attributable to the incorrectness of VieiMot’s figure, which is one of
those better suitèfi to mislead th'ari'tdf assist the naturalist in his researches.
The most striking characteristic of the Hirundo fulva is
its even tail; yet Vieilfct- has represfedf§d this part as forkëd. Wè
are therefore not surprised that our learned zoologist,; who had no
opportunity of consulting the coloured plate,, should not have even!
thought of comparing his bird with that'of Vieillot,, who probably
figured it with a forked tail merêty be'cause it was The
characters of the Qliff'SwallÖ# are so remarkable', and its manner of
building fplo peculiar, thul,^^ rvMK^ ar^m^Lialel\ delineated, it
cannot be mistaken fot'any- Other species.
The Cl^LSwallow i p il e and a half inches long. T h e bill is black,
and thé feet-dusky; the irides^^é^dark brown. A narrow black
line extends over the bill gjSM each eye; the front is jpalè-qföfe# and
the remaining part of;the crown black-vfi3^tóofe~-thenchin, throat,
and cheeks, are dark ferruginous, extending in a narrow band oiit life
hind head; the upper part of the body is black, glossed wiili \inl.i-
Geous; the inferior part of the rump, and'some of tbê^ta®ë©ye||s, are
palp ferruginous; the breast is pf a pale rufous-ash Col|)U.Jk>‘and the
remaining .under parts are 'whMsh^^ingediwithjbpt-pwnish-fcBruginous.
Thewings, and tail are blackish, the small wi^jTOws^beingfgl'ossed
with'. Ühe inferior wing coverts'hre ashy-brown: the tail
is nearly entire,' somewhat* shorter than the tipshjpf the wings;, The
exterior tail feather is slightly edged with whitish on the innër vané;,
the wing and tail feathers have their' shafts black istboVP, and white
beneath.
This description is taken front' our finest male, which is; also
represented in the plate; no difference exists between the sexes,
and the young, even during early age* can scarcely be distinguished
from the parents, except by having the front-white instead of rufous.
We are informed-by Vieillot, that some individuals have all the
inferior surface .of the body tinged with the same colour as that of
the throat; these are probably very old males.
, A very singular trait - distinguishes the migrations of this bird.
While the European or whitieTariety of the- human race is rapidly
spreading over this continent, from its e'astem borders to the remotest
plains beyond rtflfe ^Mississippi, the Cliff Swallow advances from the
extreme wPltrii^ regions; annually invading a new territory farther
to the eastward, amt to co^cliidb, 'that a few more summers
will find it sporting in this uirfmediate vicinity* and familiarly
establishedoalong th eT tl antic hhores1.-’! n
Like all other North American l^wallows, .this species passes the
winter- in tropical > Amdcic^Whence in the spring it migrates northward,
for-the purpose of breeding. I t: appears ’to be merely a spring
passenger in the West Indies^ -remaining there,but a'few days, according
to Vfeilloktewho, not seeing anyin the United^States, and observing
8&fieVwhile iTMltaLi t h e latitude of Nova Scotia, supposed
that they propagated in 4’, stilijmore, northern region. As we
hu\ Jniotffre* i-i\ ed anyaccbuht of their inhabiting th e ^ e ll explored
-Gsyilrittifes »around Hudson’s1 Bay, we? are led to the conclusion, that
the western wilds, of . the UnitediStates have hitherto been their sum-
menrhS0rt,:and that not untilirccently haye> they ventured within the
domains' of icivdlked man. Be this -as it rnfa^itlii^^ere observed in
great dumbers,!j>y Major Long’s party, neiir the Rocky Mountains,
in the month of July; and a few were also-seen on the -banks of the
Mis souri 'rit^Sr. i Within ten or twelvelV^rs,( thdyhave be^nae familiar
in different lobali||ek Ohio; ■ Kentucky^&c. whence they are
extending ve;rjf rapidly, and hi^fe recently appeared in the western
part p%Mew-York. In order to shbw the rapid progress of this little
stranger, we quote;i h ^ rblSiwing passage from Mr. Clinton’s interesting
paper.
:1 -The Fulvous Swallow “ first»!‘m||Is|ji|s appearance at WincheU’s
tavern; on'the high road,, 'aboub|five miles south of Whitehall, near
Lake,Champlain, and'erectedjitfc nest imder the eaves of an outhouse,
where it was covered’by the pfojectioib of a roof. This was in 1817,
and in this year there was but ode nest; the second year seven; the