224 HIErNDINIDiE. 



that the Mexican birds accompany the more northern ones in their winter migration. 

 Against this theory is Prof. Sumichrast's observation that this bird is resident in the 

 higher parts of Vera Cruz. 



Our specimen from British Honduras has rather more white on the base of the 

 under tail-coverts than is the case in one we have from California ; it may therefofe 

 belong to the Cuban bird separated by Prof. Baird as Progne cryptoleuca ; but the 

 difference is, in our opinion, of no specific importance. 



The Purple Martin is a very familiar bird in North America ; and a full summary of 

 the records of its habits is given by Brewer i^. It breeds in convenient places in 

 many of the public buildings in the towns and cities of the United States, and also in 

 suitable boxes placed for the purpose near their dwellings by all classes of people. 



It also breeds in South America, as Darwin states that he observed females at Bahia 

 Blanca beginning to lay in September, having excavated deep holes in a cliff of 

 compact earth *- 



An excellent account of it at this season is also given by Mr. W. H. Hudson i°. 



As P. purpurea is migratory at both ends of its range, and as it breeds both in the 

 northern and southern continents, the question arises whether the species raises two 

 broods in the year, one in the summer months in the north, and another in the winter 

 in the south, or do the birds of each extremity occupy alternately an intermediate 

 country in common % — questions only to be answered by the closest observation of the 

 movements of the birds themselves. 



2. Progne chalybea. 



Hirundo chalybea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1026 \ 



Progne chalybea, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 318 'j Cab. J. f. Orn. 1860, p. 402 '; Scl. & Salv. 



P. Z. S. 1873, p. 258 \ 1879, p. 495 °. 

 Progne purpurea (non Linn.), Cab. in Schomb. Reise n. Guian. iii. p. 671'. 

 Progne dominicensis (nee Linn.), Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 141 ^ ; Sel. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 201 ' ; 1859 



p. 364'; 1860, p. 292"; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 13^'; Taylor, Ibis, 1860, p.' 110"'; 



Owen, Ibis, 1861, p. 61 ". 

 Hirundo domestica, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. N. xiv. p. 520 (ex Azara) ". 

 Progne domestica, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 17". 

 Progne leucogaster, Baird, Rev. Am. B. i. p. 280"; Salv. Ibis, 1866, p. 203"; Lawr. Ann. Lye. 



N. Y. ix. p. 96 " ; Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soe. N. H. i. p. 547 " ; v. Frantzius, J. f . Orn. 



1869, p. 294 ■"' ; Sel. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 569 " ; 1870, p. 838 "; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat! 



Mus. no. 4, p. 17 ". 



Supra chalybeo-c8enileaunicolor,.-alis caudaque-nigricantibus chalybeo extus lavatis ; subtus fusca, abdomine et 

 crisso albidis, macula hypochondriaca celata alba ; rostro et pedibus nigris. Long, tota 6-5, alae 5*4 

 caudge reotr. med. 2-25, rect. lat. 2-9 ; rostri a rictu 0-9, tarsi 0-45. (Descr. maris ex San Geronimo', 

 Guatemala. Mus. nostr.). 



2 mari similis, sed colore corporis supra obscuriore. (Descr. feminae ex Cahabon, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. Mexico, San Andres Tuxtla {Salle « ^% Jalapa {de Oca % hot and temperate 

 regions of Vera Cruz {SumichrasP), Tehuantepec {Grayson ^^), Barrio {Sumi- 



