WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 
49 
few days later than the preceding’ species. It often 
takes possession of an apartment in the boxes appro- 
priated to the purple martin ; and also frequently 
builds and hatches in a hollow tree. The nest con- 
sists 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 brood 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 
situations in quest of similar food. They inhabit the 
northern Atlantic States as far as the District of Maine, 
where I have myself seen them; and my friend Mr 
Gardner informs me, that they are found on the coast 
of Long Island and its neighbourhood. About the 
middle of July, I observed many hundreds of these birds 
sitting on the flat sandy beach near the entrance of 
Great Egg-Harbour. They were also very numerous 
among the myrtles of these low islands, completely 
covering some of the bushes. One man told me, that 
he saw one hundred and two shot at a single discharge. 
For some time before their departure, they subsist 
principally on the myrtle berries ( myrica cerifera ,) 
and become extremely fat. They leave us early in 
September. 
This species appears to have remained hitherto undes- 
cribed, owing to the misapprehension before mentioned. 
It is not perhaps quite so numerous as the preceding, 
and rarely associates with it to breed, never using mud 
of any kind in the construction of its nest. 
The white-bellied swallow is five inches and three 
quarters long, and twelve inches in extent ; bill and eye, 
black ; upper parts, a light glossy greenish blue ; wings, 
brown black, with slight reflections of green ; tail, 
forked, the two exterior feathers being about a quarter 
VOL. II. d 
