THE VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. 



[Tachyrineta thalassina.) 



The Violet-green Swallow is one of 

 the most beautiful of the Hirundinidae, 

 or family of swallows. There are about 

 eighty species of the family and they are 

 world-wide in their distribution. These 

 tireless birds seem to pass almost the 

 entire day on the wing in pursuit of in- 

 sects upon which they feed almost ex- 

 clusively. They can outfly the birds of 

 prey, and the fact that they obtain their 

 food while flying enables them to pur- 

 sue their migrations by day and to rest 

 at night. 



The Violet-green Swallow frequents 

 the Pacific coast from British Colum- 

 bia on the north, southward in the win- 

 ter to Guatemala and Costa Rica. Its 

 range extends eastward to the eastern 

 base of the Rocky Mountains. 



Its nest, which is made of dry grass 

 and copiously lined with a mass of 

 feathers, is variously placed. Sometimes 

 the knot-holes of oaks and other decidu- 

 ous trees are selected. They have also 

 been known to use the deserted homes 

 of the cliff swallow. Mr. Allen states 



that they ''nest in abandoned woodpeck- 

 ers' holes, but at the Garden of the Gods 

 and on the divide between Denver and 

 Colorado City, we found them buildins:; 

 in holes in the rocks." This Swallow is 

 quite common in Western Colorado, 

 where they have been observed on the 

 mountain sides at an attitude of eight 

 to over ten thousand feet. In "The 

 Birds of Colorado" Mr. W. W. Cooke 

 says : "A few breed on the plains, but 

 more commonly from six to ten thousand 

 five hundred feet" above the level of the 

 sea. He also adds that they begin lay- 

 ing late in June or early in July and 

 desert the higher regions in August and 

 the lower early in September. 



The notes of this exquisite bird are 

 described by an observer who says that 

 they "consist of a rather faint warblins: 

 twitter, uttered as they sit on some low 

 twig, their favorite perch ; when flying 

 about they seem to be rather silent." 



The Violet-green Swallows, like their 

 sister species, usually nest and migrate 

 in colonies. 



Isn't it wonderful, when you think, 



How the wild bird sings his song, 

 Weaving melodies, link by link, 



The whole sweet summer long? 

 Commonplace is a bird alway, 



Everywhere seen and heard, — 

 But all the engines of earth, I say, 

 Working on till Judgment Day, 



Never could make a bird. 



-J. S. Cutler. 



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