BANK SWALLOW. 585 
their autumnal migrations southward in a degree proportionate to the 
lateness of their appearance in Spring. I have likewise observed the 
arrival of the Bank Swallows on the waters of the Serpentine River and 
those of the Regent’s Park, in London, to be in the same proportion 
earlier than that of the other species which visit England in spring, 
and have thought that, as with us, the first mentioned species retires to 
a less distance in winter than the rest. 
The Bank Swallow has been observed on both sides of North Ame- 
rica, and in all intermediate places suited to its habits. This is easily 
accounted for, when we reflect how easy it is for these birds to follow 
our great water-courses to their very sources. Even the ponds and 
lakes of our vast-forests are at times visited by them; but no person 
seems to have been aware of the existence of two species of Bank Swal- 
lows in our country, which, however, I shall presently shew to be the 
case. ; " 
Wherever, throughout the United States, sand-banks or artificial 
excavations occur, there is found the Bank Swallow during the breed- 
ing season, in greater or smaller numbers, according to the advantages 
presented by the different localities, not only along the shores of our 
rivers and lakes, but also on the coasts of the Atlantic, and not unfre- 
quently in inland situations, at some distance from any water. High 
banks, composed of softish sandy earth, on the shores of rivers, lakes, 
or other waters, suit them best, and in such situations their colonies 
are far more numerous than elsewhere. The banks of the Ohio, and 
some parts of those of the Mississippi, called “ Bluffs,” have appeared 
to me to be more resorted to by this species in our western and south- 
ern districts, although I have met with considerable numbers in every 
State of the Union. 
In Louisiana this species begins to breed early in March, and ge- 
nerally rears two, sometimes three broods in a season. In our Middle 
Districts it commences about a month later, or about the period at which 
it lays in Kentucky, and there produces two broods. In Newfoundland 
and Labrador, it rarely begins to breed before the beginning of June, 
and lays only once. Dr Ricwarpson states, that he saw “ thousands 
of these Swallows near the mouth of the Mackenzie, in the sixty-eighth 
parallel, on the 4th of July,” and from the state of the weather at that 
period supposed that they had arrived there at least a fortnight prior 
to that date, but no specimens were brought to England, and the de- 
