PROGNE. 275 



■whitish to the edges. This is particularly appreciahle in the longer crissal 

 feathers. The edges of the dark feathers of throat and jugulum are usually 

 paler, imparting somewhat of a lunulated appearance, their centres sometimes 

 considerably darker, causing an appearance of obsolete spots. There is a 

 tendency to a grayish collar on sides of neck, and generally traceable to the 

 nape ; this, in one specimen (5,492) from California, being hoary gray, the 

 forehead similar. 



The young male of the second year is similar to the female, with the steel 

 blue appearing in patches. 



Total length (of 1,561), 7.50; wing, 6.00; tail, 3.40; difference between 

 inner and outer feather, .75; difference between 1st and 9th quills, 2.88 ; length 

 of bill from forehead, .55, from nostril, .34 ; along gape, .94; width of gape, 

 .74; tarsus, .61; middle toe and claw, .80; claw alone, .25; hind toe and 

 claw, .54; claw alone, .27. 



As already stated, I have been unable to satisfy myself as to the 

 correctness of authors in giving a very wide range to our Purple 

 Martin. Although Audubon mentions that the species leaves the 

 United States in autumn and returns in the spring, I can find no 

 indication in the more recent lists of species by Sclater, Salvin, and 

 others, of its occurrence in any part of Mexico, Central America, 

 or Andean South America. It is quoted from Brazil, but no one 

 Las identified it in any part of the West Indies, the only assigned 

 locality — Cuba — being occupied by quite another and a different 

 species (P. cryptoleuca). If, therefore, found in South America at 

 all, it must make a long flight across the Caribbean Sea, without 

 stopping by the way. In any case I am inclined to believe that the 

 supposed specimens of this bird breeding in South America belong 

 to allied species, and if a visitor at all, the present bird is only as a 

 winter migrant. 



In a foot-note* I give the description of certain specimens from 



" Progne elegans. 



Progne elegans, Bairp, n. s. 



?Progne purpurea, Darwin, Birds of Beagle, 38 (Monte Video (Novem- 

 ber) ; Bahia Blanca, Buenos Ay res (September), breeding in holes 

 in an earth cliff). 

 Hah. Buenos Ayres ? Vermejo River; Brazil. (?) 



Adult, steel blue all over. 



(Young male, No. 21,009.) Above of a blackish-bronze color, with metallic 

 lustre; beneath uniform dull dark brown, all the feathers edged or squarau- 

 lated with paler. A few steel blue feathers in different parts of the body show 

 that the adult male is entirely steel blue. 



Another specimen, marked female,(?) has the edges of the feathers still 

 lighter, those of the crissal feathers nearly white. The steel blue feathers are 

 in greater number. A third, also marked female, and probably of that sex, 



