 
enough to accommodate them. ‘The nests 
are built under the eaves, and composed of 
pellets of mud plastered to the side of the 
barn, and lined with fine grasses and hairs 
or feathers. The nest is pouch shaped and 
only open at the neck. 
About a week is occupied in constructing 
the nests. The eggs are almost invariably 
five in number, rarely six. The ground 
color is a pinkish-white, spotted thickly 
with reddish-brown and lilac. Occesionally 
unmarked eggs may be found. The eggs 
average about .85x.60. Two broods are 
reared in a season and some.imes three. 
They leave towards the latter part of August 
although a few may stay a week or two 
longer. 
Barn Swallow:—This species is not 
nearly as common as the preceding, though 
not by any means rare. They begin to 
arrive in small parties about the last week 
in April. About the 15th of May they be- 
gin to seek nesting places, which are usu- 
ally on rafters and beams on the inside of 
barns, although, failing to find such places, 
they occassionally nest under the eaves, 
like the Cliff Swallows. 
The nests are composed of mud, straw 
and small sticks, lined with hay and 
feathers. Eggs are from four to six in 
number, and in markings almost indistin- 
guishable from those of the Cliff Swallow, 
although they average smaller; about 
.75x.50. I think only one brood is raised. 
Tree Swallow:—About the middle of 
April these, the handsomest of our Swal- 
lows, begin to arrive in small companies, 
often with the Purple Martin. They pre- 
fer low woods in the vicinity of lakes and 
rivers for their nesting places, the bottoms 
of the Minnesota River being a favorite 
breeding ground. 
The nests are built in old Woodpecker’s 
holes and composed mostly of hay and lined 
with feathers. They seem to prefer to take 
the lowest holes obtainable, for in several 
instances where there were two or more 
holes ina tree the lowest was generally 
chosen. 
The eggs are laid about the first week in 
June, and are usually six in number, some- 
times only five and rarely seven. They are 
a clear roseate-white, measuring about 
.758.50 Onan average. Two broods are 
raised in a season, the second making its 
appearance the latter part of July. They 
leave towards the last of August. 
Bank Swallow:—An abundant summer 
resident, arriving the first week in May. 
About the 15th they begin to excavate 
Pe Genie, Ve Oa ST 
