432 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



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

 rump. Below sooty-whitish, with indistinct black marks on the breast, 

 wing, 3.90. Hab. Cayenne and Brazil. 



Chsetura pelagica, Baird. 



CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



Hirundo pelagica, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1758, 192. Hirundo pelasgia, Linn. Syst. Nat. 

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

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

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

 xliv. — Baird, Bu-ds N. Am. 1858, 144. —Samuels, 116. —Allen, Birds Fla. 301, 

 Acanthylis pelasgia, "Temm." — Bon. Consp. 1850, 64. — Cassin, 111.1,1855, 241. 

 Hcmiprocne pelasgia, Streubel, Isis, 1848, 363. Aculeated Swallow, Penn. Arc. 

 Zool. II, 1785, 432. Cypselus pelasgius, Max. Cab. Journ. 1858. 



Sp. Char. Tail slightly rounded. Sooty-brown all over, except on the throat, which 



becomes considerably lighter from the 

 breast to the bill. Above with a 

 J greenish tinge ; the rump a Httle 



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

 2.15. 



Hab. Eastern United States to 

 slopes of Rocky Mountains ? 



.*--''^ ^^ 



Chatura pelagica. 



The etymology of the specific 

 name of pelasgia, used by Lin- 

 iiteus, of this bird, in the twelfth 

 edition of Systema Naturae, 

 has always been a question. 

 We find that the word in the 

 tenth edition is j^clagica, refer- 

 ring probably to the supposed 

 passage over the Caribbean Sea in its annual migrations. 



Chmtura vauxi, the western representative of this bird, is extremely similar, 

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

 throat, paler rump, and under parts decidedly lighter than tlie back. C. 

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

 (See synopsis on page 1027.) 



Habits. The common Chimney Swallow of North 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 



1 Choetura spinicauda, ScL. Cypselus spinicaudics, Tem. Tabl. Meth. p. 78 (ex Buff. PI. 

 Enl. 726, f. 1). Acanthylis s. BoiE, Isis, 1826, p. 971 ; Bonap. Consp. p. 64. Choitura s. Scl. 

 Catal. Am. Birds, 1862, 283. Hirundo pelasgia, var.. Lath. Ind. Orn. II, 581. Hah. Cayenne 

 and Brazil, 



