188 
BANK SWALLOW OB SAND MARTIN. 
saw them was before sunrise, when I stood by the side of Lieutenant Percy 
of our Navy, on the deck of the United States’ schooner the Spark, then 
at anchor opposite St. Augustine. The weather though warm, was thick 
and drizzly, so that we could not see to a great distance ; but as probably 
some hundreds of thousands passed close to the vessel, in long and rather 
close flocks, I was well enabled to assure myself that the birds were of this 
species. On expressing my surprise and delight at beholding so vast a 
concourse, Lieutenant Percy assured me, that he had seen them on all the 
streams which he had visited south of where we then were. The weather 
cleared up in a few hours, the sun shone brightly, and the little creatures 
were seen all around, dipping into the water to wash themselves, gambol- 
ling close over its surface, and busily engaged in procuring insects, which 
in that country are always abundant. In the course of the same season I 
also observed a good number of our Green-backed and Barn Swallows — 
but few compared with what are seen about New Orleans. 
We can thus account for the early appearance of the Bank Swallows in 
our Middle Districts. That species always arrives there sooner than the 
rest, sometimes preceding them by a fortnight, and keeping equally in ad- 
vance as far northward as its range extends. The Green-backed Swallow, 
Hirundo bicolor, follows closely after it ; then the Purple Martin, Hirundo 
'purpurea ; after which are seen the Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, and 
lastly, on our eastern Atlantic coasts, the American Swift, Cypselus Ameri- 
canus. It is probable that these species extend their autumnal migrations 
southward in a degree proportionate to the lateness of their appearance in 
spring. I have likewise observed the arrival of the Bank Swallows on the 
waters of the Serpentine river and those of the Regent’s Park, in London, 
to be in the same proportion earlier than that of the other species which 
visit England in spring, and have thought that, as with us, the first men- 
tioned species retire to a less distance in winter than the rest. 
The Bank Swallow has been observed on both sides of North America, 
and in all intermediate places suited to its habits. This is easily accounted 
for, when we reflect how easy it is for these birds to follow our great 
water-courses to their very sources. Even the ponds and lakes of our vast 
forests are at times visited by them ; but no person seems to have been 
aware of the existence of two species of Bank Swallows in our country, 
which, however, I shall presently shew to be the case. 
Wherever, throughout the United States, sand-banks or artificial excava- 
tions occur, there is found the Bank Swallow during the breeding season, 
in greater or smaller numbers, according to the advantages presented by 
the different localities, not only along the shores of our rivers and lakes, 
but also on the coasts of the Atlantic, and not unfrequently in inland situa- 
