184 
ZOOLOGY. 
Family HIRUNDINIDAE.—T he Swallows. 
HIRUNDO HORREORUM, Barton. 
Barn Swallow. 
Hirundo horreorum, Barton, Fragments N. H. Penna. 1799, 17.— Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 308. 
Hirundo rufa, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 60 ; pi. xxx. (Not of Gmelin.)— Cassin, Illust. I, 1855, 243. 
Brewer, N. Am. Ool. I, 1857, 91; pi. v, f. 63—67, eggs. 
Hirundo americana, Wilson, Am. Orn.V, 1812, 34; pi. xxxviii, f. 1, 2. (Not of Gmelin.)— Rich. F.B. A. 11,1831,329. 
Hirundo rustica, Audubon, Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 413; pi. 173.— Ib. Syn. 1839, 35.— Ib Birds Am. I, 1840, 181; pi. 48. 
(Not of Linnaeus.) 
Sp. Ch —Tail very deeply forked; outer feathers several inches longer than the inner, very narrow towards the end. Above 
glossy blue, with concealed white in the middle of the back. Throat chestnut; rest of lower part reddish white, not conspicu¬ 
ously different. A steel blue collar on the upper part of the breast, interrupted in the middle. Tall feathers with a white spot 
near the middle, on the inner web. Female with the outer tail feather not quite so long. Length, 6.90 inches; wing, 5; 
tail, 4.50. 
Hab. —North America, from Atlantic to Pacific. 
The barn swallow seems to be limited by the Columbia river, as I have seen none at Puget 
Sound, or other more northern places. Near the mouth of the river they built in large 
numbers in the high caverns formed by the sea in Cape Disappointment, and into which the 
tide flows, the base of the rock being exposed to the full force of the waves which break 
against it. 
They had also lately begun to build under the eaves of houses.—C. 
I saw nests of what I took to be this species of birds in caves and the hollows of cliffs near 
the Bear’s Paw mountains, not far from Fort Benton, Nebraska.—S. 
HIRUNDO LUNIFRONS, Say. 
Cliff Swallow. 
Hirundo lunifrons, Sat, Long’s Exped. R. Mts. II, 1823, 47.— Cassin, Illust.1,1855,243— Brewer, N. Am. Ool. I, 
1857, 94; pi. v. No. 68—73, egg.— Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 309. 
Hirundo opifex, DeWitt Clinton, Ann. N Y. Lyc. I, 1824, 161. 
Hirundo respublicana, Audubon, Ann. N. Y. Lyc. I, 1824, 164. 
Hirundo fulva, Bonap. Am. Orn. I, 1825, 63; pi. ii. (Not of Vieillot.)— Audubon, Orn. Biog. 1,1831, 353; pi. 58.— 
Ib. Syn. 1839, 35.— Ib. Birds Am. I, 1840, 177; pi. 47. 
Sp. Ch —Crown and back steel blue; the upper part of the latter with concealed pale edges to the feathers. Chin, throat, 
and sides of the head dark chestnut; breast fuscous; belly white. A steel blue spot ou throat. Rump light chestnut; forehead 
brownish white; a pale nuchal band. Tail slightly emarginate. Length about 5 inches; wing, 4.40; tail, 2.20. 
Hab. —North America, from Atlantic to Pacific. 
The cliff swallow seems to be rather scarce as yet north of the Columbia river. I saw none 
in the bare mountainous regions traversed in 1853, though apparently adapted to their habits. 
They were almost unknown about Puget Sound, though at Olympia I noticed a few flying about 
the streets in July, which had nests in some tall dead trees near the town. At Vancouver I 
saw none, though south of there, at Portland, only seven miles distant, they had many nests 
under the eaves of high buildings, and were common in all the towns of Oregon. 
Nuttall mentions their building on the side of “Pillar rock,” and there are many cliffs along 
the Columbia were they probably build. They may become more abundant with the increase 
of settlements, as in the eastern States.—C. 
