PEOGNE, 223 



the tibio-tarsal joint is feathered, the lateral toes are about equal, the claws strong and 

 much curved. 



1. Progne purpurea. 



Hirundo purpurea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 344 ' ; d'Orb. & Lafr. Syn. Av. i. p. 68 ' ; Jones, Nat. 

 Berm. p. 34 '. 



Progne purpurea, Darwin, ZooLYoj. Beagle, iii. p. 38'; Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 140'; Baird, 



U.S. Bound. Surv. ii. Birds, p. 11'; Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 479'; Duges, La Nat. i. 



p. 141 ' ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 16 ' ; Hudson, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 605 ". 

 Hirundo subis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 344". 

 Progne subis, Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 274'*; Snmichrast, Mem. Best. Soc. N. H. i. p. 547''; 



Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 271 "; Baird, Br^w. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 329"; 



Coues, B. Col. Vail. i. p. 445 ". 



Chalybeo-cBenilea unieolor, alls et cauda nigris extus chalybeo nitentibus ; plaga bypocbrondriaca celata alba; 

 tectricibus suboaudalibus quoque ad basin albis ; rostro et pedibus nigris. Long, tota 7-7, alse 5-7, caudae 

 reot. med. 2-2, rect. lat. 2-85, rostri a rictu 0-9, tarsi 0-6. (Descr. maris ex Brit. Honduras. Mus. nostr.) 



2 supra mari simOis, sed colore magis obscuro ; subtus griseo-albidis, plumis singulis ad basin fuscis. (Descr. 

 feminEe ex CaHfomia. Mus. nostr.) 



Eab. NoETH America ' from the Arctic circle southwards in summer ", Texas ^, 

 Bermuda 3. — Mexico, Coahuila (Couch'' ^^), Mazatlan, Guadalajara and Tepic 

 (Grayson ^^), Gnanajuato (Bughs^), Alpine region of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast^^) ; 

 Beitish Hondueas, Belize (Blancaneaux). — Bolivia ^ ; Beazil ^ ^ ; Argentine 

 Eepublic2 4io. 



Northern and Central Mexico seem to be the chief resort of this species within our 

 limits. Here Grayson found it breeding both in Tepic and in Guadalajura in 

 the month of May, making its nest under the eaves of the houses or in water-spouts ; at 

 Mazatlan he saw it but seldom, and then only accidentally during migration, flying very 

 high ^^. The only naturalist who has observed the Purple Martin in Southern Mexico 

 is Prof. Sumichrast, who found it in the alpine region of Vera Cruz, where he says it 

 is resident i^. It never occurred to us in Guatemala, but we have a skin of a male 

 bird recently sent us from the neighbourhood of Belize by M. Blancaneaux. There 

 are no records of its occurrence elsewhere in Central America. 



Eegarding the South-American bird, we are quite of Mr. Sclater's opinion i°, that the 

 Swallow considered by writers previous to the publication of Prof. Baird's ' Eeview 

 of American Birds ' to be Progne purpurea is really that species ; for with numerous 

 specimens before us we are quite unable to detect any tangible evidence of the exis- 

 tence of more than one bird. Progne purjpurea thus considered extends its range over 

 a large part of the South- American continent ; but it is probably absent from the 

 western, north-western, and the extreme southern districts, as it is from the greater 

 portion of Central America. 



Eeferring again to its Mexican range, it seems not improbable that this is merely an 

 extension of the area it inhabits during the summer months in North America, and 



