wanting entirely; at others, it is increased in size until it measures several inches, in which case the 
nest resembles a retort. Such long bottle-necked entrances are the exception. 
Under the eaves of a very large high barn, eight miles from Circlcville, a colony of Cliff Swallows 
have nested for several years; and here every nest has a beautiful bottle-necked entrance. A few miles 
distant is another colony, and, after some years search, I have been unable to find in their habitation a 
single nest of the bottle-neck pattern. Several times I have observed this difference in style of con- 
struction in neighboring colonies without any apparent cause. Rarer still is the nest without a roof. I 
have seen but one. It contained eggs, and was evidently just as finished, and not broken by accident. 
In shape it was similar to the lower half of the ordinary nest. 
EGGS: 
The complement of the first set is four, five, or six; commonly five, often four, rarely six. The 
second set contains but two or three. They measure in long-diameter from .74 to .87, and in short- 
diameter from .50 to .58. The usual size is about .55 x .80. The smallest of thirty-six specimens is 
.53 x .76; the largest, ,56 x .86. The ground-color is pure white. The markings consist of spots and 
speckles, and occasionally small blotches, of various shades of brown, sometimes quite light, sometimes 
nearly black, but usually between these extremes. The marks are not very abundant; the base contains 
the greatest number. Frequently they form a wreath, though they are rarely confluent. 
DIFFERENTIAL POINTS : 
Even the most exceptional nests are characteristic of the species, and can always be at once identi- 
fied. The eggs, however, resemble very closely those of the Barn Swallow ; so closely, in fact, that dif- 
ferentiation is never satisfactory. In a large number of specimens small differences may be detected, but 
with individual eggs or sets, it is impossible to determine certainly to which species they belong. In 
regard to the nest, it may be further remarked, that the species under consideration builds out-doors, 
while the Barn Swallow builds in-doors. Both species frequently occupy the same building. 
REMARKS: 
The nest illustrated on Plate XLI was built June, 1882. It was ten feet from the ground, the 
entrance facing the side of the barn. It was selected from dozens of nests from different colonies, as a 
typical specimen in size and shape. The female is represented peering from the entrance, just before 
flying away. The eggs represent the types usually seen, the middle one being the commonest form. 
The earliest history of the Cliff Swallow in Ohio is by Audubon. In 1815 he killed several, but it 
was not until four years later that he discovered their nests in Newport, just across the river from Cin- 
cinnati. From this time they have apparently increased in numbers, and much has since been learned 
about their history. Before civilization afforded suitable nesting places, the species built against rocky 
cliffs, and, in the far West, this primitive location is still used occasionally. There is no record of 
nests in such a locality in this State, although it is possible they may have built here as in the West 
and Northeast. Until the present century these birds were scarce, and, while distributed throughout the 
United States, their colonies were only to be met with here and there at great distances. But civiliza- 
tion having decreased their enemies and increased suitable building sites, they have greatly multiplied. 
With no apparent cause, a colony will desert a locality where they have built for years, never to return. 
On the other hand, when they have taken possession of a site, no amount of annoyance can persuade them 
to abandon it. When disturbed they show great uneasiness, flying in circles about the intruder and snap- 
ping their bills in angry manner. The winter season loosens their nests, and they fall to the ground. 
142 
