•uma 



PROONB. 



275 



whitish to the edges. This is particularly appreciable in the longer orissal 

 feathers. The edges of the dark ffjithers of throat and jugulum are usually 

 paler, imparting somewhat of a lunulated appearance, their centres sometimes 

 oonsiderably darker, causing an appearance of obsolete spots. There is a 

 tendency to a grayish collar on sides of neck, and generally traceable to the 

 nape ; this, in one specimen (5,492) from California, 'njing hoary gray, the 

 forehead similar. 



Tiie young male of the second year is similar to the female, with the steel 

 blue appearing in patches. 



Total length (of 1,561), 7.50; wing, 6.00; tail, 3.40; difference between 

 inner and outer feather, .75 ; difference between Ist and 9th quills, 2.88 ; length 

 of bill from forehead, .55, from nostril, .34; along gape, .94; width of gape, 

 .74; tarcus, .61 ; middle toe and claw, .80; claw alone, .25; hind toe and 

 claw, .54 ; claw^ alone, .27. 



As already stated, I have been unable to satisfy myeelf as to the 

 correctness of authors in giving a very wide range to our Purple 

 Martin. Although Audubon mentions that the species leaves the 

 United States in autumn and returns in the spring, I nan find no 

 indication in the more recent lists of species by Sclater, Salvin, and 

 others, of its occurrence in any part of Mexico, Central America, 

 or Andean South America. It is quoted from Brazil, but no one 

 has identified it in any part of vhe West Indies, the only assigned 

 locality — Cuba — being occupied by quite another and a different 

 species (P. cryptoleuca). If, therefore, found in South America at 

 all, it must make a long flight across the Caribbean Sea, without 

 stopping by the way. In any case I am inclined to believe that the 

 supposed specimens of this bird breeding in South America belong 

 to allied species, and if a visitor at all, the present bird is only as a 

 winter migrant , 



In a foot-nott * I give the description of certain specimens from 



' Frogne elegans. 



Progne elegans, BAiRn, n. s. 



fProgne purpurea, Darwin, Birds of Beagle, 38 (Monte Video (Novem- 

 ber) ; Bahia Blanca, Buenos Ayres (September), breeding in holes 

 in an earth cliff). 

 Eab. Buenos Ayres? Vermejo River; Brazil. (?) 



Adult, steel blue all over. 



(Young male. No. 21,009.) Above of a blackish-bronze color, with metallio 

 lustre ; beneath uniform dull dark brown, all the feathers edged or squarau- 

 lated with paler. A few steel blue feathers iu different parts of the body show 

 that tha .idnlt male is entirely steel blue. 



Another specimen, marked female,(?) has the edges of the feathers still 

 lighter, those of the crissal feathers nearly white. The steel blue feathers are 

 in greater number. A third, also marked female, and probably of that sex, 





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