112 



by a ball of fire and fanned to rest again by a sable wing. The wax was soft then, 

 and the impress grew indellible. Nor would I blur it if I could, not though the 

 flight of years has borne sad answers to reiterated questionings — not though the 

 wings of hope are tipped with lead and brush the very earth instead of soaring in 

 scented sunlight." We certainly owe a great deal to the scarlet tanager, if it only 

 led Dr. Coues, this prince of later ornithologists, to the study of American birds. 

 Audubon and Wilson took fire in the same way, the latter from the red-headed 

 woodpecker, which so kindled his enthusiasm that from the day he saw it his life was 

 turned to the study of birds. 



64. P. ESTIVA. (L.) Vieill. Sunimei- Redbi7-d. Male bright rose red through- 

 out ; wings a little dusky; female dull brownish olive, dull yellowish below. Size 

 of last. A rare summer visitant north ; I have not taken it about Indianapolis ; a 

 not rare summer resident in the southern part of the State. 



FAMILY XII. HIRUNDINID^. 



{The SivaUoios.) 



Bill " fissirostral," z. e., short, broad, triangular, depressed;, the gape wide and 

 deep, reaching to opposite the eyes. Wings very long and pointed ;. the first pri- 

 mary usually the longest, and twice as long as the last ;. secondaries very short, 

 tail more or less forked ; feet weak ; tarsus scutellate ; plumage compact, and 

 more or less lustrous. A very natural family of about one hundred birds, uni- 

 versally distributed. All are strong on the wing, insectivorous, and as a rule, 

 migratory. 



Of all birds swallows are best known and most welcome; recognized in every 

 literature, "cherished witnesses of peace and plenty in the homestead, dazzling orna- 

 ments of busy thoroughfare." 



The complete history of the family may be found in Dr. Coue's " Birds of the 

 Colorado Valley," 1878, from which the following key to the seven North Ameri- 

 can species is transcribed : 



KEY TO NORTH AMERICAN SWALLOWS. 



1. Tail deeply forficate with linear lateral feathers ;; lustrous steel blue above ; 

 rufous below. ........ Himndo erythrogaster. 



2. Tail simply emarginate; lustrous green ; beneath white. Tachycineta bicolor. 



3. Tail simply emarginate ; opaque velvety green ; beneath white. 



Tachycineta thalassina. 



4. Tail nearly even; lustrous steel blue; rump rufous. Petrochelidsn hinifroiis. 



5. Torsus with tuft of feathers below ; lustreless gray ; below white. 



Cotyle rip aria ^ 



6. Outer edge of first primary serrate ; lustreless brownish ; paler below. 



Stelgidopteryx serripennis ^ 



7. Bill very stout, curved ; male entirely lustrous blue-black. Progne purpurea^ 



