T h e h a b i t s o f th e C om m o n S iv a llow a r e f am ilia r to e v e ry o n e , a n d h a v e iieen
to ld a n d r e to ld In m a n y ■works o n B r i t is h b ird s . On o o t tlie lie s t a c c o u n ts a p p e a rs
to u s to b e t b a t o f Air. H e n r y S e e b o hm in h is ‘ H i s to ry o f B ritis li B ird s ,’ from w h ic h
wo m a k e th e fo llow in g e x t r a c t “ T h o n e s t o f th e Sw allow is g e n e ra lly p la c ed o n th e
jo i s t w h ic h s u p p o rts th e r a f te r s o f a lia rn o r o tlie r o u th o u s e , a few iu c h e s b e low th e
ti le s o r s la te s w h ic h fo rm th e ro o f. I n th i s p o s itio n i t r e s ts u p o n th e lio riz o n ta l su rfa c e
o f t h e jo i s t , a n d is a r in g o f m u d lin e d w i th d ry g ra s s a n d a few fe a th e r s . B y f a r th e
g r e a t e r n u n ih c r o f Sw a llow s ’ n e s ts w h ic li I h a v e se e n in th i s c o u n try liav c lie e n b u i l t in
tb i s p o s itio n a n d o n t in s m o d e l. C u rio u s ly e n o u g h , th i s is n o t tlie ease o n th e C o n tin e n t.
T lic re tlie Sw a llow g e n e ra lly b u ild s a g a in s t a p e rp e n d ic u la r w a ll, b u t a lso o u ly a few
in c h e s b e low som e h o riz o n ta l s h e lf o r ro o f ; iu th i s s i tu a t io n th e n e s t is in th e sliapo of
a q u a r te r o f a h o llow g lo b e o f m u d . To in c re a s e th e s e c u r ity o f th e s t r u c tu r e i t g la d ly
a v a ils i t s e l f o f a n y l i tt l e p ro je c tio n o r n a il o r p e g to lie g in u p o n . B u t tb o u s u a l n e s t o f
t h e Sw a llow o n th e C o n tin e n t o n ly d iffe rs from t h a t o f th e A la r tin iu h a v in g th e sid es a s
w e ll a s th e f r o n t o p en in s te a d o f b u i l t u p to th e p ro je c tin g s h e lf o r ro o f. A t th e ra ilw a y -
s ta tio n a t K u s tc h u k dozens o f Sw a llow s ' a n d A la r tin s ’ n e s ts m a y b e se e n side b y sido, a n d
d iffe rin g o n ly in th e m a n n e r I h a v e d e sc rilie d . I n th e la rg e b u ild in g w h e re m y frie n d
O h o r am tm a n n N e h rk o n i s ta ll-fe e d s liis c a ttle , n e a r B ru n sw ic k , th e ro o f is s u p p o rte d b y
i ro n p illa rs , a n d m a n y SwaUows b u ild th e i r u e s ts u n d e r th e h e a v y b e am s w h ic h r e s t
u p o n tliem , u s in g tlic iro n r in g wliich does d u ty a s a c a p i ta l to la y th e fo u n d a tio n m u d
u p o n . T h e c o n tin e n ta l sy s tem a p p ro a c h e s n e a r e s t to th o h a b its o f th e Sw a llow in a
s t a t e o f n a tu r e . AThen A ir. Y o u n g a n d I w o re iu th e D o b ru d s c lia wo tw ic e lia d tlio
g ood f o r tu n e to fin d sm a ll c o lo n ie s o f th e s e b ird s , so to sp e a k , wild . I n o n e ca se th e
n e s ts we re b u i l t a g a in s t t h e p e r p e n d ic u la r cliff's u n d e r a u o v e r lia u g in g le d g e o f ro c k ,
le a v in g p e rlia p s a n in c Ii o f sp a c e a l l ro u n d fo r th e in g re s s a n d e g re s s o f th e b ird . I n th e
o th e r ca se th e n e s ts w e re b u i l t i n e x a c tly s im ila r s itu a tio n s o u t h e ro o fs o f caves. I u
o no n e s t th e e g g s w e re n e a r ly h a tc h e d , a n d w e w a tc h e d tlie h ird s fly in g in a u d o u t, so
t h a t n o p o s s ib le d o u h t a s to th e sp e c ie s c o u ld a ris e . O n e o f th e n e s ts was in th e o c c u p
a tio n o f a S p a rrow . S e v e r a l o th e r in s ta n c e s o f th e b re e d in g o f th e Sw a llow in cliffs
a n d c a v e s lia v e b e e n re c o rd e d . E dw a rd s h a s n o tic e d i t so d o in g o n th e co a s t o f B au if-
s h i r e ; a n d llid g w a y fo u n d tb o A m e r ic a n fo rm o f th e Sw allow lire e d in g in c a v e s in
N e v a d a , o n e o f th e I ’a c iiic S ta te s , a n d a lso m e n tio n s t h a t iu A m e r ic a i t o fte n b u ild s
a g a in s t a p e r p e n d ic u la r w a ll i f i t c a n n o t fin d a s u ita b le h o riz o n ta l r a f te r . O tlie r
lo r a litic s aro a lso c h o so ii in E n g la n d . I t o f t e n b re e d s iu c liim n e y s a n d o c c a s io n a lly
d ow n a w e ll o r a n o ld m in e , o r u n d e r a b r id g e o r a d o o rw ay , iu a ll o f w h ic h s itu a tio n s
tlic n o s t is g e n e ra lly b u i l t o n th e e o iitin c u ta l m o d e l. D ix o n h a s se e n i ts n e s t in
b u ild in g s o n s to n e s p ro je c tin g from t h e w a ll s e v e ra l ie e t from th e ro o f o r a n y o th e r
sh e lte r . B ly tii re c o rd s o u e in s ta n c e o f a Sw a llow b u i ld in g in th e h o le of a t r e e a b o u t
t h i r ty f e e t fr om t h e g r o u n d ; a u d Y a r r e ll fig u re s a n o s t b u ilt iu th e fo r k o f th e b ra n c li of
a s y c am o re tre e . To m a k e th e n e s t s tro n g , th e Sw a llow m ix e s w i th th e m u d o t w h ic li
th e w a lls a r e com p o sed d ry g ra s s , s traw , o r h a ir. T lie m u d -m a d e s h e li o r c u p is n e a tly
lin e d w itli d ry g ra s s a u d a ’fcw fe a th e r s , g e n e ra lly o b ta in e d a s th e b ird flies tl ir o u g h tlie
a ir. I n s lia p e tlio n e s t is v e r y sh a llow , a n d , u n l ik e t h e H o u sc -A Ia rt.iii’s, is a lw a y s op en ,
le a v in g th o s i tt in g b ird e x p o s e d to v iew. S ome n e s ts a r e m u c h m o re c a r e f u lly m a d e
th a n o th e rs , d e p e n d in g to a g r e a t e x t e n t o n t h e p e c u lia ritie s o t th e c lio se ii s ite . I n som e
oase s l i tt lo m o re th a n a r im o f m u d is fo rm e d , in w h ic h th e so fte r m a te r ia ls a r e p lac ed ,
w h ils t ill o th e rs a p e r fe c t s a u c e r is fo rm e d o f m u d , s traw s , a n d l i t t l e s tic k s b e fo re th e
lin in g is p u t in .
“ T lie Sw allow b u ild s a fr e sh n e s t e v e ry y e a r, g e n e ra lly close to th e o n e o f th e
p re v io u s y e a r, c o n s e q u e n tly m a n y o ld n e s ts m a y b e s e e n close to g e th e r . Th o e g g s o f
th e SwaUow a r e from fo u r to s ix in n um h o r, a n d v a ry c o n s id e r a b ly in sh a p e a n d
m a rk in g s . T h o g ro u n d - c o lo u r is a lw a y s p u r e w h ite , a n d th e m a rk in g s a r e r ic h coffoe-
h row ii, v io le t-g re y , a n d l ig h t re d d ish b r o w n ; th e s e a ro u s u a l ly d i s tr ib u te d o v e r th e
e n t i r e ’su rf a c e o f th e e g g , h u t m o s t th i c k ly a t th e la rg o e n d . T h e g re y u n d e r ly in g
m a rk in g s a r e f a r m o re n um e ro u s a n d l a r g e r o u som e e g g s th a u o n o tlie rs . T h e
sp o ts v a r y c o n s id e ra b ly in size : o n som e e g g s th e y a r e sm a ll sp e c k s , o n o th e rs
la rg o sp o ts a n d b lo tc h e s , som e tim e s c o n f lu e n t o n th e l a rg e r e n d , fo rm in g a b ro a d
i r r e g u l a r zone . T h e e g g s v a r y in l e n g th from O'O to 0 '7 5 in c h , a n d in b r e a d th from
0-58 to 0-62 in c h . T lie e g g s o f th e B a rn -Sw a llow v e r y clo se ly re s e n ililc th o s e o f th e
E o c k -A Ia rtin ( 0 . ru p e s tr is )-, in d e e d so m u c h so t h a t th e y c a n n o t w ith c e r ta in ty b e
d is tin g u is h e d .
“ T h e s i tt in g h ird is fe d h y i t s m a te , w h o c o n s ta n tly v is its h e r w ith jo y o u s tw i t te r in g
c rie s d u r in g th e w h o le p e rio d o f in c u b a tio n . T h e S iv a llow u s u a lly r e a r s tw o b ro o d s in
th e se a so n . T h o eg g s o f th e f ir s t c lu tc h a r e g e n e ra lly la id e a rly in Alay, a n d th e y o u n g
a r e a b le to fly b y th e e n d o f J u n e ; th o s e o f th e se c o n d c lu t c h a r e la id e a rly iu J u ly ,
a n d th e y o u n g a ro , in m o s t ca ses, fu lly fled g e d h y S e p tem b e r ; b u t o x c e p tio iia lly l a te
b ro o d s a ro fr e q u e n t ly d e s e rte d h y t h e i r p a r e n ts . T h e y o u n g a r e t e n d e d som e l i tt l e tim e
a f te r th e y q u i t th e n e s t, a n d a r e o fte n fe d o n t h e w in g .”
E o r th e fo llow in g in te r e s tin g n o te w e a ro in d e b te d to Air. E dw a rd B a r t l e t t , th e l a t e
C u r a to r o f th e A lu s e um a t A la id sto n e . W r i t in g fr om t h a t p la c e o u t h e l o t h o f
S e p tem b e r , 1 8 8 3 , h e o b se rv e s “ L a t e ly o u r b e n e fa c to rs A le ssrs, T. a u d J . H om iigw o rth ,
o rd e re d th e liu g o E liz a b e th a n c h im n e y s o v e r t h e H a ll a u d G r e a t H a ll o f th i s I n s t i t u t i o n
to h e r e s to r e d , a n d k n ow in g t h a t th e Sw allow s h a d b re d in th em f o r y e a rs , I was a n x io u s
to see th e p o s itio n s o f th e n e s ts . I n th e firs t o h inm e y I f o u n d a n e s t o t fo u r e g g s o n th e
lo t l i J u n e , 1 8 8 5 , a t th e d e p th o f s e v e n fe e t fr om th e to p o f th o s ta c k . I n t h e s e c o n d
s ta c k o f c liim n e y s , w i th se v e ra l s h a f ts , a u d som e o f th em e x trem e ly n a r row , I fo u n d a
n e s t o f th ro o o'ggs o n th o 2 0 tli A u g u s t, 1 8 8 5 , s ix fe e t s ix in c h e s fr om th e to p o f th e
s t a c k ; th e y h a d b e e n s a t o n a b o u t five d a y s , th e r e fo r e th o y o u n g w o u ld b e h a tc h e d
a b o u t th e 3 8 tli o f th e s am e m o iitli, a n d i f we a llow s ix d a y s fo r th e y o u n g to become
fu lly fled g e d a n d a b le to fly from th o iie s t, i t w o u ld lirin g th o d a t e u p to S e p tem b e r
th e 3 rd.
“ I n a n o th e r s h a f t o f th o sam e s t a c k w a s a n e s t w i th fo u r u iifiodgod y o u n g , whicli
was e ig h t fe e t s ix in c h e s from th e to p o f th e s ta c k , a u d in a n e x tr em e ly n a r row s l i a l t ; i t
a p p e a re d a lm o s t im p o ss ib le fo r a Swallow to d e s c e n d to so g r e a t a d e p th . 1 h a d o fte n