BIRDS HTRUNDINLDAE— PROGNE PURPUREA. 
315 
Sp. Ch. — Largest of N. American swallows. Closed wings rather longer than the deeply forked tail. Tarsi and toes naked. 
Color, in the old male, everywhere glossy steel blue, with purple and violet reflections. Female and immature male less 
brilliant above, pale brownish beneath, blotched with darker or with bluish. Length, 7.30 ; wing, 5.85 ; tail, 3.40. 
Hub. — North America generally. 
Specimens of this species from Petaluma, California, are not appreciably different. The gloss 
of the upper as well as the lower parts is rather more greenish, and less purple. The hills are 
the same, as well as the size every way. Specimens from Coahuila, Mexico, are more like 
Pennsylvania ones. In those from the Upper Missouri the gloss is more like that of the 
Petaluma specimen. In one from Sacramento city again the colors have the usual purplish 
A female from Petaluma has a very distinct grayish white collar across the nape, and the 
entire forehead is of a similar color. 
I have never seen any specimens from the west coast agreeing with Mr. Cassin's description 
of P. chalybea, in the larger and longer bill and smaller size. An adult Progne, from Chili, 
labelled P. chalybea, by Mr. Verreaux, is exactly like the North American P. purpurea in size, 
lustre, &c ; the only difference being, apparently, a narrower bill. Number 4773, from the 
Upper Missouri, is, however, like it in this respect. 
List of specimens. 
Cata!. Sox 
No. & age 
When col 
lected. 
Carlisle, Penn i May 22, 184-1 
June 5, 1844 
June 15, 1844 
July 16, 1844 
July, 1843.... 
May, 1854.... 
do 
Cedar Island, Nt 
Vermillion River. Neb 
Nebraska 
Cedar Island, Neb. .. . 
loiva [.runt 
Fort Union, Neb... 
Blackfoot country .. 
Fort Riley, K. T.... 
hull, inula, Texas. .. 
Coahuila, Mex 
Petaluma, Ca 
do 
Sacramento. 
...fdo 
May 19, 1854 
May 8, 1854 
May 15, 1854 
...do 
April 23. 
April 23 
July, 1856.... 
July, 1855.... 
June 20, 1856 
Mar. 12, 1^55 
May, 1853.... 
Willi, .t nhlaiiici!. 
do 
Col. A. Vaughan 
Lt. G. K. Warren 
do 
Lt. F. T. Bry; 
Capt. J. Pope. 
1 >rig. Collected by- 
Lt. Warren . 
do 
W. S. Wood 
Capt. Pope. ., 
Length. Stretch Wing 
16.58 
16.25 
15.75 
16.50 
16.12 
15.37 
15. 
16. 
16. 
5.59 
5.92 
Eyes dark. 
Eyes dark. 
Eyes dark ; gums rose-colored ; 
feet black ; bill black. 
Eyes dark brown ; bill black ; 
feet very dark chestnut. 
Eyes dark brown ; bill black ; 
feet very dark chestnut. 
