Barn Swallows ( 11 Iru v do erythrogastra). — Within a few yards of the 
house occupied by Mr. John R. Sandsbury during the time he is caring 
for the Terns on Muskeget Island, and where I make my headquarters 
when visiting there, is an old shed or boathouse which has several aper- 
tures. This shed has been used as a nesting place for the past six years 
by apparently the same pair of Barn Swallows. At my request Mr. S. 
made a few notes on these birds, which arrived this year (1898) on May 
29. It is their custom to repair the old nest, they never having built any 
since the first one. Four young birds were hatched this season. The old 
birds would occasionally fly into the sitting-room of the house, but were 
always frightened on getting inside. When I was visiting Muskeget this 
summer (July 2-5, 1898), I found, in addition to the old pair of birds, still 
another pair, apparently birds of last year, assisting in feeding the four 
young ones in the nest. This they continued to do up to July 10, the 
date on which the young left the nest. On this date they were all flying 
about together, the young going at intervals to the nest to rest. On July 
11, there were only the two original old birds and the four young ones, 
and they remained around until July 19, the young returning to the nest 
every night. The young birds were so tame that they would alight on, 
and even run over Mr. Sandsbury’s fingers while he rested his hand upon 
abeam which was near the nest. They returned occasionally up to August 
1, but were not so tame, alighting on top of the shed and on the clothes 
line near the house. At this latter date the group consisted of the two 
old birds and the four young. — George H. MackAy, Nantucket , Mass. 
Auk, XVI, April, 1899, p. / ?y. 
Barn Swallow ( Hirundo erythrogaster ) On August~16, 1909, an albino 
male specimen was shot by Russell Bearse at Chatham, Mass. The bird 
was taken on the flats off Monomoy Island where Mr. Bearse had gone after 
shore birds, and where it had been seen previously for several days. It was . 
nearly pure white and the only suggestion of any other color was on the 
inner webs of the middle tail feathers where the white spots ordinarily 
exist in the normal plumage. These white spots on close scrutiny could 
still be seen, showing that the rest of the plumage Was not pure white. 
This specimen is in the collection of the Boston Society of Natural History. 
Aak 27, Apr -1910 p, 
