BARN SWALLOW. 
73 
HABITS. 
The White-bellied is the only Swallow that I have ever seen in Florida during winter. 
They are quite abundant there but as they move across the country in large straggling flocks 
are not often seen in one locality for many days in succession. While in the state they do not 
utter a note, but skim silently over the large inland lakes, or sail above the almost limitless 
piny woods. In early spring they leave for the north, arriving in New England the earliest of 
all the Swallows. Here they have a song which is, however, not as clear and warbling as that 
of the Barn Swallow ; their flight is also heavier, neither do they move as swiftly. These birds 
breed in Martin boxes, holes in out-buildings, or in hollow stubs ; while nesting in the last named 
situation, they usually choose a hole formed by nature, but I found a colony busily engaged in 
excavating domiciles in partially decayed birch stubs which stood in the waters of Lake 
Umbagog, Maine. The work was performed with the bills, not after the manner of Nuthatches, 
Titmice, etc., but by simply breaking away small pieces of the punky wood and removing them. 
The White-bellied Swallows deposit their eggs during the first week in June; the young 
leave the nests early in July; after this time they all congregate on the seashore in vast 
flocks. During some years the numbers which assemble in early autumn are almost 
incredible, for I have seen the air over the broad marshes of Ipswich so filled with them that it 
was impossible to discharge a gun in any direction without killing one or more. I always 
imagined that the great quantity of insects which occur near the salt water in the latter part of 
summer, was the cause of this vast concourse, until I discovered another reason. I was walking 
about the hills near the coast one day in August, when I observed large numbers of White 
bellied Swallows, hovering over some bayberry bushes (Myrica cerifera), which grow abundantly 
in this section. Curious to know what the}' were doing I shot several, and was much surprised 
to find their crops and stomachs filled with the aromatic berries. This fruit is about the size of 
unground black peppers, and is coated with a waxy substance, of which the bay berry-tallow is 
made. This was formerly used for manufacturing candles; indeed it is now employed for 
this purpose in some sections of the country. I have since taken many specimens and found 
that it is a confirmed habit of this species to feed on the bayberry. An examination of the fruit 
in the process of digestion shows that only the outer waxy covering is consumed ; the inner 
or harder portion being voided. It is probable that this substance is highly nutritious, as the 
birds become very fat from feeding upon it. The great mass of White-bellied Swallows depart 
early in September, but a few remain later than any other members of the family. The last 
straggler, however, disappears by the middle of the mouth. 
HIRUNDO HORREORUM. 
The Barn Swallow. 
Hirundo horreorum Barton, Fragments N. H. Fenna.; 1799, 17. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, slender. Size, not large. Bill, not stout; upper mandible, straight, with the tips slightly curved. 
Feet, small. Tail, long and very deeply forked; the two outer feathers are considerably elongated and exceedingly 
narrow. Sternum, not slightly built, and precisely similar in form to that of H. subis. Tongue, rather fleshy and 
triangular; cleft at the tip. 
Color. Adult male, above, uniform steely-blue, with the wings and tail browner. The latter has a subterminal 
band of yellowish-white caused by spots upon the inner webs of all the feathers excepting the two middle ones. 
Forehead, throat and upper part of the breast, chestnut. The remaining under portions, including under wing and 
under tail coverts, rich chestnut-brown. The steely-blue of the back extends down the sides of the upper portions 
of the breast and frequently forms a band quite across it. 
Adult female, similar, but paler beneath. 
Young male, similar to the adult female. 
BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 
10 
