Hab. in provinc iis o c c id en ta lib u s e t c en tra lib u s Amevicre sep ten trio n a lis , in Ame ric a c e n tra li bibc rnans.
A d u lt male. G en e ra l c o lo u r above ila rk gre en w ith a s lig h t bronzy shade, becoming ra tlie r more bluish
g re e n o n th e rum p a n d mixed w ith p u rp le on th e u p p e r ta il-co v e rts ; on each side o f th e rum p
a white p a tc li; s c ap u la rs g re e n lik e th e b a c k ; w ing-covc rts b la ck , th e le sse r and median
se rie s tip p ed w ith b lu ish g re e n ; g re a te r coverts, b a s ta rd -w in g , p rim a ry -co v e rts , and quills black,
e x te rn a lly glossed w ith deep indigo ; ta il-fe a tlic rs also black w ith a b lu ish gloss ; crown of head
b ro n zy g r e e n ; o c c iput and nape p u rp le , w ith a concealed n a rrow co lla r o f a shy ro u n d th e hin d
ne ck , c au sed simply b y th e grey bases o f th e f e a th e r s ; lores d u s k y ; f e a th e rs over th e eye
ex ten d in g down b ehind th e l a tte r , e a r-eo v e rts, cheeks, sides o f face, a n d en tire u n d e r surfa c e of
body silk y w h i te ; u n d e r wiug-cove rts and axilla rie s smoky b rown w ith w hitish edgings, the
c ove rts n e a r tb e edge o f th e w ing a n d th e lower g r e a te r coverts d a r k e r ; q u ills d u sk y brown
below, ra th e r m o re ashy o n th e ir in n e r ed g e : “ b ill b la c k ; fe e t brownish b la c k ; iris brown ;
m o u th pale y e llow ” {Coues). To ta l le u g th 4 ’5 inches, culmen 0 '3 , win g -T3, ta il 1-G5,
ta rsu s 0-45.
A d vH Ji-male. N o t so b rillia n t in c o lo u r as th e male, and d istin g u ish ed by th e brow n e r colour o f th e sides
o f th e face a n d e a r-co v e rts , th e th ro a t h aving a s lig h t wash o f ashy b row n ; th e head is also
decidedly browner with a bro u zy -g re cn shade, b u t neve r so b rillian t as in tb e ad u lt male. T o ta l
len g th -4-3 inclies, culmen 0 '3 , wing 4-25, ta il O'G, ta rsu s O'-i.
A d u lt male in w in te r plumage (Dueñas ; O. S a lv ia ). Differs from th e brc ed in g -p lum ag e in b e in g en tire ly
b ronzy o r oil-brown washed w ith p u rp le . T h is p u rp le shade is much more stro n g ly pronounced
th a u in sum m e r, and th e rem a in s o f i t a re notic e able iu th e desc rip tio n o f th e bre eding-dress,
wliere th e p urple oc c ip u t a u d h in d n e ck a re a lluded to as co o tra s tiiig w ith th e crown. The gre en
and p u rp le shade s ou th e rum p a n d u p p e r ta il-co v c rts a re th e same in b o th seasons, a n d th e
u n d e r surfa c e and facial m a rk in g s do n o t differ.
Youug male (S a n ta F é J lo u n ta in s , N .W . Mexico, Aug. 4 ; I I . W . Henshaw). Brown, th e e n tire back
w ith a p u rp lish o r g re e n ish gloss (according to th e lig h t) , which is la cking o n th e head, lower
back, a n d r u m p ; on e ith e r side o f tlie lowe r ba ck a w hite p a tc h ; wings a n d ta il brown, with a
la in t gloss o f s te e l-g re en on th e fo rm e r, th e in n e r se conda rie s edged w ith ashy a t th e e n d s ;
sides o f face b rown, as in th e a d u lt fem a le , w ith a ve ry fa in t in d ic a tio n o f th e w hite above th e
c a r-c o v e rts ; cheeks, th ro a t, a n d u n d e r su rfa c e of body silk y wliite, with a brownish shade across
th e fore n e c k ; gape yellowish.
TTie sc rie s in th e H en sh aw collection shows th a t in th e w in te r th e ad u lt bird s a re d istin g u ish ed by broad
Milite tip s to th e in n e r secondaries, a n d tlie violet c o lo u r o f th e rum p is very du ll a n d almost
o b lite ra ted by g re en ish blue . By Ap ril th e wliite edgings to th e in n e r secondaries have become
e n tire ly abraded. T h e re is conside rable difference in th e c o lo u r o f tlie ba ck, some specimens
b e ing o f a b e a u tifu l deep gre en, whilst o th e rs a rc more oily g r e e n ; an d in th e ‘ C a ta logue of
Birds ’ it was su g g e sted th a t th is m ig h t be d ue to th e w e a ring o f tlie fe a the rs d u rin g th e breeding-
season. A u ex an iin a tio u o f th e H en sh aw scric.s, however, induces us to modify th is opinion, fo r
wc find a bird from Pu eb lo , iu Colorado, shot on th e 2 7 tli o f J u ly , which is b r ig h t g re en on the
back, and equa ls in b riliia iicy an y of tlic specimens pro cu red in th e e a rlie r sp rin g . These more
b rig h tly -co lo u red indiv id u a ls may th e re fo re be older bird s, and th e du ll-co lo u red ones be th e
bird s o f th e previous ye a r.
Hab. M iddle and W e s te rn Provinc e s o f th e U . S ta te s , n o rth to B ritish Columbia and V a n co u v e r
Is la n d , e a s t to S.1Í. D ak o ta and W e s te rn T exas, so u th in w inte r to L ow e r Califo rn ia , and to
G u a tem a la in C en tra l America.
T h i s is one of th e most b e au tifu l of all th e Swallows, and is a n in liallitaut o f the
Western United States, as well as some of tho Central Proyinoos. Professor E llio tt
Cones, in liis ‘ Birds of th e Colorado T a lley ,’ has given a most ex cellent account of tlie
species, which has b een made tho foundation of our p resent article. Wo have also
studied th e notes of Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and llid gw ay in th e ir ‘ Histo ry M North-
.tmericau Birds,’ and those of Messrs. Salvin and Godman in th e ‘ Biologia.’ Since those
gentlemen wrote, however, many fu rth e r observations of in te rest have been recorded in
Che ‘ A n k ’ an d o th er journals, the details of whicli a re given holow. The n o rth e rn most
poin t in its western d istribution to which th o Violet-and-Grcen Swallow extends
i t s ran g e seems to he Vancouver Islan d , whence wo h ave seen specimens collected by
Mr. A. Eorrer. Dr. R o b e rt Brown states th a t i t breeds there, b uilding in knot-holes of
trees. The late Mr. J , K . Lord, d u rin g th e Boundary Commission on th e -I9tb P arallel,
noticed this species a t Colville, to th e west of th o Rocky Mountains. H e numbers the
species among tho earliest visitors, a rriv in g in March in small flocks, increasing in
numhors iu May, aud b uilding in Ju n e in holes of frees. Mr. Clark P. Stroator also
found it breeding a t Ashcroft, in British Columbia. H e w r i t e s “ -Ashcroft is located
ono h undred miles n o rth of tb e U n ited States Boundary, an d two h u n d red miles east of
tb e western term in u s of tbo Canadian Pacific Railway. This place is almost a d e s e r t;
only sage-briisli, small cactus, and now and th en a few stu n ted trees and p lan ts are to
be seen. B u t th o mountains, two thousand feet high, a re covered with scattering
pine-forcst.”
Drs. Suckley and Cooper sta te th a t in Wash in g to n Te rrito ry i t arrives early in May
in P u g e t Sound. Both in tho in te rio r of Oregon an d of W a sh in g to n T erritory tbo bird
was found to be q uite abundant, freq u en tin g entirely tbo hig h prairies, bordered witli
oak and deciduous trees, and breeding iu knot-holes or in tb e deserted boles of Woodpeckers.
Prolessor Coues states th a t be observed a few individuals ou tb e 2titb of J uiie,
1874, on tho U p p er Missouri, above th e moiitli of tho Yellowstone, n e a r tb e Quaking-
.Asb River. The speeies was also collected by Dr. lla y d o n in th e Wind Riv e r Mountains,
in AVyoming. Dr. Mearns also states th a t be has found th e species breeding in tbe
mineral formation about tb e hot springs aud goysers of th e Yollowstono National Park
and in the h lutf banks of th e Big Ho rn River in Montana. Mr. Agersborg records it as
probably accidental in South-eastern Dakota, b u t breeding th ere .
Many good notices of tb e range o t the species th ro u g h o u t Colorado have been
published. Mr. Drew states tlia t th e upper lim it ot its range in spring is 7000 feet, in
summer 11,000 feet, and in au tum u 9500 ; i t breeds from 5000 to 10,500 feet. The
same observer states th a t b e fouud it “ very abu n d an t in San J u a n Ceuiity.” Mr. Minot
speaks of i t as a common summer resident of local abundance, ran g in g up to the timber