346 THE VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. 



No. 132. 

 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. 



A. O. LI. No. 615. Tachycineta thalassina lepida (Mearns). 



Synonym. — North krn \'iolet-green Swallow. 



Description. — .Iditlt male: LIpperparts, including pileuni, hind-neck, back, 

 upper portion of nnnp, scapulars, and lesser wing-coverts, rich velvety bronze- 

 green, occasionally tinged with purple, crown usually more or less contrasting 

 with color of back, greenish-brown rather than bronze-green, and more strongly 

 tinged with purple ; a narrow cervical collar, lower rump, and upper tail-coverts, 

 velvety violet-purple; wings (except lesser coverts) and tail blackish glossed with 

 violet or purple ; lores grayish ; underparts, continuous witli cheeks and area over 

 and behind eye, and with conspicuous flank patch, nearly meeting fellow across 

 rump, pure white : under wing-coverts pale gray, whitening on edge of wing. 

 Bill black; feet brownish black; iris brown. Adult female: Like male but 

 usually much duller, bronze-green of upperparts reduced to greenish brown, or 

 brown with faint greenish reflections. Young birds are plain mouse-gray above 

 and their iinier secondaries are touched with white. Length 4.50-5.50 ( 1 14.3- 

 139.7) : \^'''m 4-4' ' I'-) : tail 1.77 (45) ; bill .20 (5.2). 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller ; green and violet above, white below ; white- 

 cheeked and whitc-runiped ( apparently ) as distinguished from the Tree Swallow. 



Nesting. — Nest: of dried grasses with or without feathers, placed in crevice 

 of cliff or at end of vap(.)r hole in basalt walls; latterly in bird boxes and about 

 buildings. /:(/(/or.- 4-6, pure white. Av. size .72 x .48 (18.3 x 12.2). Season: June. 



General Range. — \\'estern United States, from the eastern base of the 

 Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, north to the Yukon Valley, south in winter to 

 Costa Rica. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident, of regular occurrence in moun- 

 tain valleys and among the foothills ; rare or local elsewliere ; bec(.iming common 

 in the larger cities. 



Migrations. — Spring: "About the loth of May" (Suckley)^; now at least 

 March; Chelan, March 27, 1896: Seattle, March 24, 1906; Tacoma, March 16, 

 1907; March 14, 1908; Olympia, February 27( ?), 1897. 



Authorities. — ? Ornith. Com. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., VII., 1837, 193 (Columbia 

 River). Ilirnndo thalassina Swainson, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX., pt. II., 

 1858, p. 312. T. C&S. L'. Rh. D'. D-'. Ss'. Kk. J. B. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W.) Prov. P'. C. E. 



TO appear to the best advantage this dainty sky-child should be seen on 

 a bright day, when the livid green of back and crown may reflect the glancing 

 rays of the sun with a delicate golden sheen. At such a time, if one is clam- 

 bering about the walls of some rugged granite clifY of the lower Cascades, he 

 feels as if the dwellers of Olympus had come down in appropriate guise to 



a. Cooper and Siickley. E^ep. Pac. R. R. Surv. XIL, pt. IL, i860, p. 



