CH^TUEA. 375 



Hirundo pelasgia, Linn. Syst. Xat. i. p. 345 "; Wils. Am. Orn. v. p. 48, t. 39'. 

 Chmtura pelasgia, Baird, Birds N. Am. p. 144 (1858) ^ Scl. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 610'. 



Saturate murino-bninnea, alis saturatioribus, dorso postico et cauda dilutioribus, vitta superciliari indistincta : 

 subtus gutture toto sordide albicante ad pectus murino transeunte : rostro et pedibus nigris. Long, tola 

 circa 5-0, alae 5-1, caudae 1-6. (Descr. maris ex Ins. Cozumel, Yucatan. Mus. nostr.) 

 5 mari simUis. 



Hab. NoETH America from Labrador and lat. 50° W. southwards 2.— Mexico, Jalapa 

 (Boucard^), Cozumel I. (G. F. Gaumer^); Guatemala ^l 



This Swift is a well-known summer visitant to the eastern portion of the United 

 States, where it breeds, making its nest in the chimneys of buildings or in hollow trees 

 in the forest. The nest is described as constructed of sticks firmly stuck together with 

 the saliva of the bird, and attached to the brickwork of a chimney or to a tree by the same 

 material. Brewer 2 gives an account of the way in which the bird collects the twigs 

 during its flight, and the passage is quoted at length by Dr. Coues^. The former 

 author states that the number of eggs laid in each nest is four ; the latter gives the 

 number as from foiir to six. 



Dr. Coues ^ was unable to find any statement giving the winter-quarters of C. pelagica, 

 and we are very much in the same position, though we have ascertained a few spots 

 outside the limits of the United States where this bird has been noticed in the winter 

 months. It occurs at Jalapa, where M. Boucard met with it, and Mr. Gaumer obtained 

 several examples during his stay on the Island of Cozumel *. It also occurs in South- 

 eastern Texas, but probably only on passage. In Florida, too, it has been noticed in 

 spring, but whence the individuals arrive is unknown, as we have no record of the 

 appearance of the bird in any of the West-Indian Islands or on the mainland of South 

 America. Practically, therefore, we know next to nothing of the winter-quarters of 

 the great mass of birds which must pass and repass in spring and autumn to their 

 summer nesting-quarters in the United States,- as the few birds noticed in Eastern 

 Mexico can only belong to the fringe of the main body of migrants. The occurrence 

 of this species in Guatemala rests upon a skin in the British Museum which was 

 formerly in Lord Tweeddale's collection ^. Its locality is not otherwise authenticated. 



4. ChsBtura vauxi. 



Cypselus vauxi, Towns. Journ. Ac. Phil. viii. p. 148 (1839) \ 



Cheetura vauxi, Baird, Birds N. Am. p. 145, t. 18 (1858) ==; Salv. Ibis, 1861, p. 117'; Scl. P. Z. S 

 1865, p. 611*; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, ii. p. 435'; Sumichrast, Mem. Best 

 See. X. H. i. p. 562'; La Nat. v. p. 250'; Lawr. Bull. U. S. Xat. Mus. no. 4, p. 32', 

 Eerrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 158'; Hartert, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 481" 



C/ueiura ?, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 37 ". 



ChtBtura similis, Lawr.'^. 



C. pelagiccB aflSnis, sed minor dorso postico et tectrieibus caudae superioribus paUidioribus : subtus omnino 



