PURPLE SWALLOW. 109 



confusion in consequence. The male is eight 

 inches in length, and sixteen in expanse: his whole 

 body (with the exception of the lores, which are 

 black, and the wings and tail, which are of a 

 brownish black) is of a rich purplish blue, glossed 

 with violet : the tail is very much forked, and is 

 bordered with dusky blue : beak strong and dusky : 

 irides dark hazel : legs dark dirty purple : female 

 with the upper parts of the body of a dusky brown, 

 slightly glossed with blue and violet : chin and 

 breast grey brown : belly and vent dirty white, 

 with obscure dusky and yellow stains : wings and 

 tail dusky brown. 



This species of Swallow is an inhabitant of 

 North America, where it is very abundant : it 

 arrives on the southern frontiers of the United 

 States late in February or early in March, reaches 

 Pensylvania the beginning of April, and advances 

 as far as Hudson's Bay by the middle of May : it 

 retires in the month of August. The Americans 

 are extremely partial to this bird, and fit up boxes 

 for their reception : even the Indians fix up gourds 

 and calabashes for the same purpose ; in these 

 they build their nests, which are composed of dry 

 leaves, straw, hay, and great quantities of feathers: 

 their eggs are very small, and four in number : 

 they have two broods ; the first comes forward in 

 May, and the second in July : the male assists the 

 female during incubation, and takes her place, 

 uttering at -that time a peculiar soft and tender 

 song : if there should not happen to be a box fitted 

 up for them, they will build against houses, sign- 



