116 HTRUNDTNTD^. 



scapulars like the back ; wing-coverts blackish, externally edged with 

 steel-blue ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills 

 blackish, with a slight gloss of dull blue or steel-green on their 

 outer webs ; upper tail-coverts steel-blue ; tail-feathers black with 

 a steel-blue gloss ; head like the back ; lores and feathers below 

 the eye velvety black, with a narrow si;praloral streak of white ; 

 upper half of ear-coverts and sides of neck glossy steel-green; 

 lower half of ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, and under surface of body 

 pure white ; the long under tail-coverts with remains of blackish 

 longitudinal streaks near their ends ; the fore neck, breast, and 

 sides of body rather more ashy than the rest of the under surface 

 and having narrow dusky shaft-lines ; on the sides of the upper 

 breast a small patch of steel-green ; axiUaries and under wing- 

 coverts ashy whitish, with hair-like shaft-lines of dusky brown; 

 quills below dusky, lighter along the inner webs. Total length 4-8 

 inches, culmen 0'4, wing 3'9, tail 1"9, tarsus 0"4. (Mus. Salvin and 

 Godman.) 



Obs. The white margins to the inner secondaries, from which this 

 species derives its name, are either signs of immaturity or winter 

 plumage. In most Swallows these white edgings are indications of 

 youth ; but all the specimens as yet examined by me which possessed 

 this character have been also in winter plumage, which in this species 

 is not difficult to tell, as the under surface is much whiter than 

 in the summer plumage, there being much less of the ashy-brown 

 shade on the breast and sides, while the dusky shaft-hues are almost 

 entirely obscured. 



The winter plumage is more steel-green than the summer dress, 

 the wearing of the feathers being accompanied by a steel-blue lustre 

 in the place of the green. 



If. alhilmea appears to be a small representative of H. leucorrJioa. 

 The following characters distinguish it from that species : — Ist, 

 its smaller size ; 2nd, its greener style of plumage ; 3rd, the 

 less extended white rump-band, which has alwaj's a dusky shaft- 

 streak ; 4th, the breast always more or less distinctly streaked with 

 dusky ; 5th, the white line over the eye not continued across 

 the base of the forehead. 



The young birds of H. alhilinea never show the obscure brown 

 tips to the rump-feathers which are always a sign of immaturity in 

 H. leucorrlioa. 



Hah. Central America, from Mexico to Panama, and extending to 

 Peru. 



a. Ad. sk. Guatemala (Salvin). Selater Collection. 



h. Ad. sk. Panama {McLeannan). Osbert Salvin, Esq. 



c. Ad. sk. Panama {McLeannan). Selater Collection. 



d. Juv. sk. Chepen, Peru (Stokmann). Selater Collection. 



4. Tachycineta meyeni. 



Hirundo leucopvga (nee Licht.), Meyen, Nova Acta Aead. L.-C. Nat 



Cur. 1834, Siq^il. p. 73, pi. 10. 

 Petrochelidon meyeni, Bp. Consp. i. p. 48 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. 



