344 



Nonin AMKKir.vx hirds. 



Hirurffo t/ialasxina. 



SriuiKNLs TACHYCINETA, Car. 



Tfu'lniiiiu/n, Cvn. Mus. Ilciij. isr.o, ISr.l, 4S. ^Tvl«•, Il.fhtliissinn, Sw.) 



Ofn. Char. Nostrils Literal, ovcrlnuiir of hoidorod internally by incunilK'nt niembrnnp. 



Tarsi with the tii»ial joint eovored l»y overiiaiiir- 

 iuir feathers, adherent ii short distance aloiitr 

 inner liiee, altout e»|Mal to middle toe without 

 elaw. Lateral toes efpial. Adhesion of hasal 

 joint of middle toe variable. Tail emarjrinate 

 onlv. orsliiihtlv forkeil ; lork not exeee<lin<r half 

 an ineh in depth. Color blue or «rre«'n altove. 

 with or without metallic jrl«>ss; with or with- 

 out white rinnjt. Kntiiely while beneath. 

 Net usually in holes of trees or rocks: eircrs pure while, inispotted. 



Of tliis soctioii there are two Xortli Aincrican species, di fieri n^' as follo\vs, 

 l)otli being green above and white beneatli : — 



Species. 



Plnmncre nbove soft: and velvety without nietalHe l'Ioss. Sides of head, space 

 around eye.s. and whole inider parts, white; with the feathers all j)limibeous at 

 base. Female duller in pluma;^'e, Youiifr with ba;;es uf throat-feathers gray to 

 roots. 



T. thalassina. Above velvety-^n-een, with various .shades and tinrres of 



violet and j>ur]ile. 

 Plumapro above compact, and with rich irreen metallic irloss. Sides of head to 

 line with eyes like its upper part. l>eneath white; the feathers of chin au<l 

 throat, and pMU-rally <»f ciissum. white to base. A eoneealed spot in Juj^idmn. 

 Female duller. Vountr with bases of throat-feathers pure white to roots. 



T. bicolor. Above metallic-green. Inside of wings and axillurs ash-eolor. 



Hirundo bicolor, Vieill. 



WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. 



Hirvmh hio/or, VlKllJ,. Ois. Ai:i. Sept. I, l.'>u7, »!1, ]>1. xxxi. — At'D. Om. Biog. I, ]>1. 

 xcviii. — In. Birds Am. I, pi. xlvi. — Cassin. — liiiiAvi:!:, N. Am. 0..1. I, L^f)?, lOK, 

 pi. iv, fig. 47 (eggs).— Lkmbkyi:, Avfs dc Cuba, IS.'.n, 4t). lam. vii, fig. 2. — Baikp, 

 Birds N. Am. 1S.>8, :5in. — Loun, I'r. IJ. A. lust. Woulwi.li, IV, 1S»)4, 1.') (Br. Colum- 

 bi:i : nesting). —JoxKs, IVrnnidas, 34 (Sept. 22, 1849). — Coopkii »t Si(kli:v, P. H. K. 

 I.'ep. XII, n, 184, — Dall& Bannistki:, 27!M Alaska). —Samtkls, 2ri7. — Cooi-kk, 

 Orii. Cal. I, 1^70, 10(5. Pefmche/idon bicolor, Sci.a rKi;, P. Z. S. I8r.7, 201. -In. 18.-,«>, 

 •'5<;4 (Xalapa). — Scr.ATI'.li & Sai.VIN, Ibis, 18.'»1», l:> (<Ju:it<'!ii;da). Tor/i/fciiHf'f hiri,l<,,'. 

 Cab. Mus. Ileiii. IS.'.O, 48 ; .bair. Orn. 18.")»», 4(('iiltaK - (irNiti.ACFi, .Tour. Orn. 18»n, 

 330 (eonimon in ("u])a). Ilirando (Turltifciiiffo) hie,)!,,); BAH;n, Kev. Am. B. 18»)4, 

 296. Hirundo viridis, WiLs. Hirundo leucoyaster, Stefiikns. 



Sp, Ciiah. Glo.^sy metallic blnish-green abov(^ ; entirely white beneath. Ferttole duller 

 in color. Length, <).2') inches ; wing, 'i.OO: tail, 2.(5'). 



Younq bird dull sooty-gruy above, much like that of //. tlmlasf>ina ; but may readily be 



