I n M e x ic o th i s b e a u t if u l Sw allow h a s b e e n o b ta in e d b y M r. L lo y d a t T e tu a c a in
C h ih u a h u a in M a r c h . D r . C o u c h m e t w ith t h e sp e c ie s also a t S a ltillo in th e S ta te o f
C o a h u ila , a n d M r. W . B. R ic h a r d s o n h a s p ro c u r e d sp e c im e n s in .Talisco, in th e S ie r r a de
B o lañ o s, in J u l y , a t 3 5 0 0 f e e t ; th e s e sp e c im e n s , n ow in th e S a lv in -G o dm a n c o lle c tio n , a re
in w o rn p lum a g e a n d w e re a p p a r e n t ly b re e d iu g .
T h e sp e c ie s a p p e a rs to b e n o t r a r e in th e V a lle y o f M ex ico , fo r n um e ro u s e x am p le s
w e re p r o c u r e d b y M. F e r r a r i -P e r e z betAA’e e n th e m o n th s o f J a n u a r y a n d J u ly . T h e
fo llow in g a r c th e lo c a litie s a s e v id e n c e d b y th e s e rie s in th e S a lv in -G o dm a n c o ll e c t io u :—
T e te lc o (X o c h im ilc o ) , J a n . 1 8 ; C o ap a (T la lp am ), P eb . 20, M a r c li f i ; M e x ic a lc in g o
(T la lp a n i), F e b . 6 ; A x o tla (T a c u b a y a ), M a r c h Í ; I lu ip u l c o (T la lp am ), A p r il 2 3 ; A to to -
n ilc o ( I lu c jo tz in g o ), A p r il 1 5 , J u l y 1 5 ; CM m a lp a (T a c u b a y a ), M a y J . T h e sp e c im e n
o b ta in e d a t H u ip u lc o o n tb e 2 3 rd o f A p r il lo o k s a s i f i t h a d som ew h a t a b r a d e d p lum a g e ,
a s i f n e s t i n g ; a n d tb e b ird p ro c u re d a t A to to n ilc o in J u l y is in fu ll m o u lt, a n d h a s
a lre a ily p u t o n som e o f t b e iv in te r se c o n d a rie s Avith w h ite ed g e s . M . D u g e s giA'es th e
U a c ie n d a d e T a p a tc ro a s a lo c a lity .
T lic l a t e M r . S um ic h r a s t fo u n d t h a t in th e S ta te o f V e r a C ru z t h e sp e c ie s Avas re s id e n t,
b e in g s e e n n o t o n ly in th e h o t b e lt o f th e c o a s t, b u t a lso in tlie t em p e r a t e re g io n a n d
th r o u g h o u t th e p l a t e a u a t a lm o s t a ll h e ig lits , b e in g e v e ryw h e re v e ry c om m o n . Messrs.
B a ird , BrcAAcr, a n d IlidgAA-ay s t a t e t h a t t h e sp e e ie s b re e d s o n tlie p la t e a u o f V e r a C r u z ;
Im t, a s M e ssrs. S a lv in a n d G o dm a n h a v e p o in te d o u t iu t h e ‘ B io lo g ía ,’ th e r e is n o th in g
iu S um ic lira s t’s p u b lish e d p a p e rs to c o u f irm th is a s s e r tio n , th o u g h i t is m o s t p ro b a b le
t h a t th e V io le t-a n d -G re e n S avuI Ioav r e a lly does b re e d tlie r c , a s i t is in c lu d e d by
S um ic h r a s t in h is li s t o f th e re s id e n t b ird s o f th e S ta te . I n O riz a b a i t h a s b e e n co lle c te d
b y L e S tr a n g e a n d b y S um ic h ra s t. M r. G o dm a n p ro c u r e d sp e c im e n s a t P in a l a n d
A m c c am e c a in t h e S ta te o f P u e b l a in A p r il, a n d h is c o lle c to r, M a u u e l T ru jillo , lia s also
m e t w ith th e sp e c ie s in O a x a c a , viz. a t V illa A lta in M a r c h , a n d a t T o to n te p e e in
P e b r u a r y . M e s s rs . S a h 'in a n d G o dm a n r em a r k “ I n G u a tem a la Ave o n ly o b se rv e d i t
in tb e Avintcr m o n th s , fr om NoA'ember t i ll M a r c h . I t was th e n c om m o n a b o u t th e o p en
l a n d s n e a r D u e ñ a s a n d a b o u t th e ])la in s o f S a n G e ró n im o , a t a n e le v a tio n o f a b o u t
3 0 0 0 fe e t. I t h a s a lso b e e n o b ta in e d b y M r. S a rg a t C o b u n .”
T h e be.st s um m a ry o f th e fa c ts c o n n e c te d Avith th e bi’e e d in g o f th e V io le t-a n d -G re e n
Sw a llow is g iv e n b y P ro fe s so r E l l io t t C oues in h is ‘ B ird s o f th e C o lo rad o V a lle y ,’ from
w h ic h w o rk avc m a k e tb e e x tr a c ts g i\'e n beloAv. T h e e a rlie s t a c c o u n ts o f th e b r e e d in g of
t h e sp e c ie s a r e th o s e o f ToAvnsend a n d N u t t a l l , th e fo rm e r s t a t in g t h a t i t b u i l t a “ n e s t
o f m u d a n d h a y o n c la y b lu ffs ,” a n d t h a t i t a lso n e s te d in h o llow tre e s . “ T lie l a t t e r
s ta t em e n t ,” say s P ro fe s so r C o u es, “ is c o r r e c t ; in m a k in g th o fo rm e r, ToAvnsond seems
to h a v e g o t th e sp e c ie s m ix e d w ith tb e Cliff-Swaliow. N u t t a l l say s t h a t th e y a p p e a re d
to o c c u p y n e s ts o f th e Cliif-SwalloAv, in s te a d o f b u ild in g f o r th em s e lv e s , a n d su p p o se s
th em to s om e tim e s b re e d in tre e s . A u d u b o n su p p lie d D r . BreAA'er Avitli a draAving o f a n
eg'«- o f th i s sp e c ie s, g o t b y N u t t a l l in O re g o n , Avbich D r . B rew e r sa y s Avas th e i i r s t k n ow le
d g e h e a c q u ire d o f th e ‘ m a r k in g s ' o f th e e g g . T iie e r r o r a b o u t th e e g g a n d n id iiic a tio n
flo u rish e d b e y o n d 1 8 5 7 , w h e n D r . BrcAver e la b o ra te d i t w ith c a re , d e s c rib in g a n d f ig u rin g
t h e sp e c k le d e g g o f th e C liff o r B a r n Sw a llow a s t h a t o f t h e V io le t-g r e e n , a n d d is c re d itin g
N u t t a l l ’s o b s e rv a tio n re s p e c tin g th e p ro b a b le n e s tin g o f th e sp e c ie s in tre e s . T h e fa c t
is, t h a t th e V io le t-g r e e n Sw a llow n e s ts in h o le s i n t r e e s a n d elseAvhere, a n d la y s a p u r e
Avhite eg g , e x a c tly lik e T . h ico lo r .”
P ro fe s so r Coues p ro c e e d s :—
“ I am u n c e r t a in to w h om w e owe th e d isco v e ry o f th e fa c t t h a t th e e g g s o f th e
V io le t-g re e n Sw a llow a r e Avhite a n d u nm a rk e d . T b e in fo rm a tio n w a s lo n g d e la y e d in
c om in g , p a r tly ow in g , n o d o u b t, to th o d iffic u lty o f g e t t in g a t th e e g g s , e v e n Avlien th e
a r tf u lly h id d e n r e tr e a t is d isco v e red . T h e n e s t m a y b e in h o n e y -c om b e d ro c k s , e n tir e ly
o u t o f r e a c h ; o r in th e to p o f a b la s te d tre e , to o r o t t e n to b e s c a le d Avith s a f e t y ; o r o u t
o f re a c h in a k n o t-h o le in s tro n g s o u n d Avood. A f te r th e y Avere fo u n d o u t, a n d th e hole-
b re e d in g c h a r a c t e r o f th e sp e c ie s Avas e s ta b lish e d , i t w a s n a tu i-a l t h a t t h e s u b s e q u e n t
a c c o u n ts o f th e cliff a n d ro c k n e s ts s h o u ld b e re c e iv e d w i th c a u tio n o r m i s t r u s t ; a n d so
m u c h h a s b e e n s a id o n e w a y a n d a n o th e r , t h a t i t w ill t e n d to p u t t h e h is to r y o f th e
sp e c ie s in th e b e s t l ig h t to revieAv t h e te s tim o n y o n th e su b je c t.
“ W h e n in N ew M e x ic o , i n 1 8 6 i , I fo u n d th e V io le t-g r e e n SAvallows to b e A'ery
com m o n in th e R a to n M o u n ta in s . T h is AA-as in J u n e , a n d I h a v e n o d o u b t t h a t t h e b ird s
Avere th e n n e s tin g , th o u g h I h a d n o c h a n c e o f o b s e rv in g th em c lo se ly . I n o tic e d th e i r
close re s em b la n c e to ‘W ln tc -b e llic d SAvallows in g e n e ra l a p p e a ra n c e , a n d p a r ti c u la r ly in
m o d e o f f l i g h t ; a n d I o b s e rv e d th e n , a s s u b s e q u e n tly , th e c u r io u s ly m is le a d in g c irc um s
ta n c e t h a t th e b ird s a p p e a re d to h a v e Avhite rum p s . I n fa c t, a s is w e ll knoAvn, th e r um p
is lik e th e r e s t o f th e u p p e r p a r ts in c o lo u r, b u t th e fluffy Avhitc fe a th e r s o f th e fla n k s
lie o v e r th e p a r t d u r in g flig h t, som e tim e s m e e tin g o v e r th e r o o t o f th e t a i l , th u s c a u s in g
th e a p p e a ra n c e o b se r\'c d . T h is a p p e a ra n c e o f tr ic o lo r a tio n— v io le t, g re e n , a n d Avhite— is
s t r ik in g . T h e fo llow in g y e a r, a t E o r t W h ip p le , in A r iz o n a , I m a d e q u ite a s tu d y o f
th e s e b ird s , w h o so e x q u is ite b e a u ty c o u ld h a r d ly fa il to to u c h e v e n th e m o s t in s e n s ib le
o b se rv e r. T h e y n e s tle d in c o n s id e r a b le n um b e r s in th e piue-A\'oods a b o u t th e fo r t, u s u a lly
p r e f e r r in g t h e e d g e s of th e t im b e r , a n d c o n s tru c te d t h e i r u e s ts o f h a y a n d fe a th e r s iu th e
n a tu r a l c re v ic e s o f tre e s , o r in o ldA V o o d p e ck e r h o le s . S om e tim e s is o la te d p a ir s o c c u p ie d
th o d e c id u o u s t re e s in th e v ic in ity , a s th e co tto n -w o o d s a lo n g th o c r e e k a n d th o o a k s o f
th e o p e n h i l ls id e s ; b u t m o s t o f tb e b ird s g a th e r e d iu l i t t l e c o lo n ie s iu c lum p s o f p in e -
tre e s . T h e b ird s re a c h e d th i s e le v a te d lo c a lity th e s e c o n d o r t h i r d Avcek in ¡March, a n d
r em a in e d u n t i l l a t e in S e p tem b e r . I c o n s id e r e d th em th e c om m o n e s t o f th e i r tr ib e , q u ite
c h a ra c te ris tic , in f a c t, o f th e A r iz o n a p in e -b e lt.”
M r. RidgAvay h a s g iv e n t h e fo llow in g a c c o u n t o f th e sp e e ie s a s o b s e rv e d b y h im in
N e v a d a in M a y :—
“ T h e y w e re v e ry a b u n d a n t , a n d f r e q u e n te d ch ie fly th e cliffs o f c a lc a r e o u s tu f a ,
w h e re th e y w e re o b se rv e d to e n t e r t b e fis su re s o f tb e ro c k to th e i r n e s ts Avitliin. I n J u l y
w e saAv i t a g a in am o n g tb e lim e s to n e w a lls o f th e e a s te rn c a n o n s o f t b e R u b y M o u n ta in s ,
w h e re i t also n e s te d in th e c re v ic e s o n th e fa c e o f th e cliffs, i ts a s so c ia te s b e in g th e
3 k 2