TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 87 



nests, and when breeding they 

 peep with their attractive dark 

 brown heads outside the hole 

 of the oval or rounded nest. 

 Hundreds of them can thus be 

 observed from a distance, whilst 

 thousands whirl and circle around 

 in various directions — screeching 



bills and feet particles of soft 

 earth or clay and return to their 

 nests. Myriads of them thus swarm 

 to the water places and gather 

 the soft and doughy mud particles 

 which is plastered by them in 

 an artistic way — one particle near 

 the other until the large nest is 



CLIFFSWALLOW CLINGtNG TO ItS OvAL SHAPED NeST 



(Slightly Enlarged) 



and chattering, and coining a;nd 

 going from their nests— indeed a 

 very fascinating sight to behold. 



In preparing their peculiar nests 

 these swallows often fly a great 

 distance to some suitable waterhole 

 or creek and there gather with their 



completed, as seen on the photos, 

 representing the nests in about 

 one-half natural size. Each nest 

 is built separate but close to each 

 other, and the nests are supplied 

 but sparingly with a few helms 

 of straw and some of their own 



