YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



Vol. 1. No. 11. GAINES, N. Y., MARCH, 1885. 



I Published Monthi v- 

 / 60c. Pek Year. 



Nesting of the Bank Swallow. 



A favorite dwelling place of the Bank 

 Swallow, (Cotile riparia), are the clay banks 

 of the Genesee River, and during the breed- 

 ing season, these graceful little creatures 

 are constantly seen along that placid stream, 

 skimming over the water, now and then 

 dipping in, and then executing a graceful 

 curve, soar far up into the sky. until only 

 a small speck in the line of vision. 



Their burrows are somewhat similar in 

 construction to the Kingfisher, only smaller, 

 being about four inches and a half in dia- 

 meter, and about two feet and a half deep. 

 At the extremity of the burrow is placed 

 the nest proper, which is usually con- 

 structed of feathers, dry grass or fibers, 

 and lined with down. Sometimes only a 

 few feathers carelessly put together seem 

 to suflice, and I have found the eggs lying 

 on the bare sand and dirt. The eggs are 

 generally about six in number, 68. x 50. ; 

 and when fresh, of a delicate pink hue, but, 

 when incubation is advanced, are of a dull 

 white color. 



In the spring of 1882, I took a trip up 

 this river with Mr. Chas. Merrell of Gen- 

 eseo, an ardent oologist and collector, in 

 search of notes and observations as well as 

 specimens. 



I take the following from my field book, 

 written on that occasion. 



' ' May 28th, '82. Started out with all par- 

 aphrenalia at four o'clock this morning. 

 We were on the banks of the river bj' 4:30, 

 and soon came upon a "colony of holes" 

 in the opposite bank. Being desirous of 

 watching the building or digging of the 

 nests, I adjusted my field glass and discov- 

 ered one of the swallows at work in the 

 dirt near the top of the bank. It was 

 making a circle by picking out the clay 

 (with its beak), which was evidently the 



foundation to work from, for it was soon 

 joined by its mate, and together they began 

 digging away the dirt and forming the 

 walls. I watched them until they had dug 

 in about 3 inches and then began to think 

 of the eggs. 



There being no boat or bridge near, we 

 decided to resoj-t to the next best mode of 

 crossing — swimming, and we were soon 

 striking out for the opposite hank, Avith 

 our collecting boxes and implements over 

 our heads. When we landed we lost no 

 time in getting into the; nest, and, while 

 Mr. Merrell marked the eggs and wrote out 

 data blanks, I gathered. 



The first hole I explored contained six 

 fresh eggs, which 1 passed him, and moved 

 to the next one. There I found two eggs, 

 and in the next four, and so on. One hole 

 looked as if it was unoccupied, but I 

 decided to ascertain whether it was or not 

 and standing on a narrow ledge of sod, I 

 reached my arm in, when to my great dis- 

 gust, my hand encountered a small snake, 

 and springing back with a sudden impulse, 

 I lost my footing and rolled downward 

 into the water. After finishing our work 

 there we re-crossed and dressed, and walk- 

 ed on to the next nesting place. In this 

 way we continued through the day, occa- 

 sionally going out of our route for other 

 eggs, and when at last we prepared for the 

 night, our days collection consisted of 

 single eggs and sets of the Bank Swallow, 

 Crow, Red-and-bulf -shouldered Blackbird, 

 Meadow Lark, Black-billed Cuckoo and 

 Chipping Sparrow. " The result was more 

 gi'atifying than was expected. 



I have found that a very hand^y tool to 

 carry is a hatchet with the back end made 

 into a pick about five inches long, and very 

 slightly curved, for very often one has to 

 dig away a portion of the bank to obtain 



these nests. 



Jose R. Curtis. 



