having a numher of Swallows gather round him ; often I have thought that more than
a hundred were before my horse at one time ; but, from the rapidity of their motions, it
is impossible to count them. I have also noticed individuals of the four most common
species of Swallow following me together ; but after sunset, and when the other species
have long forsaken the grass plains for the shelter of trees and houses, this diminutive
Swallow continues to keep the traveller company. At such a time, as they glide about
in the dusk of evening conversing together in low tremulous tones, they have a pecu-
liarly sorrowful appearance, seeming like homeless little wanderers over the great level
plains.
“ AAlien tbe season of migration approaches, they begin to congregate in parties not
very large (though sometimes as many as one or two hundred are seen together) ; these
companies spend much of their time perched close together on weeds, low trees, fences,
or otlier slightly elevated situations, and pay very little attention to a person approaching,
but seem preoccupied or preyed upon by some anxiety that has no visible cause.
“ This time immediately preceding the departure of the Swallows is indeed a season
of deep interest to tbe observer of nature. The birds seem to forget their songs and
aerial recreations ; tbe attachment of the sexes, the remembrance of the spring is
obliterated ; they already begin to feel the premonitions of that marvellous instinct that
urges them hence : not yet an irresistible impulse, it is a vague sense of disquiet ; but
its influence is manifest in their language and gestures, their wild manner of flight, and
listless intervals.
“ The little Atticora cyanoleuca disappears immediately after the other larger species.
JIany stragglers continue to be seen after tbe departure of the main body ; but before
the middle of March not one remains, the migration of this species being very regular.”
The descriptions are taken from the series in the British Museum, and the adult is
figured from a Colombian specimen in Mr. "Wyatt’s possession, the young bird from a
Pclotas skin in the Salvin-Godman collection. The Argentine fishing-cart is from a
drawing of Mr. "Vidal’s.
/ / f
ATTICORA PILEATA.
GUATEMALAN SWALLOAV.
Atticora pileata, Gould, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 355 ; Scl. & Salv. Ihis, 1859, p. 13 ; Baird,
Review Amer. B. p. 307 (1865); Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 72, no. 860 (1869); Scl.
& Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 11 (1873) ; Salv. & Godm. Biol. Centr.-Amer.,
Aves, i. p. 230, tab. xv. fig. 2 (1813) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds iu Brit. Mus. x.
p . 188 (1885).
Notiochelidon pileata, Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 306 (1865).
A . su b tù s a lba , m e n ti g u læ q u e p lum is b n in n e o b a s a lite r m a cu la tis : in te rs c ap u lio brimiieo : p ileo iiuli-
gotico -n ig ro : liypochoiidriis b ru n n c is .
Hub. iu pro v in c ia G u a tem a lc n s i Am e ricæ c en tra lis.
A d u lt male. G en e ra l co lo u r above ch o co la te -b row n o n th e h in d ne ck, m a n tle , and b a ck ; th e s c ap u la rs,
lowe r ba ck, riinq), a n d u p p e r ta il-c o v c rts d a rk e r and m ore so o ty b rown ; le sse r a n d m ed ian wing-
cove rts b lu e -b la ck ; g r e a te r cove rts, b a s ta rd -w in g , a n d p rim a ry -co v c rts d a rk b row n , th e q u ills and
ta il-fe a th e rs b la ck isli brown J c row n o f h e ad a n d n a p e b lu e -b la c k ; lores a n d fc a tlie rs ro u n d th e
eye velvety black ; e a r-co v e rts bla ckish w ith a s lig h t b lu e gloss ; che cks a n d ch in b la ck ish brown,
e dged with w h ite ; th ro a t, b re a s t, and ab d om en w hite , th e f e a th e rs o n th e th ro a t and c h e s t more
o r less m o ttle d w ith d a rk b rown bases to th e fc a tlie rs ; sides o f b r e a s t and flanks d a rk b row n ;
th ig h s w h ite ; v e n t an d u n d e r ta il-c o v c rts bla ck ish b rown ; ax illa rie s a n d u u d e r wing-coverts
d a rk b rown ; quills d a rk b rown below. T o ta l le u g th 4 ‘8 inche s, cu lm en ü ‘25, win g 3 ‘7, ta il
ta rsu s
A d i/lt fem a le . S im ila r to th e male in co lo u r. T o ta l leu g th inche s, cu lm en 0 '3 , wiug 3 'ü 5 , ta il 2 '2 ,
ta rsu s 0 '4 5 .
T h e on ly d ifference which we c an d e te c t be tw e en spe c imens o f th is species is a g re a te r o r less
am o u n t o f m o ttlin g on th e th ro a t, owing to th e way in which tlie b rowu bases o f th e fe a th e rs
show tliro u g h . T h is may be c aused, i t ap p e a rs to us, by th e a b ra s io n o r w e a rin g away o f th e
w h ite edges to th e fe a the rs.
T h e males va ry in le u g th o f win g from 3 ’G to 3 7 0 in ch e s, and th e females from 3-65 to 3 '8 .
Young. Differs from th e a d u lt in b e iu g lig h te r b rown, th e fe a th e rs o f th e ba ck b e in g tip p ed w ith ru fo u s -
brown, p a rtic u la rly d is tin c t on th e low e r b a ck a u d rum p ; wings a n d ta il a s in th e a d u lt ; crown
o f h e a d d u ll so o ty b la ck, with scarcely any b lu e g lo s s ; u n d e r su rfa c e o f body s ilk y w h ite , witli
a taw n y tin g e on th e tliro a t a u d che st, th e sides o f th e b ody b c iu g rufous-browu. AViug 3 ’40
inches.
Hab. H ig h la n d s o f G u a tem a la , C e n tr a l Ame ric a .