BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
257 
Genus STELGIDOPTERYX Baird. 
Steigidopteryx serripennis (Aud.). 
Rough-winged Swallow. 
Description. 
Rather larger than the last; bill, legs and eyes same color as the Bank Swallow ; 
above grayish-brown ; lower parts similar, though paler, gradually whitening on 
the belly; edge ot first primary rough to the touch, by the outer web being con¬ 
verted into a series ot still recurved hooks. The design of this peculiar wing struc¬ 
ture is not clearly known. It has been suggested that these hooks “assistthe birds 
in crawling into their* holes, and in clinging to vertical or overhanging surfaces.”— 
Coues. 
Habitat. —l nited States at large (in the Eastern States north to Connecticut), south 
to Guatemala. 
The Bank and Rough-winged Swallows arrive here about the first 
week in April and remain with us until about September 1. Both spe¬ 
cies frequent the same localities, being found generally in the neighbor¬ 
hood of rivers, large creeks and mill-dams. These birds are not only 
alike in habit, but they also greatly resemble each other in size and 
colors. The Bank Swallow has a white throat and a dark band across 
the breast. The Rough-winged has a uniform mouse-colored throat and 
breast. These throat and breast markings will sometimes enable you 
to recognize the birds in life. Should you, however, desire to positively 
determine these two species, my advice would be, take your gun and 
shoot them. After doing this you will know the Bank Swallow by a 
tuft of feathers on the tarsus, near the insertion of the hind toe. An 
adult Rough-wing (particularly if an old male) has the first wing quills 
furnished with a number of saw-like hooks, from which originate the 
common name, likewise the technical one, serripennis , but as the imma¬ 
ture Rough-winged Swallows lack these curious hooks, look at their legs— 
a Rough-winged Swallow has no feathers on the leg just above the 
hind toe. 
Family AMPELID^l. Waxwings. 
THE WAX WINGS.* 
Two birds of this family are found in Pennsylvania. The Cedar-bird is a com¬ 
mon resident and occurs in all partsof thestate, butthe Bohemian Waxwing isavery 
rare and irregular visitor from the north, and is usually seen here only in exces¬ 
sively severe winters. Waxwings are nearly always observed in flocks. The sexes 
are alike ; the tails are tipped with yellow. The wings are long and pointed ; first 
quill very short; second and third longest; the under coverts extend almost to the 
end of the even tail; the wings and tips of some tail feathers in many individuals are 
often furnished with horny appendages, like red sealing wax ; bill broad, short, 
wide at base, notched and slightly hooked at tip. Feet rather small and weak ; 
three toes in fr ont and one behind. _ 
* Dr. Coues (Birds of Colorado Valley) referring to the “sealing-wax” appendages of the secondary 
quills of birds of this genus, says they “ have been subjected to chemical and microscopical examination 
by L. Stieda, and shown to be the enlarged, hardened and peculiarly modified prolongation of the shaft 
itself of the feather, composed of central and peripheral substances, differing in the shape of the pigment 
cells, which contain abundance of red and yellow coloring matter. ” 
17 Birds. 
