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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 

 aod 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 Eagle 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 5 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 Bed 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 IJnadilla, Nebr., September 5. The 

 bulk left Williamstown July 17. 



In the spring of 18S5 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 



