432 



NORTH AMERICA^' BIRDS. 



C. spinicauda.' Upper parts glossy black, with a white band across the 

 ramp. Iklow soot^'-wliitish, with indistinct black marks on the breast, 

 wing, 3.90. Hab. Cayenne and Brazil. 



Chaetura pelagica, Baird. 



CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



I' 



Hirundo pelagica, Linn. Syst. Xat. ed. 10, 1758, iy2. Hirundo pdasrjia, Linn. Syst. Nat. 

 I, 1766, 345. — WiLS. Am. Orn. V, 1812, 48, pi. xxxix, fig. 1. Cypselus pclasgin, 

 AuD. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 329 ; V, 419, pi. clviii. Cluclura pelasgia, Stephens, in 

 Shaw's Gen. Zo6l. Birds, XIII, II, 1825, 76. — Ib. Birds America, I, 1840, 164, pi. 

 xliv. — B.\IRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 144. — S.a.muels, 116. — Allen, Birds Kla. 301. 

 Acanthylis pelasgia, "Temm." — BoN. Consj}. 1850, 64. — Cassin, IU. I, 1855, 241. 

 Hemiproene pelasgia, Streubel, Isis, 1848, 363. Aculealed Swallow, Penn. Arc. 

 Zool. II, 1785, 432. Cijpselus 2>ela$gius, Max. Cab. Jomii. 1858. 



Sp. Ch.\r. Tail shghtly rounded. Sooty-brown all over, except on the throat, which 



becomes considerablj' lighter from the 

 breast to the bill. Above with a 

 greenish tinge ; the rump a little 

 paler. Length, 5.25 ; wing, 5.10; tail, 

 2.15. 



Hab. Eastern United States to 

 sl'ipes of Rocky Mountains? 



(ji'j'i'rfi pf'lngica. 



The etymology of the specific 

 name of pelasgia, used by Lm- 

 iiteus, of this bird, in the twelfth 

 edition of Systeuia Xatura, 

 has always lieeu a question. 

 We fiud that the word in the 

 tenth edition is pelagica, refer- 

 ring probably to the supjMsed 

 passage over the Caribbean Sea in its annual migrations. 



Chcetura vauxi, the western representative of this bird, is extremeh' similar, 

 but distinguishable by considerably smaller size, much ligliter, almost white, 

 tln-oat, paler rump, and under parts decidedly ligliter than tlie back. C. 

 poliura, which much resembles it, is blacker above, and much darker below. 

 (See synopsis on page 1027.) 



HABIT.S. The common Chimney Swallow of Xorth America has an ex- 

 tended range throughout the eastern portions of the continent, from the 

 Atlantic to the 50th parallel of northern latitude. It was not met with by 

 Dr. Richardson in the fur regions, but was found by Say at Pembina, on 



' Chmtura spinicaiida, ScL. Cypselus spinicattdus, Tem. Tabl. Xleth. p. 78 (ex Buff. PI. 

 Enl. 726, f. 1). Aeanthylui s. Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 971 : Bcixap. Oonsp. p. 64. Chaitura s. ScL. 

 Catal. Am. Birds, 1862, 283. Hirundo pelasgia, var., Lath. Ind. Orn. II, 5S1. Hab. Cayenne 

 and Brazil. 



