THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 323 



PROGNE DOMINICENSIS (Gmelin) 



CARIBBEAN MARTIN, GOLONDRINA, HIRONDELLE, HIRONDELLE A VENTRE 



BLANC 



Hirundo dominicensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 1025 ("in 

 insula S. Dorainici "=Hispaniola). — Bbisson, Ornith., vol. 2, 1760, pp. 493-494 

 (" S. Domingue"). — Vieillot, Hist. Nat. Ois. Am6r. Sept., vol. 1, 1807, pp. 59-60, 

 pi. 28 (" S. Domingue"). — Rittek, Naturh. Reis. Westind. Insel Hayti, 1836, 

 p. 156 (listed). — Hartlaub, Isis, 1847, p. 609 (listed). — Bryant, Proc. Boston 

 Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 11, May, 1867, p. 94 (Dominican Republic). 



Golondrina, Oveedo, Hist. Gen. Nat. Indias, Libr. 14, cap. 2; Reprint, Madrid, 

 1851, p. 442 (habits). 



Grande Martinet noir & ventre Wane, Montbetllard, in Buffon, Hist. Nat. Ois. 

 vol. 6, 1779, pp. 669-670 (" Saint-Domingue "). 



Progne dominicensis, Salle, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1S57, p. 232 (listed). — 

 Cory, Birds Haiti and San Domingo, March, 1884, pp. 44-45, col. pi. (Samanii, 

 specimens) ; Cat. West Indian Birds, 1892, p. 114 (Haiti, Dominican Repub- 

 lic).— Tristram, Cat. Coll. Birds belonging H. B. Tristram, 1889, p. 205 

 (Samana, specimen). — Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, pp. 320, 321 

 (listed). — Verrill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1909, p. 364 (Dominican 

 Republic) .—Peters, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, pp. 418-419 (Sosua, 

 Rio San Juan, specimens; Monte Cristi, Puerto Plata, Abreo, seen). — Beebe, 

 Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 30, 1927, p. 141 ; Beneath Tropic Seas, 1928, p. 507 (listed).— 

 Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 507 (Lake Enri- 

 quillo). — Danforth, Auk, 1929, p. 371 (generally distributed). — Lonnberg, 

 Fauna och Flora, 1929, p. 105 (Haiti). — Moltoni, Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. Nat., 

 vol. 68, 1929, p. 320 (Moca, specimens). 



Breeding locally throughout the island; supposed to migrate in 

 fall to some distant winter home. 



The Caribbean martin is the largest of the native swallows and is 

 found regularly in the towns so that it is easily seen. It is supposed 

 to come to the island for the breeding season and then to migrate 

 elsewhere for its winter home, as it does in Porto Rico, but the dates 

 of its arrival and departure in Hispaniola are yet to be ascertained. 



The earliest record historically for the Dominican Republic is that 

 of Oviedo who describes a swallow that is evidently this species — 

 as he notes that it is larger than the swallows of Spain — which he says 

 in his day had already begun to build in the great church and the 

 Dominican monastery in Santo Domingo City, truly a rapid adapta- 

 tion to the coming of the Caucasian. Cory secured five specimens at 

 Samana June 25, 1882, and says that he saw it elsewhere but does not 

 give the localities. Tristram received a skin from Samana taken by 

 C. G. McGrigor September 12, 1883, the latest record for fall avail- 

 able at this time. Abbott found the martin nesting in clefts of rock 

 on islets near the entrance to San Lorenzo Bay but was not able to 

 reach the cavities to obtain eggs. He secured five skins there on 

 March 18 and 20, 1919. Peters collected males at Sosiia and the Rio 



