296 



REVIEW OPAMERICAN BIRDS. 



[part I. 



being rusty yellowish-red, without distinguishing the throat as 

 darker. These characters certainly do not apply to the Paraguay 

 skins in Capt. Page's collection, whatever they may to Brazilian 

 specimens. These are moulting the large feathers of wing and tail. 



The characters given by Burmeister to the North American bird, 

 viz., "under parts white, the anal and crissal feathers alone rusty 

 yellowish-red," do not belong to it, as shown above. 



In this connection I may state that in the collection is a specimen 

 of H. rusiica, of Europe, taken at sea during a voyage from Norfolk 

 to Rio Janeiro, probably carried westward by the prevailing winds 

 in the aequatorial region. 



Should, as is very probable, the South American bird prove identi- 

 cal with the more northern one, the name rufa must be adopted as 

 having the priority. 



Specimens in the collection from the whole United States from 

 Atlantic to Pacific, and north to the boundary ; also — 



Tachycineta, Cab. 



Tichjcineta, Cab. Mus. Hein. 1850-1, 48. (Type E. thalassina, Sw.) 



Nostr'ls lateral, overhung or bordered internally by innumbent membrane. 

 Tarsi with the tibial joint covered by overhanging feathers, adherent a short 

 distance along inner face, about equal to middle toe without claw. Lateral 

 toes equal. Adhesion of basal joint of middle toe variable. Tail emarginate 

 only, or slightly forked ; fork not exceeding half an inch in depth. Color 

 blue or green above, with or without metallic gloss ; with or without white 

 rump. Entirely white beneath. 



Under this head I combine several variations of form which shade 

 so gradually into each other that I can scarcely define them even as 

 subgenera. The type (thalassina) differs from all the others in a 

 small, narrow bill, weak feet, more extensively feathered tarsus, and 

 in a peculiar softness of the plumage without metallic gloss, seen 



