WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 257 



of Leland Stanford University. Students passed con- 

 stantly just below them, but they showed no fear. 



Unlike the retort-shaped nests of most Cliff Swallows, 

 the majority of these nests were open at the top like a wall 

 pocket. The material was sticky clay, and was gathered 

 outside the quadrangle. The Swallows flew down to 

 this in small companies, and there were always one or 

 two on the way going or coming. They seemed to pick 

 up as much as their mouths would hold, but whether 

 they also filled their throats, as some aver, seemed 

 doubtful. The only support I have found for this view 

 is the shape and size of each pellet as seen in an old 

 nest. Also, some of the nests were so much harder 

 than others that it would seem there might have been 

 a diflFerence in the saliva of the builders. 



In the case of these nests, the foundations were laid 

 in a semi-circle, and on this were placed the pellets of 

 mud, like bricks on a wall, thus building out and up at 

 the same time. No straw or hair or other material than 

 clay was used in the walls of these nests, but after they 

 were completed a lining of feathers and fine grass was 

 placed in them. We also found these Swallows building 

 in the ruins of the patio of the old mission of San Juan 

 Capistrano. Upon the quaint fresco designs of the 

 chapel, the nests were plastered as abundantly as under 

 the eaves of a barn. " Yesterday a great mission ; 

 to-day a nesting place for owls and swallows." Here, 

 as at Palo Alto, in some of the nests housekeeping had 

 begun, and the pretty head of the mother bird peered 

 over the adobe rim when we rapped on the wall. 



17 



