174 HIRUNDINIDvE. 



Progne subis, var. cryptoleuca, Baird, Brewer, and Ridytu. Hist. N. 



Amer.B. i. p. 332 (1874). 

 Progue subis cryptoleuca, Ridgiv. P. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 175 (1880). 



Adult male. General coloui' above glossy dark purplish blue, with 

 a concealed spot of silky white ou the sides of the back ; lesser 

 and median wing-coverts like the back but rather duller ; greater 

 coverts, bastard-wing, primai'y-covcrts, and q\;ills blackish, exter- 

 nally glossed with dull blue ; tail-feathers also blackish with a dull 

 bli;e gloss ; lores blackish ; sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks, and 

 entire under surface of body dark purplish blue like the back ; 

 asiUaries and under wing-coverts like the breast ; quills ashy black 

 below, rather lighter along the inner web : " bill deep brownish 

 black ; feet purplish black ; iris dark brown " (Audubon). Total 

 length 7"5 inches, culmen 0'55, wing 5"S5, tail y"05, tarsus 0"55. 



Adult female. Differs from the male in not being blue below. 

 General colour above dark purplish blue, not so brilliant as in the 

 male ; the head like the back, the forehead browner, the feathers 

 slightly mottled with purplish-blue centres ; lesser and median 

 wing-coverts like the back ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary- 

 coverts, quills, and tail-feathers black, glossed externally with dull 

 blue ; lores black ; ear-coverts dull blue ; cheeks, throat, and breast 

 light ashy brown, extending on to the sides of the neck ; feathers 

 of the throat with narrow dusky shaft-lines, those of the fore neck 

 blacker, obscured with hoary whitish tips ; sides of upper breast 

 having a few feathers tipped with purplish blue like the back ; 

 centre of breast and abdomen white, the feathers with more or less 

 distinct dusky shaft-lines ; in the centre of the breast a longitudinal 

 spot of dusky blackish ; sides of body and flanks dark smoky brown, 

 with ashy- whitish margins to the feathers ; thighs brown exter- 

 nally, white internally ; under tail-coverts white, with dusky centres 

 to the feathers, becoming darker before the tips ; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts dark sooty brown or blackish, the coverts near 

 the edge of the wing glossed with steel-blue and distinctly edged 

 with white ; quills dusky below, more ashy along the inner web. 

 Total length 7"5 inches, culmen 0'5.5, wing .5"65, tail 2"S5, tarsus 0-55. 



A specimen in the U.S. National Museum (no. 87661 ; Laurel, 

 Maryland, May 30th, 1882) is exceedingly interesting as ex- 

 hibiting the plumage of the male in the second year. The bird 

 might easily be mistaken for a female, but for the appearance of 

 some blue feathers on the throat, which indicate the approach to the 

 perfect plumage of the male. 



Young birds of both sexes resemble the adult female, though the 

 young males are rather darker (C'owes). 



Hub. North America, throughout Central America in winter, to 

 Brazil; Cuba. 



a,b. (5 2 ad. st. North America. Purchased. 



c, d. (S2 fid. sk. North America. J. E. Harting, Esq. [P.]. 



e. (S ad. sk. N. America (G. C. Sclater Collection. 



Taylor). 



f. d iuv. sk. N. America. Maior-Gen. Ilardwicke 



[P.]. 



