ORDER PASSERES. 9^ 



soon put him to the rout, by the pertinacity of their attacks 

 and their clamorous cries. They nestle in holes made ex- 

 pressly for that purpose, about the houses or under cornices, 

 like the window swallow. During the entire summer they 

 are found in such places, but retire on the approach of winter. 



This swallow is an inhabitant of Louisiana, of Carolina, 

 and of all North America, as far as Hudson's Bay. 



The Hirundo Fiisca^ Vieill., is a native of Paraguay. It 

 rarely enters towns or villages. It is usually observed singly, 

 or in pairs ; but when winter approaches, which is the period 

 of its departure, it forms troops, sometimes of an hundred 

 individuals. It is much more rare and more wild than the 

 domestic swallow of the same coimtry. It is imagined gene- 

 rally to nestle in holes, and is said to dispute sometimes for 

 the nest of the rufous bee-eater, or the dwarf-parrot. 



Hirundo Cayanensis (the White-collared Swift of Latham) 

 is distinguished, as its name imports, by a collar of the purest 

 white, finely contrasting with a velvet black with violet 

 reflections, which predominate in the rest of the plumage. 

 This bird makes its nest in the houses. It is very large, and 

 constructed with dog's-bane, in the form of a truncated cone, 

 one of the bases of which is five inches in diameter, and the 

 other three ; its length is nine. The larger base is composed 

 of a sort of pasteboard made of the same material. The 

 cavity is obliquely divided about half-way its length, by a 

 partition, which extends over that part of the nest where the 

 eggs are, that is pretty near the base, and over this is a sort 

 of plug of the soft down of the dog's-bane, to shield the 

 young ones from the external air, 



The White-rumped Swallow of Paraguay {Hirundo Leu- 

 corrhoa, Vieillot) is not wild. It flies very near the ground in 

 the open country, and does not usually enter inhabited places. 

 It is fond of accompanying travellers and seizing the flies 

 and butterflies which they disturb. It nestles in the holes of 

 palm trees, &c. ; but near the river of La Plata, where there 



