BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 137 



purple fDartin. 



THE Purple Martin (Prcgne purpurea y Linnaeus) is a rare 

 abnormal autumn migrant to the British Isles, and a 

 summer visitant to the United States and Canada, moving 

 northwards above the Arctic Circle. It spends the winter 

 in Mexico, and is said to have been met with in the Ber- 

 mudas. The adult male has the general colouration of the 

 plumage steel-blue, with purple reflections; wings and tail, 

 black, tinged with blue ; irides, brown ; bill, black ; legs and 

 feet, brown. The female closely resembles the male, but 

 the colouration is duller, and the under parts are of a 

 greyish-brown. The young birds are described as being 

 similar to the adult females. 



