,iMe c o n t r a s t , a s t r i c t a d h e re n c e to i t s p r im itiv e b re e d in g -p e c u lia ritio s in c e rta in
lo c a h t.e s , a n d a c om p le te d e p a r tu r e from th em in o th e rs . I n th e m o re th in lv - s c ttle d
p o rtio n s o f t in s c o u n t r y , e sp e c ia lly w h e re o ld fo re s ts w ith t h e i r m a n v h o llow tre e s a n d
deoiiyed s tum p s a r e s till a b u n d a n t , w e fin d th is Sw a llow b r e e d in g in th o ir c o n v e n ie n t
c a v itie s , a n d s e ld om in d u c e d , e v e n w h e n th e e ffo rt is m a d e to t em p t th em to do so, to
o c c u p y th e b o x e s p u t u p f o r t h e i r b e t t e r a c c om m o d a tio n . T h is w a s th e c a se in th e
c lu s t e r o f sm a ll is la n d s in th e B a y o f I ’u n d y a r o u n d G r a n d M c n a n , w h e re th e s e b ird s
a r e v e ry a b u n d a n t, a n d w h e re , a l th o u g h M a r tin -b o x e s h a v e b e e n p r e p a r e d fo r th o ir u se .
m n o m s ta n e e h a d th e y , w h e n I l a s t v is ite d t h a t lo c a lity (1 8 5 1 ), boon in d u c e d to o o cu p v
th em . H o llow t r e e s , h o le s lu s tum p s , fe n c e s, a n d lo g s se em e d to b e th e i r p re f e r r e d
p la c e s fo r n e s tin g . T h e y a r e in c o n s e q u e n c e k n ow n in su c h lo c a litie s by th e n am e o f
tlic M o o d -Swa llow, so a lso , in th e w e s te rn p a r t o f th e c o u n try , h o llow t re e s a r e so g e n e r
a lly t h e i r r e s o r t, t h a t e v e n A u d u b o n , a t th e tim e o f th e p u b lic a tio n o f th o iire t v o lum e
ot h is O r n ith o lo g io a l B io g r a p h y , w a s n o t aw a r e t l i a t th e y h a d , in a iiv in s ta n c e , b e e n
k n ow n to im it a te th o B lu e -b ird , th e M a r tin , a n d th e M 're n , in a c c e p tin g t h e h o s p ita litie s
ot m a u . Y e t th i s f a c t h a s n o t e sc a p e d t h e o b s e rv a tio n o f W ilso n . I n som e p a r ts o f tlie
e o im try , e sp e c ia lly in E a s t e r n M a s s a c h u s e tts , th e s e Sw a llow s h a v o u n d e r e o iie a c liam .e
oi h a b i t a s c om p le te a s ,ia t o t th e P u r p l e M a r tin , o f w h o s e b o x e s th e y h a v e th e r e
p o s se s sed tliem se lv e s . 1 .ive ev e n k n ow n o f t h e i r n e s t in g i n a ro u g h c a n d le -b o x w ith
o n e e n d k n o c k e d o u t , a n d p la c e d fo r th em in a n a c e e ss ih io s itu a tio n . A u d u b o n
sp e a k s o f th e i r d r iv in g th e B a rn -Sw a llow from i t s n e s t a u d t a k in g possessio n , a n d N u t t a l l
m e n tio n s th e i r b re e d in g o n fl a t h o riz o n ta l b ra n c h e s o f tre e s . I h a v e n e v e r m e t w ith
th em 111 e i th e r o f tlic s e s itu a tio n s . T h is sp o cies is w id e ly d i s tr ih u te d , fr om th e M id d le
S ta te s to th e e x trem e n o r th e r n r e g io n s ; S ir J o h n l l ic lia rd s o n fo u u d th em b r c c d in " in
lioIIow tr e e s a t E o r t N o rm a n , o n th e M a c k e n z ie l l iv e r . in l a t i tu d e 05°. T lie v a r e sp o k e n
ol h y w r ite r s a s n o t so n um e ro u s a s th o B a n i -S w a l lo w ; b u t th is m y ow n o b s e rv a tio n s
w o u ld le a d m e to d o u b t. A lo n g th e A t l a n t i c c o a s t, from la t i tu d e ,38° to tlic S t. L aw re n c e
th e y a r e o u r m o s t c om m o n spocies. T h e y a r e sa id to b e e q u a lly a b u n d a n t o u tlio s h o iG
o t t h e Pacific a n d th e b a n k s o f th o C o lu iiiliia ll iv e r . T h e y se em to b e le s s a b u n d a n t in
th o in t e r io r , e sp e c ia lly in th e a b s e n c e o f w a te r.
“ I f , a s wo p r e s um e to h e th e e a se , th o spooies o f th o P a c illo c o a s t is id e n tic a l w ith
th is , tlie h ite -h e llic d Sw a llow h a s a r a n g e c o e x te n s iv e wifli th e h a b i t a b l e p o rtio n s o f
N o r tli A m e r ic a , from tlie W e s t In d ia I s la n d s to G r e e n la n d o n th o A t la n tic , a n d from
S o u th e rn C a lifo rn ia to th e llu s s i a ii p o sse s s io n s o n th e M -e ste rn C o a s t. H r . T ow n se n d
o lise rv e d i t tb r o u g lio u t O re g o n ; D r. G am b e l, D r . H e c rm a n , a n d M r. S am u e ls m e t w ith
It I,re e d in g i t C a lifo rn ia , L om b e y e a n d G u n d la o h g iv e it a s o n e o f th e eo uiniori h ird s o f
C u b a (th o u g h n o t in e iitio n c d iiy M r. Gosse a s fo u n d in J a n i a i e a ) ; a n d Dr. W o o d lio iise
fo u n d I t th r o u g h o u t th o In d ia n T o rid to ric s, T e x i s , a u d N ew M e x ic o , a s w e lt a s in
C a lifo rn ia ,
“ T h is sp ec ie s, durmj,^ th e b rc c d iiig -se a so ii, is m o re q u a r re ls om e th a u a n v o th e r o f th e i r
re la tiv e s , a u d th e y a r e q u i t e a m a tc h ev e u fo r th e P u rp le M a r tin , u p o n w h o se te r r ito r ie s
th e y o fte n in t r u d e a n d k e e p p o s se s s io n . T h e y e v in c e a s t r o n g a t t a c h m e n t fo r th e i r
o ffsp rin g , a n d m a n if e s t g r e a t a illic tio n w h e n ro b b e d o f th em , u t t e r in g low b u t e x c e e d in
g ly p la in tiv e c om p la in ts . AA’h c n a p a i r o f th e s e Sw a llow s h a v e b e c om e fam ilia r iz e d to
a c e r t a in lo c a lity , r e tu r n in g to i t y e a r a f te r y e a r, w ith a l i tt l e p a in s i t is n o t d iffic u lt to
e n t e r in to a lim ite d in te r c o u r s e w ith th em , e sp e c ia lly in s u p p ly in g th em w i th th e
m a te r ia ls o f th e i r u c s t. Tw o o f th e s e h ird s , w h o h a v e f o r s e v e ra l y e a rs o c c u p ie d a u old
a u d ru d c ly - c o u s tru c te d te n em e n t iu th e v e r y h e a r t o f B o s to n , re c e iv e e a c h y e a r a u
a b u n d a n t s u p p ly o f f e a th e r s , a lm o s t from t h e v e ry h a n d s o f t h e m em b e r s o f th e fam ily
u n d e r w h o se p ro te c tio n th e y lin d a s h e lte r . N e a r ly a l l th o m a te r ia ls th e y u s e d we re
fe a th e r s b low n to th em from th e w in d ow , w h ic h , w ith th e q u ic k n e s s o f th o u g h t , th e y
w o u ld d a r t a t a n d c a t c h w ith th o i r h ills , a n d im m e d ia te ly c o n v e y to t h e i r r e tr e a t. I n
tim e th e y b e c am e so fam ilia r , a s a lm o s t to t a k e th em fr om t h e h a n d s o f th e p e r s o n who
su p p lie d th em . T h is h a s b e e n re p e a te d s e v e ra l se a so n s . AVhen th e y h a v e y o u n g ju s t
h a tc h e d , o r e g g s o n th e p o in t o f h a tc h in g , th e y s i t so c lo se a s to ho e a s ily t a k e n o n th e i r
n e s t. AVhen ta k e n an d re le a s e d , th e y fly b u t a few fe e t from t h e i r n e s t, h o v e r in g o v e r
th e h e a d s o f t h e i r in t r u d e r s .
“ T h e y c o n s t r u c t a v e r y loose, so ft, w a rm n e s t o f fin e h a y a n d le a v e s , a b u n d a n t ly
su p p lie d w ith d ow n a n d fe a tlie rs , h y w h ic h th e e g g s a r e o ft ' fo u n d c om p le te ly c o v e red .
G r e a t p a in s a r e a p p a r e n tly tak e u . to k e e p th e n e s t c le a n a n d - y h y c o n s t a n t a d d itio n s o f
so ft, d ry m a te r ia ls d u r in g in c u b a tio n . T h e y h a v e u s u a lly tw o b ro o d s iu a sea so n .
“ T h e e g g s a r c o f a b e a u tif u l p u r e w liite . AVheii u n b low n , th e y h a v e a d e lic a te
p in k ish sh a d e , im p a r te d b y t h e y o lk . T lie y a r e som ew lu it o b lo n g in sh a p e , t h e sm a lle r
en d s a r e w e ll d e fin e d a n d p o in te d , a u d th e e g g s a rc o n ly s u b je c t to o c c a s io n a l v a r ia tio n s
in size. T h e ir m e a su r em e n ts v a r y from to yJ o f a u in c h in le n g th , a n d fr om to
in b r e a d th .”
T h e AA'hite-hcllied Sw a llow does n o t a p p e a r to h a v e m u c h so n g . Air. B ic k n e ll, in
h is n o te s o n th e s in g in g o f h ird s , s a y s :— “ T h e so n g o f th is Sw a liow is h a r d ly m o r e th a n
a c h a tte r . I t is to he h e a rd as l a te in t h e y e a r a s th e h ird is w i th u s . I t s o rd in a ry
n o te s a r e le s s s h a r p a u d r a p id th a u th o s e o f th e B a rn -Sw a llow .”
M r. D rew w r ite s :— “ I h a v e se e n n o a c c o u n t o f th e so n g o f th i s sp ec ie s, n o r, in d e e d ,
w a s I aw a re o f its m u s ic a l p ow e rs u n t i l th o p a s t s um m e r. M a y 2 4 th , a t a n e le v a tio n of
80 0 0 fe e t, 1 fo u u d a l i t t l e c o lo n y j u s t b e g in n in g lio u se -k e c p iu g in a c o tto n -w o o d g ro v e
o n a n is la n d in th e S a n A n to n io B iv e r, C o lo rad o . AVben a t r e s t th e y u t t e r e d a p e c u lia r
c liiru p p y w a rb le , r e s em b lin g a S p a rrow ’s so n g in som e r e s p e c ts , a n d s t r ik in g ly lik e a
R o b in ’s in som e o f th e h a l f w h is tle s .”
AA'e h a v e a lre a d y a llu d e d to th e lia h it o f a s s em b lin g in v a s t nuinhervS w h ic h th i s
Sw a llow o c c a s io n a lly e x h ib its . A f u r th e r in s ta n c e o f th is c h a r a c te r is tic in i t s w in te r-
q u a r te r s iu G u a tem a la is re la te d h y Alessrs. S a lv in a n d G o dm a n :— “ AA o o n c e o b se rv e d
a fiock o f th is k in d iu th e o p e n sp ac e iu th e fo r e s t o f th o A'olcan do F u e g o c a lle d B a ja l
G r a n d e , th e e le v a tio n o f w h ic h is a b o u t 5 0 0 0 f e e t a b o v e th e s e a -le v e l. T h is w a s 011 th e
2 5 th D e c em b e r, 1 8 7 3 , w h e n a v a s t llo ck o f th e s e b ird s w e re s e e n c ir c lin g ro u n d a u d
2 ii