204 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



and pectoral collar steel-blue; front and throat, sometimes under parts. 



rufous. Tail-feathers with white spots on inner webs Chelidon. 



Tail with shallow fork, not exceeding half an inch, shorter than closed 

 wings. Feathers broad. Color blue or green above, with or without 

 white rump ; white beneath. Tail-feathers without spots Tachyoineta. 



Tarsus with a tuft of feathers at lower end. Lateral claws lengthened 



reaching beyond base of middle claw. 



Tall slightly forked. Color dull brown above ; beneath white, with brown 

 pectoral collar Clivicola. 



GENUS PROGNE BOIE. 



Progne BoiB, Isis, 1826, 971. Type, Hirundo purpurea LiNN.=H". subis LINN. 



"Gen. CHAR. Body stout. Bill robust, lengthened; lower or commissural edge of 

 maxilla sinuated, decidedly convex for basal half, then as concave to the tip, the lower 

 mandible falling within its chord. Nostrils superior, broadly open, and nearly circular, 

 without any adjacent membrane, the edges rounded. Legs stout. Tarsus equal to mid- 

 dle toe without claw; the joint feathered; lateral toes about equal; the basal joint of the 

 middle toe half free internally, rather less so externally. Claws strong, much curved. 

 Nest in hollow trees. Eggs white. 



"The species of this genus are the most powerful and robust of 

 the Swallows. Some are glossy black, others whitish below." (Hist. 

 N. Am. B.) 



Progne subis (Linn.) 



PITBPLE MABTIN. 



Popular synonyms. Martin; House Martin; Purple Swallow; American Martin; Yiolet 



Swallow. 



Hirundo subis LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i. 1758. 192. 

 Progne subis BAIRD, Beview, 1865, 274. B. B. & B. Hist. N. Am. B. i. 1874. 320, pi. 16, 



figs. 7, 10. COUES, B. Col. Val. 1878, 445; 2d Check List, 1882, No. 165. BIDOW. Nom. 



N. Am. B. 1881, No. 152. 

 Hirundo purpurea LINN. S. N. ed. 12, i. 1766, 344. WILS. Am. Orn. v, 1812, 58, pi. 39, figs. 2, 



3.-AUD. Orn. Biog. i. 1831. 115, pi. 23; Synop. 1839, 37; B. Am. i, 1840. 170. pi. 45. 

 Progne purpurea BOIE. 1826. BAIRD, B. N. Am. 1858. 314; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859. No. 231. 



COUES, Key, 1872, 114; Check List, 1873, No. 117; B. N. W. 1874, 91. 



HAB. Whole of temperate North America, wintering in Mexico (and southern United 

 States?) ; Bermudas; accidental in Europe. 



SP. CHAR. Adult male. Entirely uniform lustrous steel-blue, with violet-blue re- 

 flections; the wings and tail black, slightly glossed with bluish. Adult female. Above 

 glossy blue-black, becoming hoary grayish on the forehead, and sometimes on the nape 

 also; throat and jugulum gray ; rest of lower parts white, relieved by dusky shaft-streaks. 

 Young. Similar to the adult female, but above less glossy blackish, and the nape crossed 

 by a more distinct grayish collar. Wing. 5.50-6.20; tail, 3.20-3.80. forked for .80-1.00 inch. 



The young male is several years in attaining the uniform glossy 

 violet-black plumage, the steel-blue feathers appearing in gradually 

 coalescing patches. 



