SPECIES 3. HIP UNDO UIRIDIS.^ 
WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 
[Plate XXXVIII.— Fig. 3.] 
Peai.e’s Museum, No. 7737. 
This is the species hitherto supposed by Europeans to be the 
same with their common Martin, Hirundo urhica, a bird no 
where to be found within the United States. The English Mar- 
tin is blue black above; the present species greenish blue; the 
former has the whole rump white, and the legs and feet are 
covered with short white downy feathers; the latter has nothing 
of either. That ridiculous propensity in foreign writers, to con- 
sider most of our birds as varieties of their own, has led them 
into many mistakes, which it shall be the business of the author 
of the present work to point out, decisively, wherever he may 
meet with them. 
The White-bellied Swallow arrives in Pennsylvania a few 
days later than the preceding species. It often takes possession 
of an apartment in the boxes appropriated to the Purple Mar- 
tin; and also frequently builds and hatches in a hollow tree. 
The nest consists of fine loose dry grass, lined with large downy 
feathers, rising above its surface, and so placed as to curl inwards 
and completely conceal the eggs. These last are usually four or 
five in number, and pure white. They also have two broods in 
the season. 
The voice of this species is low and guttural: they are more 
disposed to quarrel than the Barn Swallows, frequently fighting 
in the air for a quarter of an hour at a time, particularly in spring, 
all the while keeping up a low rapid chatter. They also sail 
more in flying; but during the breeding season frequent the same 
* Hirundo bicolor, Vieiil,. Ois. de V.^m, Sept. jil. 31. 
