348 NORTH A^fERICAN BIRDS. 



Tliure is nuicli variation aiiKing iiulividiials roj,'ai'(liiii,' the distribution of 

 the peiiii-UKitallic tints of the ii])[)('r jjarts ; <i;eiK'rally the whoh'. dorsal region 

 is overhiid by a " (histing," as it were, of soft browiiisli-purple ; in sneitimens 

 colored thus, the n])per tail-eoverls are ])ure dark-green, without a linge of 

 purido. In other speeiniens, on the contrary, the dorsal region is nearly 

 pure green, that of the njiper tail-coverts less golden, and mixed with a very 

 beautiful rieli soft violet. 



Winter specimens from Guatemala and Mexico have the upper secon- 

 daries very sharply and l)roadly liordered terminally with pure white. 



H.vlilTs. The A'iolet-green Swallow is a common bird, from the central 

 plains of Xorth America to the J'acitic coast, and is found at dilferent sea- 

 sons from Washington Territory to Soutli Anu'rica. It lias been found as far 

 east as Xcbraska, and in abundance at Fort Uridger, in Utah. 



As oliserved, in Washington Territory, by Drs. Snckley and Cooper, it is 

 said to arrive at I'nget Sound early in May, ami to frequent entirely tlie high 

 prairies bordered with oak and other deciduous trees, in the knot-holes of 

 which, or in deserted Woodpeckers' holes, it breeds. Its song is descril)ed as 

 l»leasing and vaiied, I ait rather weak. They found it to be (piite abundant 

 in the interior of Oregon and of Washington Territiny, and in its habits and 

 mode of tiight hardly ilistiuguishable from the hiculov. 



In (,'alifornia, according to the oliservations of Dr. Cooper, it arrives in 

 Santa Clara Valley as early as ^fareh 1."), where it chiefly frecpients the groves 

 of oaks along tlie sides of the valleys, ac'ross the whole Coast Ifange, excepting 

 in the immediate neigliborhood of the .sea. Their nest, so far as known, is 

 always in the knot-holes of oaks, and they have never been known to breed in 

 th'' inunediate vicinity of dwell ing.s, e.vcepting .only when tlieir favorite trees 

 were so situated. It is generally in an inaccessible place, and their eggs 

 are not often ol)tained. These are lau'c white, resemliling tlio.se of the 

 hico/or and the ripufin. Town.seiid states that he found them nesting in the 

 deserted nests of the IF. /luiij'roii.-i, but in this he may have been mistaken. 

 The eggs he gave to ^Ir. Audulion as tlio.se of tliis sjiecies undonbtedly 

 belonged to the btnij'rdiin. They leave Califoinia for the south in Sep- 

 tember. 



Dr. Cones filso found this Swallow in Arizona, wiiere it was the most 

 abundant and characteristic Swallow of the pine regions of that Territory. 

 It is a summer resident at Fort Whipjtle, where it arrives about March 2(1, 

 and remains until late in September. 



In the Province of Vera Crn/, ^Ir. Sumichra.st found this Swallow resident, 

 not only in the hot belt of tlie coast, but also in the temperate region and 

 througiioul the jilatcau, at almost all heights, and was almost everywhere 

 very common. 



Mr. Salvin also states that early in March great numbers occur near Du- 

 enas, (Uiateniala, where tliey rtuuain for a .short time. During that time they 

 are to be found Hying over tlui open land to the south of the Lake of Puenas, 



