EAVE SWALLOW. 289 
ent years, as well as erratic in their choice of a summer residence. It 
_was formerly thought they had made their appearance at a comparatively 
late date in the Eastern United States, but it is now known that they 
had been seen in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New Bruns- 
wick, about the time they were described from the Rocky Mountains by 
Say. Audubon states that he saw them at Newport, Kentucky, opposite 
Cincinnati, in 1819, which is the earliest notice we have of their almost 
certain occurrence in Ohio. Dr. Kirtland, in 1838, says that they had 
“recently extended their settlements to several buildings in the west 
part of the latter city. During the present summer they have built 
their nests on a barn in the north part of Columbiana county.” 
Their distribution is now general throughout the State. They are 
always to be found in colonies duying the breeding season, and build 
their nests always on the outside of buildings, under the eaves. I have 
seen their nests several years since under the eaves of a mill on Alum 
Creek, near this city; under the eaves of a brick dwelling in the north- 
east portion of this city, and on the new frame dépot building at Georges- 
ville, a few miles southwest. But the outside of barns is their fayecrite 
location, a colony of these birds often occupying the eaves while Barn 
Swallows inhabit the interior. I have never known them to build 
on the same structure for more than three years successively. Whether 
they removed simply from a desire for change, or because the locality 
became unsuiied from use for the safe fastening of their nests, I do not 
know. Ihave known efforts to drive them away from a building where 
they had located, to be long-continued and severe before they were finally 
persuaded to go. 
This westing on buildings, an acquired habit, exhibited to a greater 
or less extent by all the members of the family, except the Bank Swal- 
low; shows an appreciation of the advantages of civilization, and is 
evidence that they possess reason as distinguished from instinct. In 
uninhabited regions the nest is placed against a vertical or overhanging 
rock. 
The nests of the Have Swallow are composed entirely of mud, tempered 
by the bill of the bird, and deposited in its position as a little pellet. 
They are retort-shaped, the nest proper being almost closed in between 
the top of the wall and the projecting eave or cornice, and the opéning 
built out for several inches to form the neck of the flask or retort. 
In the Eastern States it is said that the nest is frequently built without 
the elongated entrance, but all the nests I have seen were uniform in 
possessing it. The cavity is large, and we.l lined with feathers, wool, 
and bits of straw. The eggs are white, usually less elongated than those 
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