HIRUNDIXID.E — THE SWALLOWS. 



339 



But one species, so far as known, of this subgenus as restricted, belongs 

 to America. There are, however, cj^uite a number known in the Old World. 



Hirundo horreorum, Barton. 



BARN SWALLOW. 



Hirundo horreorum, Barton', Fragments N. H. Penna. 1799, 17. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 

 1858, 308; Rev. 294. —A. & E. Newton, Ibis, 1859, 66 (Sta. Cruz; transient).— 

 SCLATER & Salvin, Ibis, 1859, 13 (Guatemala). — Sclater, P. Z. S. 1864, 173 (City 

 of Mex.) — Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lye. 1861, 316 (Panama). — Cooper & S.uckley, 

 P. R. R. Rep. Xn, II, 184 (south of Columbia River). — Call & Bannister, 279 

 (Alaska). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 103. — SaiMUels, 254. Hirundo rufa, Vieill. 

 — Cassin, 111. — Brewer, N. Am. Ool. I, 1857, 91, pi. v, fig. 63-67 (eggs). —Cab. 

 Jour. IV, 1856, 3 (Cuba; spring and autumn). -Reinhardt, Ibis, 1861, 5 (Greenland ; 

 two specimens). — Gundlach, Cab. Jour. 1861, 328 (Cuba; common). Hirundo 

 americana, Wilson; Rich; Lambeye, Aves de Cuba, 1850, 44, lam. vii, fig. 2. Hi- 

 rundo rtistica, AuD. Orn. Biog. II, pi. clxxiii. — Ib. Birds Am. I, ])1. xlviii. — Jones, 

 Nat. Hist. Bermuda, 34 (Bermudas; Aug. and Sept.). 



Sp. Char. Tail very deeply forked ; outer feathers several inches longer than the inner, 



very narrow towards the end. Above _^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ 



glossy blue, with concealed white in 

 the middle ofthe liack. Throat chest- 

 nut ; rest of lower part reddish-white, 

 not conspicuously different. A steel- 

 blue collar on "the upper part of the 

 breast, interrupted in the middle. Tail- 

 feathers with a Avhite spot near the 

 middle, on the inner web. Female 

 with the outer tail-feather not quite 

 so long. Length, 6.90 inches ; wing, 

 5.00 ; tail, 4.50. 



Hab. Whole of the United States; 

 north to Fort Rae, Slave Lake ; Green- 

 land ; south in Avinter to Central Ameri- 

 ca and West Indies ; Panama (Lawr.) ; 



Plateau of Mexico (breeds, Sumichrast) ; Veragua, Chiriqui (Sai.vix) 

 St. Lucas. South America? 



4^ 



.JA-'^> 



Hirunfio horreorum. 



Not found at Cape 



In young birds, the frontal chestnut band is smaller and less distinct. 



It is still a question whether a South American resident species {H. cry- 

 throgaster) is identical or not. The only two specimens of the latter (21,007 

 and 21,008, Vermejo, Feb., 1860 ; C. Wood) have a very much less violaceous 

 upper plumage than North American examples, the blue above having 

 even a greenish tinge. They are moulting, unfortunately, so that they cannot 

 be satisfactorily compared ; except in the respect pointed out, however, they 

 appear to be identical with North American examples. 



The European //. rmtica is perfectly distinct, though closely allied. It 

 differs essentially from the American H. horreorum in much longer outer 



