290 BIRDS — HIEUNDINID^. 



of the Barn Swallow, and the spots and blotches of reddish-brown, are 

 larger. Two broods are usually raised in a season. 



Gknus COTYLE. Boie. 



Bill small ; nostrils lateral, overhung by a straight-edged membrane. Tarsus about 

 equal to middle toe without claw ; feathered at upper end, especially on inner face, and 

 having also a small tuft of feathers attached to postr rior edge near the hind toe. Mid- 

 dle toe with basal joint adherent externally to near the end, half way internally ; the 

 claws comparatively little curved, the lateral reaching beyond the base of the middle. 

 Tail slightly forked. 



CoTYLE EIPAEIA (L.) Boie. 

 !Ba,n.lx S"w-alloTv; Sand INXartin. 



Eirundo riparia, Kirtland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 162. — Read, Proc. Philad. Acad. 



Nat. Sci , vi, 1853, 395. 

 Coiyle rtjjaria, Kikkpatrick, Ohio Farmer, viii, 1859, 283. — Wheaton, Ohio Agri. Eep. 



for ls(jO, 3fi4; Reprint, 1861, 6; Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Eep. for 1S74, 565; 



Reprint, la75, 5. — Langdon, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 7 ; Revised List, Jour. Gin. 



Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 173 ; Reprint, 7. 



Hinindo riparia, LiNNiEUS, Syst. Nat., i, 10th ed., 1758, 192. 

 Cohjle riparia, BoiB, Isis., IWiG, — . 



Lustreless gray, with a pectoral band of the same ; other under parts white. Sexes 

 exactly alike. Young similar, the feathers often skirted with rusty or whitish. Length 

 4^-44 ; wing 3i-4 ; tail 2. 



Habitat, Europe, Asia, Africa, America. 



Rather common summer resident. Breeds. Arrives about the middle 

 , of April and remains until the first of September. In the immediate 

 vicinity of Columbus the Bank Swallow is now but a migrant, but form- 

 erly it was a common resident. This is probably due in part to the 

 increase in numbers of the next species, but largely to the want of suit- 

 able breeding places. Formerly our rivers ran here and there between 

 more or lets steep loamy banks, which remained comparatively un- 

 changed from year to year, but as the country became more densely in- 

 habited, and the forests cleared away, the streams were subject to more 

 sudden freshets. While these freshets seldom occurred during the breed- 

 ing season of these birds, yet during their absence in the colder portion 

 o! the year, the site of their former habitation often became entirely 

 removed. They seem also to have forsaken the gravel pits in which 

 they were accustomed to nest, because they were an unsafe residence, 

 the layer of fine loam and sand in which they preferred to dig their holes 

 being too frequently removed. On their spring migrations they linger 

 lovingly about their old homes, as if reluctant to leave the spot which 

 their traditions invest with so much interest. 



