WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 417 



are insects, but there are no particles of quartz, of which none have 

 been found in that of any of the American Swallows or Goatsuckers 

 examined. The intestine is short and wide, as in the other species, its 

 length being 5| inches, its breadth from 2^ twelfths to ^ twelfth. The 

 coeca are extremely small, scarcely 1 twelfth in length, and j; twelfth 

 in breadth. 



The trachea is 1 inch 4^ twelfths long, 1 twelfth in breadth, consider- 

 ably flattened; the rings 55 in number, moderately firm, with two addi- 

 tional dimidiate rings. The bronchi are formed of about 15 half rings. 

 The muscles as in the other species. 



WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 



HiRUNDO BI COLOR, ViEILLOT. 



PLATE XCVIII. Vol. I. p. 491. 



This species is found abundantly dispersed over the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and along the Columbia River. I have traced it on our At- 

 lantic coast from the Texas to Labrador, and Dr Richardson states 

 that it frequents the woody districts of the Fur Countries up to the 

 68th parallel, but does not mention the periods of its arrival or de- 

 parture. In all parts of the country which are well wooded, it was, 

 until lately, in the constant habit of breeding in the hollows of trees ; 

 now, however, this is not so much the case, as will be seen from the 

 following note of Dr Thomas M. Bkewer of Boston : — " The Hirundo 

 bicolor arrives in New England the last of April or the first of May, 

 and is principally occupied, preparatory to breeding, with obstinate 

 contests with its own species, as well as with the Blue Bird, the Wren, 

 and the Barn Swallow. In the vicinity of Boston, since the destruc- 

 tion of the Purple Martins already mentioned, they have taken their 

 places, building in the boxes, jars, &c. originally intended for their re- 

 latives, so much so, that in this vicinity they are not now known to breed 

 at all in the hollow trees ; a change of habit very unusual, if not 

 wholly unexampled. So much do they prefer their present mode of 

 breeding, that I have known them to build in a rude candle-box, of 

 which one side had been knocked out, placed upon the top of the house. 



VOL. V. D d 



