Hah. North America generally, but somewhat local in its distribution ; breeding also in parts of Central 

 America, where it extends as far as Costa Rica and Panama. 



This species is widely spread throughout North America, and extends into Central 

 America as far south as Panama ; and, as far as is known, it breeds wherever it is found 

 in summer. It is only a migrant to the United States and Southern Canada, and the 

 birds which nest there doubtless visit Central America in winter, but the species also 

 breeds in certain countries of the Central- American subregion. 



To commence a history of the Rough-winged Swallow, it is only necessary to quote 

 the writings of that admirable field-naturalist, Professor Elliott Coues, who has given us 

 a full account of its distribution in his ' Birds of the Colorado Valley,' published 

 in 187S. Some further instances of its occurrence in previously unrecorded localities 

 have been published since the above date, but the account given by Professor Coues 

 seems to us to embody all the information respecting its known range in North America 

 up to the above-mentioned year. 



Writing, therefore, in 1878, Professor Coues observes : — ■ 



" Its distribution is now known to include the entire breadth of the United States, 

 excepting some portions of New England, whence Ave have no record as yet. But the 

 bird certainly enters New England. This fact was first announced, as far as I know, by 

 Mr. H. A. Purdie, who states that an individual was shot at Sheffield, Conn., by 

 Mr. Shores, June 6th, 1874 ; and Mr. Merriam states that Mr. E. P. Bicknell found the 

 bird in numbers at Biverdale, New York, within a few miles of the Connecticut line. I 

 had written in 18G8 that it was singular there should be no New England instances on 

 record, ' as the species certainly ought to be there ' ; and some of the New England 

 ornithologists may learn in the course of time that every bird known in a certain portion 

 of the Middle States will also be found in the Connecticut Valley. Determining thus 

 the north-easternmost point at which the Bough-winged Swallow has been found, we 

 may turn in another direction along its supposed northern boundary. Its name appears 

 in Gregg's Elmira list, but not in Mcllwraith's Canada West, nor in Trippe's Minnesota. 

 I never saw the bird in Dakota or Montana ; but west of the Bocky Mountains, 

 Mr. J. K. Lord seems to have met with it along the same parallel of 49° ; and we also 

 have Brown's Vancouver record. This exhibits a northern limit coincident with that of 

 Tachycineta thalassinus, and we may suppose that the northern border of the United 

 States is nearly the terminus of the species, excepting in New England, where the bird 

 is not known to go so far. 



" In the Middle, Southern, and Western States the dispersion of the species is general, 

 calling for no comment ; but the various records from the West may be profitably 

 analyzed. Dr. A. L. Heerman early found the bird in California, as recorded by himself 

 and by Cassin in 1855, as well as at other places in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. 

 Audubon's original surmise respecting its extension to the Columbia was verified by 

 Dr. Newberry, and also by Drs. Cooper and Suckley, who found the bird common in 



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