PROGNE. 223 
the tibio-tarsal joint is feathered, the lateral toes are about equal, the claws strong and 
much curved. 
1. Progne purpurea. 
Hirundo purpurea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 344’; d’?Orb. & Lafr. Syn. Av. i. p. 687; Jones, Nat. 
Berm. p. 34°. 
Progne purpurea, Darwin, Zool. Voy. Beagle, ii. p. 38*; Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 140°; Baird, 
U.S. Bound. Surv. it Birds, p. 11°; Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 4797; Dugés, La Nat. i. 
p-141°; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 16°; Hudson, P. Z. 8S. 1872, p. 605°. 
Hirundo subis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 344”. 
Progne subis, Baird, Rev. Am. B.1. p. 274°; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 547°; 
Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 271™; Baird, Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 329"; 
Coues, B. Col. Vall. i. p. 445 **. 
Chalybeo-cwrulea unicolor, alis et cauda nigris extus chalybeo nitentibus; plaga hypochrondriaca celata alba; 
tectricibus subcaudalibus quoque ad basin albis; rostro et pedibus nigris. Long. tota 7-7, alee 5:7, caude 
rect. med. 2:2, rect. lat. 2°85, rostri a rictu 0-9, tarsi 0-6. (Deser. maris ex Brit. Honduras. Mus. nostr.) 
Q supra mari similis, sed colore magis obscuro; subtus griseo-albidis, plumis singulis ad basin fuscis. (Deser. 
feminze ex California. Mus. nostr.) . 
Hab. Norta America! from the Arctic circle southwards in summer !4, Texas’, 
Bermuda *.—Mexico, Coahuila (Couch®}*), Mazatlan, Guadalajara and Tepic 
(Grayson *), Guanajuato (Dugés*), Alpine region of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast ') ; 
British Honpuras, Belize (Blancaneaux).—Boutvia?; Brazin®®; ARGENTINE 
Republic 24 2°. | 
Northern and Central Mexico seem to be the chief resort of this species within our 
limits. Here Grayson found it breeding both in Tepic and in Guadalajura in 
the month of May, making its nest under the eaves of the houses or in water-spouts ; at 
Mazatlan he saw it but seldom, and then only accidentally during migration, flying very 
high . The only naturalist who has observed the Purple Martin in Southern Mexico 
is Prof. Sumichrast, who found it in the alpine region of Vera Cruz, where he says it 
is resident 12. It never occurred to us in Guatemala, but we have a skin of a male 
bird recently sent us from the neighbourhood of Belize by M. Blancaneaux. There 
are no records of its occurrence elsewhere in Central America. 
Regarding the South-American bird, we are quite of Mr. Sclater’s opinion 1°, that the 
Swallow considered by writers previous to the publication of Prof. Baird’s ‘ Review 
of American Birds’ to be Progne purpurea is really that species; for with numerous 
specimens before us we are quite unable to detect any tangible evidence of the exis- 
tence of more than one bird. Progne purpurea thus considered extends its range over 
a large part of the South-American continent; but it is probably absent from the 
western, north-western, and the extreme southern districts, as it is from the greater 
portion of Central America. 
Referring again to its Mexican range, it seems not improbable that this is merely an 
extension of the area it inhabits during the summer months in North America, and 
