PURPLE SWIFT, 431 



Arrives in June in New Tork. Builds in deep holes of banks, Placs, 



over lakes and rivers j and departs in Auguft or the beginning of 

 September. It is frequent in Sibiria and Kdmtjchatka. Is found in 

 Europe as far north as Sondmor *. 



Purple Martin, C^/.>Zy,i.; I, Purple 



Great American Martin (fem ?) Ediu. :zo. Swift. 



Hirundopurpurea. H. Subis,Z/a. 5jy?. 344. — Latham,'\i.^'j^.'ii''.2i. — 575.N°'23b 24. 



Le Martinet coleur de pourpre, De Buffon, vi, 676. 



L'Hirondelle de la.Baie de Hudfon, lb. 677, 



L'Hirondelle de la Louifiane, lb. 674. — PI. Enl. 722. — ^Lev. Mus.^Bl. Mus. 



OW. "With its whole plumage black, glolTed moil richly with vari- 

 able blue and deep purple : wings and tail of a duller color : 

 legs and feet naked, large, and ftrong ; three toes only Handing for- 

 ward, not all four, as in the European kind. In Size far fuperior to 

 the Englijh Swift ; but the wings in proportion fhorter. 



The colors of the Female are lefs glofly on the upper part of the: 

 body ; below of a dirty white*, in fome, the ridge of the wings is 

 white, and the breaft grey. Such is the fpecimen engraven by Mr, 

 Edwards %.^\i\Q\i I fufpeft to be a young bird, and not to differ in 

 fpecies, although it may in fex, from that of Mr. Catejhy ; for I 

 Have had opportunity of examining both male and female from 

 New Tork. I mult alfo unite the Louifiane of the Count i)e BuffoHy 

 to this fpecies. 



Inhabits North America, from Hudfon^s Bay to South Carolina and PtACE*- 



Louifiana. Appears in New Tork in April. Leaves the province 

 the latter end of Auguft. By the felf-interefl: of mankind, they are 

 welcome guefts, and provided with lodgings, in form of earthen pots 

 or boxes, placed on the outlides of the houfes, againfl: their arrival, , 

 and fometimes with empty calabafhes hung on the tops of poles f. 

 In thefe they make their nefts, and lay four or five eggs. In re- 

 turn for thefe benefits, they are the guardian of the poultry ; driving , 



away^ . 



