316 SWALLOW. 



Purple Martin, Cates. Car. i. pi. 51. Amer. Ornith. v. p. 58. pi. 39. f. 1. Frank!. 



Narr. App. p. 678. 

 Violet Swallow, Gen. Syn. iv. 574. 

 Purple Swallow, Gen. Syn. iv. 575. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 333. Shaw's Zool. x. 108. 



FEMALE. 



Hirundo subis, Lin.i. 344. Gm. Lin. i. 1021. 



Freti Hudsonis, Bris. App. 56. Id. 8vo. i. 302. 



Hirondelle de la Baye d'Hudson, Buf. vi. 677. 

 Great American Martin, Ediv. pi. 120. 

 Purple Martin, Amer. Orn. v. p. 58. pi. 39. f. 2. 

 Canada Swallow, Gen. Syn. iv. 575. 



THE male of this Species is seven inches and three quarters long, 

 breadth fifteen and three quarters. Bill three quarters of an inch, 

 broad at the base, and from the point to the gape seven-eighths of 

 an inch, the feathers coming very forward on the nostrils ; general 

 colour of the plumage fine glossy purple, with a reflection of 

 copper in some lights, in others blue; greater wing coverts, quills, 

 and tail, dusky black, not glossy ; the latter forked, the outer feathers 

 three inches long, the two inner two inches and a half; the wing, 

 when closed, exceeds it in length ; legs rather stout, dark brown. 



The female is shorter by three quarters of an inch ; upper parts 

 dusky brown, with little or no violet tinge ; chin pale ash-colour; 

 across the breast and sides somewhat deeper ; belly and vent white, 

 with a very slender line of dusky down the shaft of each feather; 

 under tail coverts, in both sexes, reach beyond the middle of the tail. 



The above are found in summer, in Carolina and Virginia, coming 

 in May, and retiring at the approach of winter; are much esteemed 

 by the common people, who make little conveniences of boards on 

 the outsides of their houses, for them to build in, as they do in 

 respect to Sparrows in England, and they are useful in alarming the 

 poultry, of the approach of the Hawk, and other Birds of Prey ; not 

 only shrieking violently at the sight of these enemies, but attacking 

 them with all the efforts of our Martins in Europe. Sometimes seen in 

 Georgia as early as the 13th of March ; more common near Savannah, 



