Rocky Mountains. 47 



where they are broadest, by the longer nails of the anterior 

 feet, and by the armature of the thumb tubercle. It certain- 

 ly cannot with propriety be regarded as a variety of the stri- 

 atus^ and we are not aware that the latter species is subject 

 to vary to any remarkable degree in this country. But the 

 species, to which, in the distribution of its colours, it is most 

 closely allied, is unquestionably, the Sc. bilinatus of Geof- 

 froy. A specimen is preserved in the Philadelphia Museum. 



The cliff sivallo-w^ is here very frequent, as well as in all 

 the rocky country near the mountains, 



A very beautiful species of emberizaf was caught, rather 

 smaller than the indigo bunting, ('Emberiza cyanea) with a 

 note entirely dissimilar. It was observed to be much in the 

 grass, rarely alighting on bushes or trees. 



* Hirundo lunifrons. Say. Above brownish-black, more or less varied 

 with violaceous on the back and wing'-coverts; the top of the head exclu- 

 sively blackish violaceous; a large white frontal lunule; bill black; rump 

 and tail-coverts pale ferruginous; chin, throat, and neck beneath dark fer- 

 ruginous, extending in a narrow band upon the hind head; breast pale ru- 

 fous-ash; axilla and inferior wing-coverts dirty brownish; shoulders dull 

 whitish, with small black and pale ferruginous spots; belly, vent, and 

 flanks white, obselotely dashed with brown: inferior tail-coverts dusky 

 margined with white, tail entire, not surpassing the tips of the wings, the 

 exterior margined with white on the inner web; wing and tail shafts 

 brown above, white beneath, the tail feathers in some lights have a slight- 

 ly banded appearance. 



Length five and a half inches. 



This species attaches its nests, in great numbers, to the rocks in dry si- 

 tuations under projecting ledges. The nest is composed of mud, and is 

 hemispherical, with the entrance near the top, somewhat resembling a 

 chemist's retort, flattened on one side, and with the neck broken off,,for the 

 entrance; this entrance which is perfectly rounded, sometimes projects a 

 little and turns downwards. It is an active bird, flying about the vicinity 

 of its nest, in every direction, like the barn swallow. In many of the 

 nests we found young hatched, and in others only eggs. 



■)■ Emberiza amcena. Say. Head and neck bluish-green; back brownish 

 black, more or less intermixed with blue and alittle brown ferruginous; rwmp 

 pure blue; smaller wing coverts dull blue, brown at base, and tipped with 

 white forming a hand; greater wing coverts blackish, tipped with white, 

 forming a narrow band; wing and tail feathers blackish brown, with blue 

 exterior margins; belly, inferior tail coverts, and lower part of the breast, 

 white; superior portion of the breast pale ferruginous; neck bright green; 

 bill zudfeet pale. 



