THE BAY STATE OOLOGIST. 



1 I 



'The Tufted Tit is of an ashy color (the ashy tinged with bluish) on 

 the back, or entire upper parts ; below, dull white. There is a black front- 

 let in typical specimens ; but those I take here have generally more or less 

 brown in the black, being thus intermediate between L. bicolar and Sten- 

 nett's new sub-species, L. bicolar texensis (Texan Tufted Titmouse) from 

 Southern Texas. The species varies in size from 5.90 to 6.50 inches in 

 length. Extent, 9.75 to 10.75 inches, the female being the smallest. 



(to be continued.) 



Nesting of the Rough-winged Swallow in St, Louis, Mo. 



BY PHILO SMITH, JR., GREENVILLE, ILL. 



This interesting little swallow arrives here in the spring from the South 

 with its near neighbor, the Bank Swallow. Though nowhere as abundant 

 as the latter, still I find it to be quite plentiful in and around St. Louis> 

 which place seems to be well supplied with their favorite resorts ;i. e. stone 

 quarries, stone culverts and bridges, and last but not least, deserted brick- 

 kilns. 



During the nesting season, which continues from May 1st. to July 1st., 

 their nests may be found in the crevices of rocks and culverts, and I also 

 find they are very partial to the peep-holes of an abandoned brick-kiln. 

 They quite frequently nest with some colony of Sand Martins ) but whether 

 or not they dig their own nest in the sand after the manner of the Sand 

 Martin I cannot with with certainty say, but from what has come under my 

 observation, I am led to believe that they appropriate one of the unused 

 holes of the Sand Martin, of which in most colonies there are generally 

 quite a number. 



When so situated it is next to impossible to secure an authentic set of 

 eggs of the Rough-wing, and especially if the colony be a large one. The 

 writer after repeated failures, succeeded in securing one set by finding Mrs. 

 Rough-wing at home. I find that the Rough-wings do not live or nest in 

 large colonies as do the Bank Swallows, but generally settle down in com- 

 panies of from three to twelve pairs to a quarry or brick-kiln and three to 

 six pairs to a culvert. Their nests are generally placed near the opening 

 in the rocks and not back four to six feet as is the case with the Sand 

 Martin. 



After carefully examining about sixty sets of each species, I find that in 

 construction and appearance the nest and eggs are indistinguishable from 

 those of the Sand Martin, except perhaps, the eggs of the Rough-wing 

 average a trifle larger, and that trifle is almost imperceptible to the naked 

 eye. 



The eggs average five or six to the clutch. They raise but one brood 

 here in a season. Have known them to lay the third clutch, after being 

 deprived of the two former sets. Some of the nests are quite difficult of 

 access ; in another number I will give my modus operandi. 



