BARN SWALLOW 



39 



were entered in the books of the society. These birds died at last 

 from neglect, during a long illness which Mr. Pearson had: they 

 died in the summer. Mr. P. concludes his very interesting account 

 in these words: January 20th, 1797, I have now in my house, No. 

 21, Great Newport street. Long Acre, four Swallows in moult, in 

 as perfect health as any birds ever appeared to be when moulting." 



The Barn Swallow of the United States has hitherto been con- 

 sidered by many writers as the same with the common Chimney 

 Swallow of Europe. They differ however considerably, in color, 

 as well as in habits ; the European species having the belly and 

 vent white, the American species those parts of a bright chesnut; 

 the former building in the corners of chimneys, near the top, the 

 latter never in such places ; but usually in barns, sheds, and other 

 outhouses, on beams, braces, rafters, &c. It is difficult to recon- 

 cile these constant differences of manners and markings in one and 

 the same bird; I shall therefore take the liberty of considering the 

 present as a separate and distinct species. 



The Barn Swallow arrives in this part of Pennsylvania from 

 the south on the last week in March, or the first week in April, and 

 passes on to the north as far, at least, as the river St. Lawrence. 

 On the east side of the great range of the Alleghany, they are dis- 

 persed very generally over the country, wherever there are habita- 

 tions, even to the summit of high mountains ; but, on account of 

 the greater coldness of such situations, are usually a week or two 

 later in making their appearance there. On the sixteenth of May, 

 being on a shooting expedition on the top of Pocano mountain, 

 Northampton, when the ice on that and on several successive morn- 

 ings was more than a quarter of an inch thick, I observed with sur- 

 prise a pair of these Swallows which had taken up their abode on 

 a miserable cabin there. It was then about sun-rise, the ground 

 white with hoar frost, and the male was twittering on the roof by 

 the side of his mate with great sprightliness. The man of the 

 house told me that a single pair came regularly there every sea- 



