194 
BOUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 
to their winter quarters. How it happened I cannot now recollect, but I 
thought of shooting some of them, perhaps to see how expert I might prove 
on other occasions. Off went a shot, and down came one of the birds, which 
my dog 'brought to me between his lips. Another, a third, a fourth, and at 
last a fifth were procured. The ever-continuing desire of comparing one 
bird with another led me to take them up. I thought them rather large, 
and therefore placed them in my bag, and proceeded slowly towards the 
plantation of William Peeby, Esq., with whom I had for a time taken up 
my residence. 
The bill and feet of the Swallows were pure black, and both, I thought, 
were larger than in the Sand Martin ; but differences like these I seldom 
hold in much estimation, well knowing from long experience, that individu- 
als of any species may vary in these respects. I was more startled when I 
saw not a vestig r e of the short feathers usually found near the junction of 
the hind toe with the tarsus in the common species, and equally so when I 
observed that the bird in my hand had a nearly even tail, with broad rounded 
feathers, the outer destitute of the narrow margin of white. At this time 
my observations went no farther. 
I perhaps should never have discovered the differences existing between 
these species had I not been spurred by the remarks of Yieillot, who, in 
expressing his doubts as to their identity, and perhaps holding in his hand 
the bird here described, says that the tarsus is much larger than in the 
European Sand Martin. I have been surprised that these doubts did not 
awaken in others a desire to inquire into the subject. Had this been done, 
however, I should probably have lost an opportunity of adding another new 
species to those to whose nomination I can lay claim, not to speak of such 
as, although well known to me previous to their having been published by 
others, I have lost the right of naming because I had imparted my 
knowledge of them to those who were more anxious of obtaining this sort 
of celebrity. I^have now in my possession one pair of these Swallows 
procured by myself in South Carolina during my last visit to that State. 
Of their peculiar habits I can say nothing ; but, owing to their being less 
frequent than the Sand Martin, I am inclined to believe that their most 
habitual residence may prove to be far to the westward; perhaps in the 
valleys of the Columbia river. 
Rough-winged Swallow, Hirundo serripennis, Aud. Orn.Biog., vol. iv. p. 593. 
Tail slightly emarginate, margin of the first quill rough with the strong 
decurved tips of the filaments, tarsus bare ; upper parts greyish-brown, lower 
pale greyish-brown', white behind. Very nearly allied to the last in form 
