BLACK OR IRIDESCENT BLACK 415 



beach, so it seems to be a mere matter of caprice whether 

 they go to the mountains or the seashore for the hot 

 weather. Later they congregate for the winter in the 

 interior valleys near the farms and stockyards, where 

 they pick up food like so many sparrows. In the spring 

 they forage at the heels of the ploughman or among the 

 herds. 



Throughout the summer, fall, and winter their call- 

 note has been a typical Blackbird " tchaak," uttered with 

 a flirt of the tail plainly showing displeasure. But when 

 the rains cease and spring calls them to woo and win 

 their mates, their little black throats ruffle with song. 

 More energetic than musical, it may be ; but heard as a 

 chorus it is so full of enthusiasm as to make one forget 

 its lack of harmony. The epithet of " wheelbarrow 

 chorus," applied by Mr. Burroughs to the song of its 

 Eastern kin, is just as appropriate west of the Rockies 

 and fits the case exactly. 



611a. WESTERN MARTIN. —Progne subis hesperia. 

 Family : The Swallows. 



Length: 7. 25-8. 50. 



Adult Male : Entire plumage uniform glossy blue-black ; wings and tail 

 black ; tail decidedly forked. 



Adult Female: Upper parts duller and color less continuous ; forehead 

 and crown light gray ; feathers of back and ramp conspicuously edged 

 with grayish or pale brown ; bend of wing and under coverts mottled 

 profusely with whitish ; anterior under parts and nuchal collar gray- 

 ish white ; belly and under tail-coverts white. 



Young : Similar to adult female. 



Geographical Distribution: Pacific coast region, from Oregon south 

 through California and Arizona to Lower California. 



