Wayne: Birds op South Carolina. 139 



The Purple Martin breeds from Florida to New Brunswick, 

 and westward to the Saskatchewan; in winter it ranges from south- 

 ern Florida to South America. 



234. Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say) . Cliff Swallow. 



It appears that neither Bachman nor Audubon ever met with 

 this species in the vicinity of Charleston or on the coast of this 

 state. I first detected its occurrence on April 28, 1898, when 

 two specimens were secured near Mount Pleasant, and on May 

 8 of the same year two more were obtained. These birds were 

 in company with Barn Swallows, and were easily identified by 

 the pale rufous upper tail-coverts and comparatively square tail. 

 On August 30, 1904, I saw an individual in company with many 

 Barn Swallows. My impression is that Mr. William Brewster 

 has seen this swallow near Charleston, but did not take a speci- 

 men. The specimens procured by me are the only records for 

 the State. 



Although the range of this species includes nearly the whole 

 of North America — even to the Arctic Ocean in the breeding 

 season — it does not breed in South Carolina, where it is only a 

 rare transient visitant. It winters in Central America. 



235. Hirundo erythrogaster Bodd. Barn Swallow. 



Although the Barn Swallow is said to breed in this state by 

 Audubon, 1 and also by Prof. Ridgway, 2 these statements are 

 certainly erroneous as far as the coast region is concerned, and I 

 also doubt if it breeds in any portion of the State, for Mr. Lever- 

 ett M . Loomis does not report it from Chester as breeding, and 

 he does not record it for Mount Pinnacle or Caesar's Head. 



The Barn Swallow arrives late in March and sporadic examples 

 are occasionally seen as late as June 21-22. The return migra- 

 tion takes place by July 12 — my earliest record — and con- 

 tinues until the middle of October. In autumn great flights 

 take place which number thousands of birds. On such occasions 

 the birds appear to follow the coast line, migrating in a south- 

 westwardly direction. A belated specimen was observed on 

 October 29, 1906. 



The Barn Swallow winters from Florida to South America. 



> Birds of America, I, 182. ■ Birds of North and Middle America, Part III, 81. 



