ro u n d in a c om p a c t m a s s , a n d e v e ry n ow a n d th e n s e t t l in g on som e low s h ru b s , w e ig h in g
d ow n riie o u t e r b o u g h s a n d c row d in g to g e th e r l ik e a sw a rm o f b e e s . W e c o u ld d e te c t
n o o b je c t in th i s a s s em b la g e ; i t w a s n e i th e r th e se a so n o f m ig r a tio n , n o r w a s i t th e
r o o s tin g -tim e , a s i t to o k jila c e i n th e a f te rn o o n o f a b r ig h t s u n n y d a y .”
D r . E l l io t t C o u e s h a s p u b lis h e d a n in t e r e s tin g a c c o u n t o f tlie lia b its o f th e spec ie s,
f rom w h ic h w e m a k e th e fo llow in g e x t r a c t :—
“ bw a llow s a r e n o t se ld om se e n a t se a , b e in g am o n g th e b ird s t h a t m o s t fr e q u e n tly
a l ig h t o n th e r ig g in g o f v e s s e ls , b e y o n d s ig h t o f la n d , to r e s t a n d r e c r u i t b e fo re p u s h in g
o n t lic ir t ra c k le s s w a y . T lie p r e tty AVhite-bellicd Sw a llow , in d re s s -su it o f sn ow y v e s t
a n d l i te r a l ‘ sw a llow - ta il ’— fo r h a v e w e n o t s u c h a n am e fo r a p a r ti c u la r g a rm e n t ?— h a s
b e e n k n ow n to a c c om p lish a t r a n s -A t la n t ic v o y a g e su c c e s s fu lly , a u d re a c h th e sh o re s o t
th o o ld c o u n t r y o n ly to h e c a p tu r e d a n d m a d e a p a r a g r a p h of. T h is sh ow s w h a t h o c a n
do w h e n h e r e a l ly trie s to i l y ; h is m o v em e n ts o v e r t h e la n d a r c t h e vei-iest s a u u te r iu g
in c om p a riso n . T h e AVhite-helly se em s, from a n o th e r c irc um s ta n c e , to h e o u e o f tlie
h a r d ie s t o f o u r Sw a llow s ; fo r i t is c o n sp ic u o u s am o n g t l ie w in t e r h ird s o f E lo rid a , a n d
d o u b tle s s o tlie r p a r ts o f th e G u lf c o a s t. Air. B o a rdm a n te l l s m e , vicu coce, th a t c o u n tle s s
th o u s a n d s e n jo y th e s e r e n ity o f th o E lo r id a n w in te rs ; a n d , lik e th o B lu e b ird , th e AVhite-
h e lly is n o t se ld om tem p te d h y th e tr e a c h e r y o f th e ‘ J a n u a r y tliaw ’ to com e u n g
u a r d e d ly n o r thw a rd , b e in g th e sp e c ie s w liic h , p e r lia p s o f t e n e r ^ h a n a n y o th e r o f th e
f am ily , is n o te d a s o c c u r r in g u n e x p e c te d ly b e y o n d i ts u s u a l r a n g e in w in te r , a n d th u s
h y no m e a n s m a k in g a s um m e r. A c a se o f th is s o r t c am e w i ih in m y e x p e rie n c e a t E o r t
Alaco n , N o r th C a ro lin a , w h e re n um b e r s o f th e s e Sw allow s a p p e a re d o n e w a rm d a y in
e a rly J a n u a r y , th o u g l i th e r e h a d b e e n a sm a r t fre e z e j u s t b e fo re . T h e flo c k p la y e d
a b o u t th e fo r t, b u t iv e re so o n d riv e n o if b y h a d w e a th e r ; th e y wove n e s t se e n a g a in o n th e
2 0 th o f th e m o n th , a n d o c c a s io n a lly from t h a t tim e u n t i l t h e r e g u la r m ig ra tio n . E rom
t h e i r w in te r-h om o s , n o t o n ly in th e G u l f S ta te s a n d in S o u th e rn C a lifo rn ia , h u t in
A lex ic o , t h e AA e s t In d i e s , a n d C e n tr a l A m e r ic a , th o s e b ird s s p re a d n o r thw a rd in A la reh
a n d A p r il, from o n e s id e o f t h e c o n t in e n t to th e o th e r , a n d som e p ro c e e d to th e A r c tic
re g io n s . T h e y b re e d in d e p e n d e n tly o f l a titu d e , som e o n th e h ig h la n d s o f A lexico, a u d
a n yw h e r e in th e AA'est; h u t in th e E a s t, th o i r u s u a l b re c d in g -ra n g c is sa id to b e n o r th o f
t h e p a r a l l e l o f 38°. H ow u n e x c e p tio n a lly th i s m a y h o ld I do n o t k n o w ; b u t th e s e
S w a llow s a ro e s p e c ia lly re c o g n iz e d a s s um m e r v is ito r s in n o r th e r ly p a r ts o f th e U n ite d
S ta te s , a s N ow E n g l a n d , fo r e x am p le , a n d in th e B r i t is h P ro v in c e s .
“ U n lik e th e B a r n a n d E a v e Sw a llow s, th e gIos.sy T . v i r id i s o f AVilson is a co n firm e d
h o lc -b r e c d c r, r a tl i c r je a lo u s o f tlie a n c i e n t c u s tom s o f i t s fam ily , a n d slow to y ie ld to tlio
a l lu r em e n t s o f c iv iliz a tio n , e v e n th o u g h th e m o s t t em p t in g b o x e s b e p r e s e n te d to its
c h o ic e . AVhcn i t w ill, i t w ill, a n d w h e n i t w o n ’t, th e P u r p l e A la r tin s m u s t bn d ep e n d e d
o n to n i l th e n e a t l i t t l e h o u s e s t h a t w e b u i ld to e n tic e th e Sw a llow s. I n E a s t e rn
A la s s a c liu so tts , s a y s I ) r . B rew e i’, th e c h a n g e o f h a b i t is c o n firm e d . I n p a r ts o f Alaino
a n d N ew B ru n sw ic k , Air. B o a rdm a n te lls m e , th e e x p e r im e n t is f a r from su c c e s s fu l, as,
t e n to o ne, Sw a llow s s t il l n e s t iu b o le s in t r e e s a n d s tum p s . T h e h o llow tr e e is th e
n a tu r a l a n d s t il l th e u s u a l I’e s o r t, a s wc see c le a rly from s tu d y o f th e s e h ird s in th e
AVest.
“ I do n o t th in k t h a t I e v e r saw T . h ico lo r in Ai’iz o n a , w h e re T. lh a la s s in u s is n o t
u n c om m o n . O th e r s , h ow e v e r, h a v e fo u n d i t in t h a t T e r r ito ry . C a p ta in B e n d ire sp e a k s
o f i t s b re e d in g a b o u t T u c so n . I n S o u th e rn C o lo rad o , Air. llenshaAv fo u n d i t ‘ n o t
u n c om m o n , th o u g h p e r h a p s th e r a r e s t o f th o Sw a llow s .’ I t is r a r e r in th e A lisso u ri
re g io n th a n t h e o th e r Swallows a re , b e c a u s e m o s t o f t h a t c o u n try , lik e th e r e s t o f th e
G r e a t P la te a u , does n o t fu r n is h m a n y g ood h re e d in g -p la c e s . I n C a lifo rn ia , C o o p e r fo u n d
th e B lu e -g rc e n s o n th e s um m i t o f th e C o a s t l l a n g e , re p la c in g tb e B a rn a n d Cliff Sw a llows,
a n d saw w h a t h e su p p o s e d w e re tlie s e h ird s fly in g o v e r tlic S ie r r a N e v a d a a t a n
e le v a tio n o f 0 0 0 0 fe e t. l i e sp e a k s o f t h e i r w in te r in g iu som e p a r ts o f th e S ta te , a n d th is
is c o n firm ed h y th e o b s e rv a tio n s o f Air. H e p b u r n , w h o state.s t h a t a few re s id e d u r in g th e
w in te r, b e in g re in fo rc e d tow a rd s th e c lo se o f E e h r u a ry a n d g row in g a b u n d a n t h y th e
e n d o f Aiarcli. T h e y a r e a m o n th l a t e r s t il l in B r i t is h C o lom b ia . I fo u n d th em b r e e d in g
a t P em b in a e a r ly in J u n o , w i th g r e a t n um b e r s o f C’liff Sw a llow s.
“ I fin d n o re c o rd o f th e n e s t in g o f th is sp e c ie s in c a v e s o r h o le s in ro c k s , th o u g h
T . th a la s s in u s som e tim e s d o es so. A g r e e a b ly to i ts c lio ic e o f n e s tin g -s ite , w h ic h render.s
p la s t e r in g n e e d le s s , i t u se s n o m u d iu b u i ld in g i ts n e s t, th e f a b r ic b e in g lo o s e ly c o n s
t ru c t e d o f fine so ft h a y , w i th a c o p io u s w a rm l in in g o f f e a th e r s . T h e l a t t e r a r e o fte n so
disp o sed a s to c u r l p r e tt i ly o v e r tlic t r e a s u r e w i th in , lik e th e A c a n th u s t h a t s u g g e s te d
th e C o riiitliia n c a p ita l ; a u d th e eg g s a r e som e tim e s a lm o s t e n tir e ly th u s co v e red .
“ T h e r e a r e som e p o in ts in th e e a r lie r h i s to r y o f th is SwaUow t l ia t I w ish to r e h e a r s e
h e r e . I m a y p rem is e , t h a t th o u g h th e sp e c ie s w a s u am e d h y AVilson v ir id is , i t h a d
b e fo re b e e n c a lle d bicolor b y A 'ieillo t ; h u t t h a t th i s e v e n is n o t th e ro o t o f th e m a t t e r ;
fo r i t wa s k n ow n to L a th am a n d G m e lin a s a v a r ie ty o f th e E u ro p e a n H o u s e A la rtin ,
C h elid o n u rh ica o f B o ie a n d l a t e n a tu r a l is t s . N e x t, th i s sp e c ie s is s a id to d e p a r t from
th e iu s e c tiv o ro u s c u s tom s o f its f am ily so f a r a s to feed a t tim e s p r in c ip a lly o u th e
b e r rie s o f th e m y r t l e {2 Iy r ic a c e r ife ra ). T h e fa e t is a t t e s t e d b y AVilson, a n d A u d u b o n
s p e a k s o f T. bicolor a s ro o s tin g h y n ig h t on th e d r i e r , a s t h e E re iic h L o u is ia n ia n s c a ll th is
p l a n t . T h ird ly , in c o n n e c tio n Avith th e w e ll-k n ow n fa c t t h a t th e s e SwalloAvs s p e n d th e
w in t e r in g r e a t n um b e r s in E lo r id a a n d th e G u l f S ta te s , som e item s r e s p e c tin g th e i r
e n o rm o u s c o n g r e g a tio n s h a v e b e e n n o te d . I h a v e a lr e a d y s p o k e n o f t h e v a s t a s s em b la g e s
o f Sw a llow s o f v a r io u s k in d s Avliicli m a y h e w itn e s s e d d u r in g th e s e a so n o f m ig r a tio n ;
th e b o o k s a r c fu l l o f in s ta n c e s , a n d i t s e em s t h a t th e p r e s e n t sp e c ie s is n o Avliit h e liin d
i ts bcttor-knoAvn c o n g e n e rs in tliis re s p e c t. AVilson saw h u n d re d s o f AVIiite-hellies on
t h e s a n d y b e a c h o f th e G r e a t E g g H a r b o r . T h e y ‘ c om p le te ly c o v e r e d ’ th e m y rtle -
h u s h e s o f th e low is la n d s th e r e a b o u ts ; a m a n to ld h im lie h a d s e e n a h im d rc d a n d tw o
k ille d a t a s h o t, a n d avo n e e d n o t jire sum o t h a t a p e r s o n Avoiild prcA'aric atc, ju .s t fo r tw o
SwalloAvs. I n r e c o rd in g h is o b s e rv a tio n s m a d e o n th e s e h ird s in L o u is ia n a , iu Avinter,
A u d u b o n sp e a k s o f ‘ th o u s a n d s liv in g in d iifo re n t llo c k s ,’ b u t o n ly m e n tio n s fo u r te e n
k ille d a t a sh o t. D u r in g th e Avinter, h e s a y s , m a n y AVcre s h e lte r e d iu h o le s a b o u t tin*
I