132 
BARN SWALLOW. 
in every respect tlieir appearance was the same. These birds, 
says Mr Pearson, were exhibited to the Society for promoting 
Natural History, on the 14th day of February, 1786, at the 
time they were in a deep moult, during a severe frost, when 
the snow was on the ground. Minutes of this circumstance 
were entered in the books of the society. These birds died 
at last from neglect, during a long illness which Mr Pearson 
had : they died in the summer. Mr Pearson concludes his 
very interesting account in these words : — 20th January, 
1797, — I have now in my house, No. 21, Great Newport Street, 
Long Acre, four Swallows in moult, in as perfect health as 
any birds ever appeared to be when moulting/’ 
The Barn Swallow of the United States has hitherto been 
considered by many writers as the same with the common 
Chimney Swallow of Europe. They differ, however, consi- 
derably in colour, as well as in habits; the European species 
having the belly and vent white, the American species those 
parts of a bright chestnut ; the former building in the corners 
of chimneys, near the top, the latter never in such places ; 
but usually in barns, sheds, and other outhouses, on beams, 
braces, rafters, &c. It is difficult to reconcile these constant 
differences of manners and markings in one and the same 
bird; I shall therefore take the liberty of considering the 
present as a separate and distinct species. 
The Barn Swallow arrives in this part of Pennsylvania 
from the south on the last week in March, or the first week 
in April, and passes on to the north, as far, at least, as the 
river St Lawrence. On the east side of the great range of 
the Alleghany, they are dispersed very generally over the 
country, wherever there are habitations, even to the summit 
of high mountains; but, on account of the greater coldness of 
such situations, are usually a week or two later in making 
their appearance there. On the 16th of May, being on a 
shooting expedition on the top of Pocano mountain, Nor- 
thampton, when the ice on that and on several successive 
mornings was more than a quarter of an inch thick, I 
