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Range (Eastern United States breeds) (VI)

Eastern United States; breeds from Florida to southern New Jersey, wandering casually to Nova Scotia; winters in Central and South America.

Washington, uncommon S. R., Apl. 28 to Sept. 15.

Nest, of leaves, strips of bark, etc., generally near the extremity of a limb, about twenty feet up. Eggs, three to four, bluish white or greenish blue, with numerous cinnamon- or olive-brown markings, 96 x 68. This is a common summer resident of our Southern States, arriving in Florida early in April. It frequents open, rather than dense woods, SWALLOWS. and is particularly numerous in pineries having an undergrowth of oaks. It may be easily identified, not alone by its color but by its unique call-note-a clearly enunciated chicky-tucky-tuck. Its song bears a general resemblance to that of the Scarlet Tanager, but to my ear is much sweeter and less forced.

The LOUISIANA TANAGER (607. Piranga ludoviciana), a species of our Western States, has been recorded from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

FAMILY HIRUNDINIDE.

SWALLOWws.

About eighty species of Swallows are known. They are distributed throughout the world. In their long, powerful wings and small, weak feet Swallows present an excellent illustration of the effects of use and disuse. The greater part of their day is passed on the wing, and in alighting they select a perch which they can grasp with ease. FIG. 89.-Barn Swallow. Cliff Swallow.

Tree Swallow.

Bank Swallow.

Swallows live almost exclusively upon insects, which they capture on the wing, their large mouths, as in the case of the Swifts and Goatsuckers, being especially adapted to this mode of feeding. They nest both in pairs and colonies, and during their migrations associate in countless numbers at regularly frequented roosting places or migration stations, which are sometimes in trees, but more often in marshes, and to which they regularly return each night. They migrate, as far as known, entirely by day, their wonderful power of flight enabling them to escape the dangers which beset less rapid fliers. SWALLOWS.

KEY TO THE SPECIES.

A. Upper parts with metallic reflections. a. Under parts steel-blue. a1. Feathers on the belly fuscous at the base a2. Feathers on the belly white at the base. b. Throat chestnut, rufous, or brownish. • • 611. PURPLE MARTIN 8. 611.1. CUBAN MARTIN 8. 61. Upper tail-coverts the same as the back; tail with white spots. 613. BARN SWALLOW. 62. Upper tail-coverts rufous or buffy; no white in the tail. 612. CLIFF SWALLOW. c. Throat gray or white. c1. Entire under parts white. 614. TREE SWALLOW. 1 c2. Throat and breast brownish gray 611. PURPLE MARTIN 9. c³. Throat, breast, and sides sooty brownish gray. 611.1. CUBAN MARTIN 9. 614. TREE SWALLOW. 617. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 1 B. Upper parts without metallic reflections. a. Under parts entirely white. b. Throat and breast brownish gray c. Throat and belly white; a brownish gray band across the breast. 616. BANK SWALLOW. 611. Progne subis (Linn.). PURPLE MARTIN. Ad. 8.-Shining blue-black; wings and tail duller. Ad. q. - Upper parts glossy bluish black, duller than in the 8; wings and tail black; throat, breast, and sides brownish gray, more or less tipped with white; belly white. Im. - Resembles the 2. L., 8.00; W., 5.80; 'T., 2.90; B. from N., 32.