344 



NORTH AilERICAN BIRDS. 



SoBGESus TACHYCINETA, Tab. 



Tachycinefa, Cab. it)is. Htin. ISoO, ISol, 48. (Type, H. tluilassina, Sw.) 



GrEN. Char. 



<— 



Nostrils lateral, overhung or bordered internally by incumbent membrane. 

 Taisi with the tibial joint covered b}' overhang- 

 ing feathers, adherent a short distance along 

 inner face, about equal to middle toe without 

 claw. Lateral toes equal. Adhesion of basal 



— 5^~^ {F ^^ y A joint of middle toe variable. Tail emarginate 



only, or slightly forked ; fork not exceeding half 

 an inch in depth. Color blue or green above, 

 with or without metallic gloss; with or with- 

 out white rump. Entirely white beneath, 

 eggs pure white, unspotted. 



1893 

 Hirunfio thalassina. 



Net usually in holes of trees or rocks ; 



Of this section there are two Xorth American species, differing as follows, 

 both being green above and wliite beneath : — ■ 



Species. 



Plumage above soft and velvety without metallic gloss. Sides of head, space 

 around eyes, and whole under parts, wliite ; with the feathers all plumbeous at 

 base. Female duller in plumage. Young with bases of throat-feathers gray to 

 roots. 



T. thalassina. Above velvety-green, with various shades and tinges of 



violet rtnd ]>iirple. 



Plumage above compact, and with rich green metallic gloss. Sides of he.ad to 



line with eyes like its upper part. Beneath white ; the feathers of chin and 



throat, and generally of crissura, white to base. A concealed spot in jugulum. 



Female duller. Young with bases of throat-feathers pure white to roots. 



T. bicolor. Above metallic-green. Inside of wings and axillars ash-color. 



Hirundo bicolor, Vieill. 



WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 



J- 



Hirundo bicolor, Vieill. Gis. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 61, pi. xxxi. — Am. Ora. Biog. I, pi. 

 xcviii. — In. Birds Am. I, pi. xlvi. — Cassin. — Bbf.weu, N. Am. Ool. I, 1857, 100, 

 pi. iv, fig. 47 (egg-s). — Lembevk, Aves de Cuba, 1850, 46, lam. vii, fig. 2. — BAniD, 

 Birds N. Am. 1858, 310. — Loud, Pr. R. A. In.st. Woolwich, IV, 1864, 15 (Br. Colum- 

 bia ; nesting). — .Jones, Bermudas, 34 (.Sept. 22, 1849). — Cooper k .Suckley, P. R. R. 

 Rep. XII, II, 184. — Ball & Bannister, 279 (Alaska). — Samuels, 257. — Cooper, 

 Oru. Cal. I, 1870, 106. Pelrochelidon bicolor, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1857, 201. — In. 1859, 

 •364 (Xalapa). — Sclater & Salvin, Ibis, 1859, 13 (Guatemala). Tacit i/ciiicta bicolor. 

 Cab. Mus. Hein. 1850, 48 ; Jour. Orn. 1856, 4 (Cuba). — Gundlacii, Jour. Orn. 1861, 

 330 (common in Cuba). Hirando (Tachycincta) bicolor, Baihd, Rev. .\m. B. 1864, 

 296. Hirundo viridis, WiLS. Hirundo Icucogaster, .Stephens. 



Sp. Char. Glo.ssy metallic bluish-green above ; entirely white beneath. Female duller 

 in color. Length, 6.25 inches ; wing, 5.00 ; tail, 2.65. 



Young bird dull sooty-gray above, much like that of IJ. thalasnina ; but may readily be 



