186 
ZOOLOGY. 
COTYLE SERRIPENNIS, Bonap. 
Rough-winged Swallow. 
Hirundo serripennis, Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1638, 593.— Ib. Birds America, I, 1840, 193 ; pi. 51. 
Cotyle serripennis, Bonap. Consp. 1850, 342.— Cassin, Illust. I, 1855, 247.— Brewer, N. Am. Oology, I, 1857, 
106, fig. 50, (egg.)— Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 313. 
Sp. Ch.—T ail slightly emarginate ; first primary with the pennulae of the outer web much stiffened, with their free extremi¬ 
ties recurved into a hook very appreciable lo the touch. No feathers on the tarsus and toes. Above rather light sooty brown, 
beneath whitish gray, or light brownish ash, becoming nearly pure white in the middle of the belly and on the under tail coverts. 
Length, 5.50 ; extent, 12.50 ; wing, 4.28 ; tail, 2.23. Iris, brown ; bill and feet, black. 
Hab. —United States, from Atlantic to Pacific. 
The rough-winged swallow is common about the sandy cliffs of the hays and inlets of this 
coast. It arrives near the Columbia river in May, and remains until the middle of August, 
when, though in so mild a climate, all the swallows go southward, their last broods being still 
scarcely able to fly. This species burrows holes in soft, sandy banks near the tops of cliffs, 
and has the same habits as the bank swallow of the east. Their only notes are a few chirping 
calls.—C. 
Rather abundant in both Oregon and Washington Territories. Several specimens were 
obtained by me and forwarded to the Smithsonian museum.—S. 
PROGNE PURPUREA, Boie. 
Purple Martin. 
Hirundo purpurea, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 344.— Audubon, Orn. Biog. I, 1831,115 ; pi. xxiii.— Ib. Birds Am. 
1, 1840, 170; pi. xlv. 
Prognepurpurea, Boie, Isis, 1826, 971.— Bonap. List, 1838.— Cassin, Illust. I, 1855, 245.— Brewer, N. Am. 
Oology, 1, 1857, 103 • pi. iv, fig. 47, (egg.)— Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 314. 
Hirundo subis, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 344, (second year.) 
Hirundo violacea, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 1026. 
g P . 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 bril¬ 
liant above, pale brownish beneath, blotched with darker or with bluish. Length, 7.30 ; wing, 5.85 ; tail, 3.40. 
Hab. —North America generally. 
On the 23d of May, 1856, I obtained at Port Steilacoom, Washington Territory, a specimen 
of Progne , agreeing very well with a description of P. purpurea , with which I at the time 
compared it. Unfortunately the skin was lost, with a large and valuable consignment of north¬ 
western birds, which was despatched from Fort Steilacoom to the Smithsonian, but never 
reached its destination. I was especially sorry to lose this bird, as I wished it to be compared 
with such specimens of P. chalybea (vide Cassin’s description of this species) as were in the 
museums of the Philadelphia Academy and Smithsonian Institution. 
My specimen measured 8.50 by 16.38. It is not a common bird in Washington Territory, 
and I was only able to obtain this one specimen, although I saw several others at odd times. 
They were then met with in groves of scrub-oaks on the Nisqually plains.—S. 
I never saw this bird in the Territory, where it must be rare.—C. 
