. A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada . ater-spout, and when within a few feet of the wax-myrtles they disperse and settle at leisure; but their twitteringand the motions of their wings are heard throughout the dawn they rise, at first flying low over the waters whichthey almost touch, and then rising gradually separate in questof food. During their low flight numbers of them are oftenkilled by canoe-men with the mere aid of their paddles(Aububon). This predilection for the borders of lakes andponds led some of the ancient writers to believe that Swallowsre
. A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada . ater-spout, and when within a few feet of the wax-myrtles they disperse and settle at leisure; but their twitteringand the motions of their wings are heard throughout the dawn they rise, at first flying low over the waters whichthey almost touch, and then rising gradually separate in questof food. During their low flight numbers of them are oftenkilled by canoe-men with the mere aid of their paddles(Aububon). This predilection for the borders of lakes andponds led some of the ancient writers to believe that Swallowsretired to the bottom of the water during the winter; andsome fishermen on the coast of the Baltic pretended to havetaken them up in their nets in large knots, cHnging togetherby their bills and claws in a state of torpidity. The Tree Swallow breeds from the Gulf States north to thefur countries, and winters from the Southern States to CentralAmerica. Mr. William Brewster believes that these birds havebeen driven from the cities of southern New England by the Housp. BANK SWALLOW. SAND MARTIN. Clivicola RIPARIA. Char. Above, dull grayish brown, which extends around the neckand across the breast; throat and belly while. Length about 5 inches. Nest. At the end of a burrow excavated in a bank of sand or gravel,— usually within a few feet of the top ; the bank generally near a streamof water; the excavation is 2 to 4 feet deep, and widens at the inner end,where a little dry grass and a few feathers are loosely placed, and on thiscushion the eggs are laid. Eggs. 4-6; white; X These plain-looking and smaller birds, though equally grega-rious with other kinds, do not court the protection or societyof man, — at least their habitations are remote from his. Theycommonly take possession for this purpose of the sandy bankor bluff of a river, quarry, or gravel pit, 2 or 3 feet below theupper surface of the bank. In such places, in the month ofApril, they may be observed burrowin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1905
