elsewhci-e, a n d e v e ry k n o t-lio le o r. r a th e r , c a v ity am o n g th e tr e e s se em e d to h a v e b e e n
t a k e n p o s s e s s io n o£ b y a p a ir . T h e y w e re th e n e n g a g e d in b u i ld in g t lie ir n e s ts , a n d
th r o u g h o u t t l ie d a y w o u ld com e to t h e y a r d d o o r o f th e re s e rv a tio u - lio u s e to p ic k u p tlie
f e a th e r s o r liits o f r a g o r p a p e r s c a tt e r e d a b o u t th e g ro u n d , a f te r h u r r ie d lv se iz in g ivliioli
th e y w o u ld fly w itli tlio a r ti c le s e le c te d in a d ire c t Hue to tl ic i r n e s ts . A s th e y s a t on
t h e g ro u n d th e y w e re lie a n tifu l l i t t l e liirds, a n d th o u g li tlie v s q u a tte d so’m o u l .a t
aw kw a rd ly , o n a c c o u n t o f tlio sm a lin o s s o f t h e i r fe e t, tiie y ra is e d th e i r liead s so p ro u d ly ,
a u d g la n c e d so s h a r p ly , y e t t im id ly a b o u t th em , t h a t tlie y se em e d g ra c e fu l iu t lic ir
m o tio n s ; w h ile e a c h m o v em e n t c a u s e d th e s u iilig lit to g la n c e from tlio ir b u rn is h e d
b a c k s o f lu s tr o u s s te e l-b lu e , w i th ivliic li tlie sn ow y w liite o f t lie ir b re a s ts c o n tr a s te d so
s t r ik in g ly . A ltlio u g li tile o lijoot p ic k e d u p wa s m o s t o fte n a fe a th e r , i t o c c a s io iia llv
lia p p o n e d t h a t o n e w o u ld t a k e h o ld o t a s t r in g o r a lo n g s lirc d o f c lo th , iie rlia p s a y a rd
o r m o r e m l e n g tli, i n w h ic h c a se so c o n sp ic u o u s a u o b je c t was c e r t a in to b e seized u p o n
b y o th e r s , a s th e b e a r e r la b o u re d to c a r ry i t to h is n e s t, th u s b e c om in g th e s u b je c t o f
q u ite a s t r u g g l e , a n d m n c li tw i t te r in g .
“ T h e W liite -b e llie d SwaUow was b y n o m e a n s co n fln c d to th e wooded riv e r-v a lle y s
h ow e v e r, h u t i t w a s e q u a lly a b u n d a n t am o n g th e a s p e n w oods h ig h u p in tlic W a h s a tc h ’
M o u n ta in s , a t a n a l t i tu d e o f 8 0 0 0 o r 0 0 0 0 fe e t. I t wa s a lso c om m o n in th e S a c r am e n to
\ a l l e y , b u t a fe iv fe e t ab o v e th e s e a -lev e l, am o n g th e o a k - tr e e s o t th e p la in . N c itlic r is
i t in v a r i a b ly a r b o r e a l, fo r i t se em s to h a v e b e c om e , in c e r t a in lo c a litie s , m o re • c iv iliz ed ,'
lik e i ts c o u s in th e P u r p l e M a r tin , a n d to h a v e ta k e n a d v a n ta g e o f th e a b o d e o f m a n in
lo c a litie s w h e re th e r e a ro n o tr e e s to a c c om m o d a te th em . S u c h was e o n s p ic u o u s ly tlie
c a se a t C a rso n C ity , w h e re th e y w e re q u ite n um e ro u s , a n d b u i l t t h e i r n e s ts u u d c r tlic
oaves, b e h in d th e w e a th e r-b o a rd in g , o r a b o u t th e p o rc h e s o f dw e llin g s o r o th e r b u ild in g s ,
a u d w e re q u ite fam ilia r . T h e sp e c im e n s co lle o to d w o re s h o t o n t h e w in g , a n d wlieii o n e
w a s b r o u g h t d ow n , th e r e s t w o u ld e x h ib i t g r e a t c o n c e rn , c i r c l in g a b o u t tlic v ic tim
a n d u t t e r in g a p la in tiv e tw i t te r , a s t h e i r su ff e riu g c om p a n io n la y f lu t t e r in g o n th e
g ro u n d .”
M r. H o f fm a n n g iv e s th o fo llow in g n o te o n th e W liite -b e llic d Sw a llow in N e v a d a
“ M r. llid g w a y fo u n d th i s sp e c ie s o n t h e IV a h s a tc h M o u n ta in s , a t a n a l t i tu d e o f 8 0 0 0 o r
!)000 fe e t. I t s o o eu rro iico in N e v a d a is a lso n o te d , m o re e sp e c ia lly th r o u g h o u t th e
w e s te rn p o r t io n o f th i s S ta te , n e a r I 'y r am id L a k e , C a rso n C ity , Ac. T h e y a ro n o t v e ry
g re g a rio u s d u r in g th e b re o d in g -sc a so ii, a n d b u t few a r o fo u n d to g e tlic r a t a n y p a r tie n la 'r
lo c a lity a t t h a t tim e , tlio u g h l a t e r in th e se a so n th e y h a v e boo n fo u n d in la rg o flocks,
p ro b a b ly p r e p a r a to r y to m ig r a t io n .”
I n C o lo rad o , a c c o rd in g to M r. D r ew , i t b re e d s from th e p la in s u p to 1 0 ,0 0 0 fe et,
a n d is fo u n d in s p r in g a n d s um m e r fr om 8 0 0 0 to 1 1 ,0 0 0 fe e t. I t rem a in s th e r e u n t i l
S c jitcm b e r. A t T w in L a k e s , C o lo rad o , i t wa s fo u n d b y Air. S c o tt to b e com m o n , b re e d in g
in d e s e rte d AVoodpe cke rs’ h o le s a n d s u ita b le lo c a litie s . O n th e 2 4 th o f J u n e lie saw
jia irs b u ild in g , b y th o 2 0 th in c u b a tio n h a d lie g u n in se v e ra l c a se s , a u d o n th e t t li o f
J u l y h e fo u n d a n e s t w ith s ix e g g s s lig h t ly in c u b a te d .
k J i i ,
I n A r iz o n a i t is a p p a r e n t ly r a r e , a c c o rd in g to Air. S c o tt, w h o saw sm a ll n um b e r s o f
in d iv id u a ls o u th e 1 0 th o f A la rc h , a n d h e o n ly o b s e rv e d i t n c a v T u c so n in e a r ly s p rin g .
Air. B rew s te r h a s , h ow e v e r, re c o rd e d i t a s c om m o n on th e m ig r a tio n in A riz o n a .
O n th o w e s te rn side o f N o r tli A m e r ic a , D r . E l l io t t C o u e s b e lie v e s t h a t i t b re e d s
a n yw h e re , a n d i t h a s b e e n ta k e n iu a ll d ls tr i e t s a p p a r e n tly . Air. B row n re c o rd s i t from
A’n iic o u v e r Is l a n d . In W a s h in g to n C o u n ty , a c c o rd in g to Air. A n th o n y , i t is a n a b u n d a n t
s um m e r re s id e n t a n d b u ild s iu lio llow tre e s , s tu b s , a n d AA’o o d p e e k o rs ’ lioles. N e a r P o r t
K l am a th , in O re g o n , Air. A le r rill h a s b o th fo u n d it a p l e n tifu l sp e c ie s a n d b re e d in g ;
i t a r riv e s a b o u t th e 4 th o f A p r il iu sm a ll ñ o c k s , a n d is a b u n d a n t b y th e m id d le o f th e
m o n th .
D r . C o o p er g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te in h is ‘ O r n ith o lo g y o f C a lifo rn ia ’ : —
“ T h is Sw a llow is to som e e x t e n t a c o n s t a n t re s id e n t in C a lifo rn ia , u few w in te r in g
p ro b a b ly in tlie e x tr em e s o u th e rn p o rtio n . I firs t n o tic e d t h e i r a p p e a ra n c e a t S to e k to n
o n P e b r u a r y 2 2 n d , 1 8 0 3 , a n d wa s iiif o n n e d by D r . H o ld e n t h a t i t does n o t v a r y m o re
th a n th r e e d a y s from t h a t d a te u su a lly . On P e b r u a r y 2 1 s t, 1 8 0 2 , I saw th e firs t
Sw allow s n e a r S a n D ieg o , p ro b a b ly o f th is spocies ; b u t th e y h a v e s iie h p ow e rs o f f iig h t
t h a t th e y m ig h t sp e n d t l i e n ig h ts o f w in te r a h u n d r e d m ile s fr om w h e re th e y fe ed a t
m id d a y . AMien firs t a r r iv in g th e y fiy so h ig h t l i a t it is d iffic u lt to d is tiiig u is li tb e
sp ec ie^ . T h e y a r e th e h a r d ie s t o f a l l o u r Sw a llow s, e x te n d in g th e i r r a n g e n o r tliw a r d a t
le a s t to la t. 53°, e a s t o f t h e R o c k y A lo u n ta in s , a n d p r e f e r r in g t h e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f tlui
co a s t a n d m o u n ta in - to p s in th i s S ta te . O n th e s um m it o f th e e o a s t- ra n g e I fo u u d th em
t a k in g th e p la c e o f th e B a rn - a n d Cliif-Swa llow s, a u d h a v e s e e n w h a t I su p p o s e d to b e th is
Species f ly in g a b o v e th e s um m its o f tb e S ie r r a N e v a d a a s l a t e a s S e p tem b e r 2 5 th , a t a n
e le v a tio n o f p ro b a b ly 9 0 0 0 fe e t a b o v e t h e s ea , m ig r a t in g tow a rd s th e s o u th . I n th is
S ta te th e y g e n e ra lly b u ild iu tlie k n o t-h o le s o f o a k s a u d o th e r tre e s , b u t iu o ld e r s e ttle d
re g io n s th e y h a v e b e e n k n ow n to p re f e r tlie a d v a n ta g e s o f a u o ld b u ild in g , o r th e l i tt l e
dw e llin g y o u p u t u p fo r tlic A la r tin s a n d B lu e -b ird s . T h o n e s t is m a d e e n t i r e ly o f lin e
g ra s s , lin e d w ith fe a th e r s , a n d tlie eg g s , fo u r o r fiv e in n um b e r , a r e p u r e w h ite . Tiiey
c om m o n ly ra is e tw o b ro o d s iu a se a so n . P iv e o r si.v p a irs o f th i s sp e c ie s w in te re d a t
S a n t a C ru z , a n d o th e r s a b o u t s h e lte r e d p o n d s in tlic v ic in ity , w h e re I saw th em iu
J a n u a r y , iSOO, d u r in g th e c o ld e s t w e a tlie r o f th e s e a so n . T h o s e a t th e tow n ro o s te d in
th e sam e k n o t-h o le s in th e h o u s e s w lie re th e y h a d ra is e d th e i r y o u n g , so t h a t th e y we re
p ro b a b ly c o n s t a n t I’c s id e u ts tlie re , a n d n o t v is ito r s from th e n o r th . L ik e a l l tlio
Sw a llow s, h ow e v e r, th e y se em e d to d e p a r t a b o u t S e p tem b e r 1 s t, p ro b a b ly o n a c c o u n t of
tb e s c a rc ity o f in s e c ts d u r in g th e l a t t e r p a r t o f tlic d ry se a so n . I n S e p tem b e r , 1805, I
saw a few, p ro b a b ly o f th i s sp ec ie s, n e a r T u la r e L ak e , w h e re th e y d o u litle s s fo u n d food
m o re a b u n d a n t .”
I n b is p a p e r o n t h e m ig r a tio n s a n d n e s tin g -h a b its o f AVcst-Coast b ird s , th e s am e
o b s e rv e r g iv e s th e fo llow in g d e ta ils o f th e p r e s e n t spec ie s :—
“ C am p Alojave , C o lo rad o A'alley, 5 0 0 fe e t ; la t . 38°. A r riv e d P e b . 21.
“ S a n ta C ru z , 50 f e e t ; ia t. 37°. L e a \ es S ep t. 2.