PURPLE MARTIN. 1 59 



action of the wings. He passes through the most crowded 

 parts of our streets, eluding the passengers with the quickness 

 of thought ; or plays among the clouds, gliding about at a 

 vast height, like an aerial being. His usual note, peuo, peuo, 

 peuo, is loud and musical ; but is frequently succeeded by 

 others more low and guttural. Soon after the 20th of August 

 he leaves Pennsylvania for the south. 



This bird has been described three or four different times, 

 by European writers, as so many different species, — the 

 Canadian swallow of Turton, and the great American martin 

 of Edwards, being evidently the female of the present species. 

 The violet swallow of the former author, said to inhabit 

 Louisiana, differs in no respect from the present. Deceived 

 by the appearance of the flight of this bird, and its similarity 

 to that of the swift of Europe, strangers from that country 

 have also asserted that the swift is common to North America 

 and the United States. No such bird, however, inhabits 

 any part of this continent that I have as yet visited. 



The purple martin is eight inches in length, and sixteen 

 inches in extent ; except the lores, which are black, and the 

 wings and tail, which are of a brownish black, he is of a 

 rich and deep purplish blue, with strong violet reflections ; 

 the bill is strong, the gap very large ; the legs also short, 

 stout, and of a dark dirty purple ; the tail consists of twelve 

 feathers, is considerably forked, and edged with purple blue ; 

 the eye full and dark. 



The female measures nearly as large as the male ; the upper 

 parts are blackish brown, with blue and violet reflections 

 thinly scattered ; chin and breast, grayish brown ; sides under 

 the wings, darker ; belly and vent, whitish, not pure, with 

 stains of dusky and yellow ochre ; wings and tail, blackish 

 brown. 



