34'> 'II IE VIOLET-GREEN SWA^-UW . 



No. IJ2. 



VIOLET-GREEN SWAI.I.oW . 



A. ( ). I'. No. 615. TachNcineta thalassina IcpiJa (.\Ic;irns). 



S\ non> m. — .\oktiikrn \ ioi.kt-c.kkkn Swallow. 



Dcsiription. — .'.diilt male: L'ppcrparts, incliuling pikiiin, liiixl-iKck, l)ack, 

 upper portion of riiiiip. scaiuilars, and lesser winp-covcrts, rich vclvely lironzi- 

 f,'ri'fn, occasionally lingiii witii imrplc. crown usually more or less coiitrastin),' 

 with color of hack. j;rcenisli-hrown rather than hronze-Kreen. and more strongly 

 tinjjed with ])urple; a narrow cervical collar, lower rum]), and upper tail-covert^, 

 velvety violet-purple: wings (except lesser coverts) and tail hlackish glossed with 

 violet or purple; lores grayish; underparts, continuous with checks and area over 

 and behind eye. anti with cons])icuous tlank ])atch, nearly meeting fellow acr<»>- 

 rump. pure white; under wing-coverts pale gray, whitening on edge of wing. 

 r.ill hl.ick ; feet hmwnish hlack ; iris hrown. .Idiilt fciiialc: Kike male lint 

 usually much duller, hronze-green of upperparts reduced to greenish hrown. or 

 hrown with faint greenish reflections. Vouiui birds are plain mouse-gray above 

 and their iimer secondaries are touched with white. Length 4.50-3.50 (114.3- 

 i.V)." ); wing 4.41 (lu); tail 1.77 (45); bill .20 (5.2). 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller: green and violet above, white below; white- 

 cheeked and white-rum])ed ( ap])arently I as distinguished from the Tree Swallow. 



Nesting. — .W-sl: of dried grasses with or without feathers. ])laced in crevice 

 of clitT or at end of vapor hole in basalt walls; latterly in bird Imxes and alxnit 

 buildings. /;</.'/■*■ 4-6. pure white. .\v. size .72 x .48 (18.3x12.2). Season: June. 



General Range. — Western I'nited States, from the eastern base of the 

 Rockv Mountains to the Pacific, north to the Yukon \alley, south in winter to 

 fosta Rica. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident, of regular occurrence in moun- 

 tain valleys anil among the foothills; rare or local elsewhere; becoming common 

 in the larger cities. 



Migrations. — Sf<riiit/: ••.\lM.ut the 10th of May" (Suckley)"; now at least 

 March; Chelan. .March '27. 1896: Seattle. March 24. i(jo6; Tacoma, March if>. 

 ifjo/ : March 14. ii>o8: Olympia, February 27! ?). 1897. 



Authorities.— ?()rnitli. Com. .\c. N'at. Sci. I'hila.. \II.. 1837. 193 (Columbia 

 Kiver). Iliniudo thahissiiia Swainson. Baird, Kep. I'ac. R. R. Surv. IX., pt. II.. 

 1858. p. 312. T. C\S. L'. Rh. D'. IV. Ss'. Kk. J. IS. E. 



Specimens. — ( l'. of \V.) Prov. I". C. E. 



TO ajjpear to tlie best advantage this dainty sky-child should be seen on 

 a bright day. when the livid green of back and crown may retkct the glancing 

 rays of the sun with a delicate golden sheen. .At such a time, if <ine is clam- 

 bering about the walls of some rugged granite cliff of the lower Cascades, he 

 feels as if the dwellers of Olympus had come down in a])proi)riate gtiise to 



a. Cooper and Suckfcy. Rep fac R. R. Surv. XII. pt II. i860, p 185. 



