546 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
as the middle one, is characteristic. This is also our only swallow with 
conspicuous white spots in the tail. ; 
Distribution.—North America in general, breeding from the Fur-Countries 
south into Mexico; visits the West Indies in migration, and winters in 
Central America and South America. 
The Barn Swallow arrives in the latitude of Lansing from about April 
20 to May 5, reaching Petersburg, Monroe county, a week or ten days 
earlier, and points in the Upper Peninsula ten days or 
two weeks later. Mr. Swales’ earliest record near 
Detroit is April 10, 1899, and his latest April 29, 1900. 
It was last seen there in the fall on September 29, 1893; 
this, however, is an unusually late date, most of the 
Barn Swallows leaving the state before the middle of 
September. 
This species on its arrival at once frequents its old 
nesting places and may be seen gathering insects about 
the farm buildings and over the neighboring fields with 
characteristic ease and grace. No bird is better known Fig. 124 
to the farmer or better loved by the average country aij of Barn Swallow. 
dweller. With absolutely no bad habits, believed to 
subsist entirely upon winged insects, and always graceful, beautiful and 
musical, the bird has few rivals in the affections of the real nature lover. 
The twitter of swallows is one of the characteristic sounds of the farm, and 
nothing can be pleasanter than the sight of a score or more of these graceful 
birds passing in and out through the gable window of an old barn while 
feeding their young or their mates sitting on the nests plastered against 
the rafters within. 
The Barn Swallow almost invariably places its nest on the inside of some 
weather-proof building, and the great majority of nests are placed inside 
barns. Other buildings, however, are frequently used, especially boat- 
houses, and in New England the long covered bridges which span some of 
the streams, and the rows of horse-sheds which stand near every old country 
church, afford suitable places for the nests. Along the lake shores of Mich- 
igan the Barn Swallow frequently nests beneath the piers, placing its nests 
against the stringers and cross-beams, or between the timbers and flooring, 
often within a couple of feet of the water. This, however, appears to be 
a safe place, especially if the space between the timbers and the water is 
too low to allow small boats to pass through. Mr. Dawson has recorded 
one instance of Barn Swallows nesting on ledges in a small cave of a cliff, 
near Lake Chelan, Washington, and Peet cites a similar case at Menagerie 
Island, near Isle Royale, Lake Superior. 
The nest is made of pellets of mud, mixed with a considerable amount of 
grass or straw, and well lined with fine grass and an abundance of feathers. 
The eggs are three to five, white, speckled with brown and purplish, the 
spots usually finer and more numerous than those on the eggs of the Cliff 
Swallow. They average .77 by .54 inches. First nests are built in the 
southern part of the state during the second or third week in May, and a 
week or two later in the northern counties. Two broods are always reared, 
and according to some observers even a third brood is occasionally 
attempted. . 
The food, as already intimated, consists mainly of insects captured on 
the wing; in fact during the nesting season no other food appears to be 
taken. During August and September, however, when the swallows gather 
