OF VIRGINIA 261 
GENUS STELGIDOPTERYX. 
[G17]. Stelgidopteryx serripennis (Audubon), Rough- 
winged Swallow, 
[Sand Martin]. 
Ranex.—North America. Breeds in Transition, Aus- 
tral, and Tropical zones from southern British Columbia, 
Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, 
Ontario, southern New York, central western Massachu- 
setts, and Connecticut south to southern United States 
from southern California to northern Florida, and to Vera 
Cruz and Jaliseo; winters from central Mexico southward 
to Costa Rica; casual in Manitoba. 
The earliest swallow to depart in the fall, August 5th, 
and the earliest to arrive in the spring, March 25th, is 
the Rough-winged. April 4th, some vears, finds them 
with us in numbers, though the main body may not arrive 
until one or two weeks later. By the last week in April, 
though, all those that remain to breed have their holes 
in the river banks well excavated. Complete sets of fresh 
egos are found as early as May 2nd. Undoubtedly, they 
rid the surrounding country of many noxious insects, 
such as sand flies, mosquitoes, gnats, etce., and, like the 
other species of swallows, should be encouraged to breed 
near houses where possible. With their large families, 
five and six being the general run, they are kept busy 
from davhreak until almost dark, still being found on 
the wing after most birds have retired to their roost for 
the night. The mortality in this section is great, their 
chief enemy being the black snake, which, after sunning 
itself on snine protruding root on the river bank, crawls 
