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m e n e in g to f a k e flig lit, a t th e t im e th e o th e r h ird s le a v e fo r th e s o u th , a n d I h a v e know n
a p a i r o r tw o to r em a in a w e e k o r so b e h in d th e m a in m ig r a tio n in o rd e r to p r e p a re tlie ir
y o u n g fo r th e jo u r n e y b e fo re th em . B u t th i s is u n c om m o n , th e n e s t in g b e in g u s u a lly
e n d e d a n d a l l th o y o u n g o n th e Aving a b o u t th e sam e tim e . T h e ir f ir s t e g g s a r e la id on
th e la s t d ay s o f M a y o r f ir s t o f J u n e .”
M r. S te a rn s , in h is ‘ N ew E n g l a n d B ird -L ife ,’ gives a n o te o n th e SA\-alloAv in th e
E a s t e r n S t a t e s :— “ A com m o n s um m e r re s id e n t, e sp e c ia lly in p o p u la te d ¡d a ces. Tho
r e g u la r r e tu r n o f th e SAA'allows o c c u rs in A p r il, a n d u s u a lly d u r in g th e l a t t e r p a r t o f
t l iu t m o n th ; b u t tlie tim e is v e r y v a r ia b le , d e p e n d in g m u c h u p o n th e AA c a th e r , a n d
in d iv id u a ls m a y som e tim e s h e o b s e rv e d in M a r c h , o r e v e n in F e b ru a ry . S u c h in s ta n c e s ,
hoAvever, n o m o re r e p r e s e n t th e n o rm a l m ig r a tio n t h a n ‘ m a k e a s um m e r.’ T h e r e tu r n
m o v em e n t is in S e p tem b e r , a n d r a th e r e a rly th a n l a t e in t h a t m o n th , b u t l a rg e ly
d e te rm in e d b y th e Aveather, a s in s p rin g . T h e SAA-alloAVs a r e v e r y a s s id u o u s in th e i r
h o u s e h o ld affairs, n e s t in g fo r t h e f ir s t tim e u s u a l ly b y t h e m id d le o f M a y , r e a r in g
a n o th e r fam ily l a t e in J u n e , a n d som e tim e s m a n a g in g to d isp o se o f a th i r d b e fo re th e
e n d o f th o s nm m c r— u s in g , i f n o t m a k in g , m u c h h a y ‘ w h ile th e s u n sh in e s .’ T h e Avell-
knoAvn n e s t o f p e lle ts o f m u d lin e d w ith h a y a n d o fte n a lso w i th fe a th e r s is p la c e d u p o n
t h e r a f t e r s o r u n d e r th e e a v e s o f a b a r n o r o th e r b u ild in g , AA'hich se rv e s th e s e a c c om m o d
a t in g b ird s in g ood s te a d o f th e h o le s in tr e e s th e y u s e d to o c c u p y b e fo re th e c o u n try
w a s s e ttle d . T h e e g g s a r e th r e e to fiv e o r s ix in n um b e r .”
T lie fo llow in g n o te o n a c u r io u s n e s t aaus c o n ti’ib u te d b y M r. H u g h M . Sm ith to
th e ‘ A u k ’ fo r 1 8 8 6 :— “A n e s t o f tlie Baru-SAA-alloAV haA-ing n o m u d o r d i r t in i ts c om p
o s itio n m a y b e s om e th in g o f a c u r io s ity . S u c h a n e s t AA-as fo u n d b y m e o n C o b b ’s
Is l a n d , V irg in ia , J u l y 7, 1 8 8 4 , u n d e r th e e a x e s o f th e p o rc h o f th e m a in h o u s e in th e
s e ttlem e n t. I t AA-as r a th e r c om p a c tly m a d e u p o f ro o tle ts a n d g ra s s , a n d AA-as th ic k ly
l iu c d w ith d ow n y c h ic k e n s ’ f e a th e r s . I t Avas fo u r a n d a h a lf in c h e s in d iam e te r a n d o n e
in c h in d e p th . I n i t Avere fo u r neAvly la id e g g s . T h e Avriter is Avholly a t a loss to
a c c o u n t fo r th i s d e p a r tu r e from th e u s u a l s ty le o f a r c h i t e c tu r e a d o p te d b y th e B a rn -
Sw a llow ; th e r e Avas c e r ta in ly n o d e a r th o f m u d o u t o f Avhich to c o n s tru c t a n e s t o f th e
m o re a p p ro v e d ty p e .”
W e a r e in d e b te d fo r t h e f o l lo A v in g n o te on th e b ird i n C a n a d a to M r. E r n e s t T h om p so n ,
AA'ho h a s s e n t u s m u c h u s e f u l in fo rm a tio n re g a rd in g th e SAvalloAvs o f N o r th A m e r ic a :__
“ D r . W m . B ro d ie , o f T o ro n to , re la te s to m e th e folloAviug :— H e Avas o n o n e o c c a sio n
t e a s in g a la rg e P o ly p h em u s m o th to m a k e i t f ly ; a t le n g th i t s t a r t e d aw ay , fly in g s tr a ig h t
u pw a rd s . I t h a d a t t a in e d a c o n s id e r a b le e le v a tio n w h e n a Barn-SAA-allow c am e d a s h in g
o v e r ; i t se iz e d th e m o th a n d Avent o n , a n d im m e d ia te ly a f te rw a rd s th e w in g s o f th e in s e c t
c am e f lu t t e r in g d ow n . T h e q u e s tio n is, hoAV w e re th e y d e ta c h e d ? th e r e is n o re a so n to
su p p o s e t l i a t t h e fe e t AA-ere u s e d to a s s is t th e b ill.”
T h e d e s c rip tio n s o f th e sp e c ie s a r e co p ie d from th e B r i t is h M u s e um ‘ C a ta lo g u e o f
B ir d s ,’ a n d t h e fig u re s in t h e P la t e r e p r e s e n t a n a d u l t a n d a y o u n g h ird draAvn from
sp e c im e n s in tlio S ah -in -G o dm a n c o lle c tio n in th e B r i t is h ¡Museum.
F o r th e g e o g r a p h ic a l d is tr ib u tio n o f th e p r e s e n t sp ec ie s, v id e in /rd , P la t e 43 [M a p ],