NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 
9 
NOTES ON THE EOUGH- WINGED SWALLOW (HIRUNDO 
SERRIPENNIS), IN PENNSYLVANIA. 
BY WALTER VAN FLEET. 
I have, during two years of rather careful observation, no- 
ticed a constant and decided difference in the breeding and 
other habits of the Rough-winged Swallow, as compared with the 
Bank Swallow ( B. riparia). The main points are as follows : 
H. serripennis is not gregarious while nesting, but during the 
breeding season appears rather to avoid its kind, as well 
as the Bank Swallows, and to associate only in pairs. Their 
nesting holes are not placed near each other in the manner of 
ri'paria., but are scattered along the banks of creeks and riv- 
ers at irregular intervals, wherever an especially favorable local- 
ity occurs. They very seldom excavate a hole for themselves, 
but generally take up with any suitable cavity, and alter it to 
suit their taste. It is quite common to find them breeding in 
deserted Kingfishers’ holes, and in this case placing the nest 
within a foot or eighteen inches from the entrance. They will 
also, on finding a decayed root of sufficient size, leading in from 
their favorite sand banks, remove the soft punky wood, follow- 
ing the winding of the root, until they have arrivedat a suit- 
able distance — about two feet — where, after enlarging the cavi- 
ty, they place their nest. This species is also fond of buildi'^g 
in holes in stone bridge piers and other masonry, near water, re- 
turning to the same place year after year. 
In the few cases which I have observed of their excavating, 
for themselves, it has been done in a very slovenly manner, and 
invariably their holes have been much larger than is apparently 
necessary, and round at the entrance, while on the contrary the 
holes of the H. ripiria are very symmetrical ellipses, with the 
longer axis horizontal, and not larger than is needful to permit 
free ingress and egress of the birds. I have never yet, in this lo- 
cality, found a Bank Swallow’s hole large enough to admit the 
hand, without enlarging, while the nest of the Rough-wings can 
generally be reached without any trouble, except when built in 
masonry. In this case they will pass through a crevice barely 
large enough to admit their bodies, providing there is a cavity 
within large enough to contain the nest, 
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