846 CLIFF SWALLOW. 
The Cliff Swallow, a very sociable, though somewhat noisy bird, is one of our most 
abundant and familiar species. Although distributed over an immense territory, from 
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from high northern latitudes to Panama, it is in summer 
of rather sporadic occurrence, being found in one section in exceedingly large numbers, 
and not at all in another. The breeding range extends from Texas to the Yukon in 
Alaska, and to Nova €cotia. Formerly these birds only were found nesting on pro- 
jecting cliffs, but the settlement of the country conduced to their general dispersion, 
and they now make their appearance where they were unknown before. In all the 
settled parts of our country they have everywhere changed from Cliff to Eave Swallows. 
In this connection it may be remarked that the form of their nests has also changed. 
If clustered on perpendicular cliffs, the mud structures are bottle-nosed or retort-shaped, 
while under the eaves of barns and other buildings they form globular nests with an 
entrance hole on the side. In some cases even open nests, like those of the Barn 
Swallow, have been found. 
In my native State, Wisconsin, I found the Eave Swallow in greater numbers than 
in any other State in which I resided. Under the north eave of our barn in Sheboygan 
County each season from thirty-five to fifty nests could be counted. The birds were 
exceedingly fearless; they did not mind our curiosity and the uproar and noise beneath 
their nests. Usually on the 9th or 10th of May, if the weather would permit, our 
Eave Swallows made their arrival from the South, and were greeted with exhilerating 
sounds by the children. They at once enlivened the barn yard by their peculiar loud 
and creaking notes and their incessant flying to and fro. By the end of May they 
always began building new nests, or repairing those formerly occupied. This work was 
performed with much twittering and great industry, they often completing their task with 
wonderful celerity. I have always. noticed that they do not like to build on very smooth 
surfaces, but prefer such eaves where there is a narrow space between the roof and the 
boards. In such a space the nests have a better hold. When our old batn was torn down 
and a new modern structure erected in its place, the Eave Swallows were much surprised 
when returning in spring. They soared around in great excitement, and evidently did not 
know what to do. There was no crevice between the roof and the boards, and the 
latter were smooth and painted. A few pairs commenced building, but the mud pebbles 
evidently found no hold, and they gave up their task in great disappointment. Many 
or all visited the different barns in the neighborhood, but could apparently not come to 
a conclusion where to construct their nests. To encourage these birds to return to 
our barn, I placed narrow strips of boards under the eave, and they at once took 
advantage and began to build their mud homes. They are not treated everywhere so 
kindly as they deserve. Many people have the absurd idea that the nests contain bed 
bugs, and destroy them wherever they can. Hundreds and thousands of nests are thus 
destroyed by farmers and others, who are ignorant of the great services of these 
industrious and innocent birds. Others dislike their noisy chatter in the early morning 
hours, and consequently dislike the birds too. Although the song is a rather unmusical 
twitter and almost incessantly uttered, it is to the real lover of bird life far from being 
unpleasant. The Eave Swallows show, unlike other members of the family, a noted 
pertinacity and stick to their first choice. ‘Considering how sedulously most birds 
