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612. Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say). [153.] Cliff Swallow. 
An abundant breeder over the whole of the Mississippi Valley and 
Manitoba. Mr. Lloyd states that it breeds plentifully in Tom Green 
and Concho Counties, Tex.; and Dr. Merrill states that it is an abun- 
dant summer resident in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, in Texas, where 
it is the only Swallow that remains to breed. To see these Swallows in 
their glory, one should visit some of the great rivers of the western 
plains. Professor Aughey tells us that he counted in one place 2,100 
nests. Leaving the United States in winter, it does not re-appear as 
soon as the White-bellied Swallow or the Purple Martin. In the spring 
of 1884 it began to return about the middle of March, and was very 
plentiful at Bagle Pass, Tex., March 27, whence it advanced rapidly to- 
about latitude 40°, and then came to a halt. One was seen at Saint 
Louis April 15, and the species had already been noted from Burlington, 
Iowa, April 10. There is something singular about these records from 
Burlington and Saint Louis. On three species of Swallows the record 
at Burlington, though 150 miles farther north, was some days ahead of 
that at Saint Louis. The White-bellied was seen at Burlington March 
10, at Saint Louis-March 24; the Barn Swallow at Burlington April 
10, at Saint Louis April 16; the Cliff Swallow at Burlington April 10, 
at Saint Louis April 15. After reaching Saint Louis and Burlington 
there. was a pause in the movements of the Cliff Swallow until April 25, 
when it again started northward. By May 1 these Swallows were over 
all the country south of latitude 45°; May 17 they reached Portage la 
Prairie, Manitoba, and May 22 Oak Point, Manitoba. April 27 seems 
to have been a special day of migration in the West. On this day the 
species appeared over most of western Missouri and eastern Kansas. 
At Caddo, Ind. Ter., it was abundant in fall migration, the last leaving 
October 9, but none had returned by April 7, though at that time the 
Purple Martin had been there about a month. The Cliff Swallow rarely 
breeds south of the parallel of 38°, hence the following note from 
Waverly, Miss. (lat. 33° 34’), is particularly interesting. April 10 a 
pair of these Swallows appeared and soon commenced house-building. 
Two broods were raised, and the nest, which was a great curiosity in 
that country, is still preserved. They were also found nesting in May 
at San Angelo, Tex. Had one seen the thousands and thousands of 
these birds which, one evening in the latter part of July, were resting 
on a marsh near Red Rock, Ind. Ter., he would have been tempted to 
believe that Professor Aughey’s two thousand nests had poured out 
their entire contents on this particular place. 
In the fall of 1884 the last Cliff Swallow was reported from Williams. 
town, Iowa, August 28, and from Unadilla, Nebr., September 5. The 
bulk left Williamstown July 17. 
In the spring of 1885 a comparison of the records of the Cliff and 
White-bellied Swallows shows that these two species have been con- 
founded by several of the observers east of the Mississippi River. The 
