164 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



evidently nesting." The bird may be briefly characterized, therefore, as a 

 somewhat uncommon winter, and rare summer resident. To the northward, 

 according to Mr. Bryant, it has been met with at only a few places, and no- 

 where numerously. Mr. Anthony states tliat he found it *' quite common" at 

 San Pedro Martir in late April and early May, 1893, but that it was " not seen 

 above 7,000 feet/' ^ 



In California, the Louisiana Tanager occurs only in summer and at its 

 seasons of migration. It is ratlier rare near the coast, but has been found 

 breediuLT at Santa Barbara. In the interior it breeds connuonlv among the 

 Sierras. Northward its range extends into British Columbia. It goes as far 

 south as Guatemala, and is common in western Mexico in spring and autumn. 



Progne subis hesperia Brewst. 



Western Martin. 



Progne purpurea (not Hiriindo purpurea Catesbt) Baird, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Phila., 1859, 301, 303 (Cape St. Lucas). 

 Progne suhis (not Hirundo subis Linnaeus) Baird, Rev. Amer. Birds, pt. I. 18fi5, 



27-1-277, part (Cape St. Lucas). Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 



547 (San Jose). 

 Progne subis hesperia Brewster, Auk, VL 1880, 92, 93 (orig. descr.; types from 



Sierra de La Laguna). Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 



806 (Cape St. Lucas ; San Jose' del Cabo ; Sierra de la Laguna) ; Zee, II. 



1891, 195 (San Jose' del Cabo). 



This subspecies, in which the differential characters are exhibited by the 

 female only, was first met with by Mr. Frazar on the summit of the Sierra de 

 la Laguna, where it appeared on April 29. Regularly each afternoon, during 

 May and the first week of June, a few congregated over an open space in front 

 of a hunter's cabin. They usually flew at a considerable height, but the males 

 every now and then pitched downward nearlj"- to the earth, descending with great 

 velocity and making a booming noise very like that of the eastern Nighthawk. 

 This remarkable habit, unknown in the common Martin, was constantly prac- 

 tised here, but, curiously enough, it was not once observed at Triunfo, where 

 Mr. Frazar found the Western Martins abundant during the last three weeks 

 of June. Belonging to the mine at this latter place, was an immense wood-pile 

 covering over three acres and harboring great numbers of long-horned beetles 

 upon which the Martins and Te.xan N'ighthawks fed greedily. The Martins 

 appeared every afternoon, a little before sunset, to the number of two or three 

 hundred, and skimmed back and forth over the wood-pile until twilight fell. 

 Mr. Frazar was told that they were first seen here about the date when they 

 arrived on La Laguna. They disapiieared suddenly and totally, immediately 

 after a succession of heavy showers early in July, and were not afterwards met 



1 Zoe, IV. 1893, 243. 



