330 BIRDS OF BEITISH GUIANA. 



557. Progne subis. 



Purple Martin. 



Hirundo subis Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 192, 1758 (Hudson Bay). 

 Proqne purpurea Cab. in Schomb. Eeis. iii. p. 671, 1848 ; Salvin, Ibis, 

 ■ 1885, p. 205 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 173, 1885 ; Quelch, 

 Timehri (2) x. p. 262, 1891 (migration). 

 Progne subis Briibourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 327, no. 3332, 1912. 



Adult male. Upper and under surface glossy steel-blue, with a 

 purjilish gloss on the upper parts ; inner webs o£ flight-quills dull 

 blackish brown, paler on the inner edges ; tail-feathers dark 

 brown on the inner webs ; a more or less obscured patch of white 

 on the sides of the back, where the feathers have white bases and 

 dark tips ; lores velvety-black ; marginal under wing-coverts 

 edged with white ; the feathers on the vent and thighs white, at 

 the base ; under tail-coverts margined with white. " Bill deep 

 brownish black ; feet purplish black ; iris dark brown " (Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus.). 



Total length 195 mm., exposed culmen 11, wing 150, tail 84, 

 tarsus 17. 



The specimen from which the description is taken was collected 

 on the Ituribisi River in August 1909. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male on the upper parts; 

 cheeks and throat pale dusky-brown, with black shaft-lines to the 

 feathers, paler on the fore-neck where the feathers are edged 

 with white ; breast and sides of the body silvery grey and the 

 shaft-streaks more pronounced ; abdomen and under tail-coverts 

 white with conspicuous dark shaft-lines ; axillaries and under 

 wing-coverts brown tipped with white ; under surface of flight- 

 quills and lower aspect of tail dark brown. Wing 139 mm. 



The female described was collected on the Ituribisi River in 

 August 1909. 



This bird breeds in North America and is a winter migrant to 

 British Guiana. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



West. Unrecorded in British Gnian;i. 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Upper Takutu Mountains, Ituribisi 

 River, Supenaam River (^McConnell collection). 



