Stelgidoptenjx fulvipemiis, Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 184; Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av.
Neotr. p. 15 (1873); Boucard, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 67.
Stelgidopteryx fulvigiila, Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. ix. p. 96 (1870).
S . g u t tu r e c in e ra s c en ti-b ru n n eo , vix ru fe s c en te lav a to : abdomine c t su b c au d a lib u s a lb is, n c c flavi-
c an tib u s.
Hab. in AmcricA s e p te n trio n a li e t in A tne ricd C e u tra li usq u e a d t e r r am Paname iiscm.
AduU male. Gen e ra l c o lo u r above b rown, th e le sse r a n d m ed ian wing-coverts lik e th e b a ck ; m edian and
g re a te r co v e rts b la ck ish b row n , wa shed e x te rn a lly w ith th e same co lo u r as tb e b a c k j b a s ta rd -
win g , p rim a ry -co v e rts , and q u ills bla ck ish browu, th e in n e r secondaries edged w ith lig h te r brown ;
ta il-fe a th e rs d a rk b row n , p a le r tow a rd s th e base o f th e in n e r w e b ; he ad a trifle d a rk e r brown
th a n th e b a ck j a n a rrow lin e o f w liity b rown from th e base o f th e fo reh e ad above th e eye ; lores
b la ck ish J e a r-co v e rts d a rk brown ; cheeks, th ro a t, a n d b re a s t, as well as th e flanks a n d sides o f
th e b ody, lig h t b row n , sh ad ed with h o a ry w h itish o u th e th ro a t a u d fo re n e ck , tb e ch in and th ro a t
s lig h tly wa shed w ith ru fo u s ; abdomen a u d u n d e r ta il-co v e rts p u re w h ite ; th e b re a s t-fe a th c rs
w ith a few d u sk y sh a f t- lin e s ; th ig lis w h ite , w ith b row u b a s e s ; axilla rie s b row n ; u n d e r wing-
cove rts b rown, w ith b o a ry -w liite edges to th o se n e a r th e edge o f th e w in g : “ t a il b la c k ; legs
b row n ish b la c k ; iris d a rk b row n ” {H. E . Dre sse r). T o ta l leu g th - IS inche s, cu lm en 0 '3 5 ,
w ing 4 ’4 5j t a il 3 25, ta r su s 0 '4 .
T h e aduU fem a le re semble s tb e ma le in c o lo u r, b u t is r a th e r sm a lle r. T o ta l le u g th 4 '4 iuche s, culmen 0 3 ,
wiu g 4-1, ta il 1-9, ta r su s 0-45.
I t h a s g e n e ra lly b e e n supposed, a n d in tb e B r itis h M u seum ‘ C a ta lo g u e o f B ird s ’ i t is a u th o r ita
tiv e ly s ta te d , th a t th e female la ck ed tb e s e rra tio n s o n th e first p rim a ry . T h is wc now find to
b e a m is tak e , as a la rg e se rie s o f female specimens in th e H en sh aw co lle c tio n shows th a t th e
b o o k le ts o n th e firs t p rim a ry -q u ill a re p re s e n t iu th e o ld fem a le , th o u g h u o t to th e same e x te n t
as iu th e a d u lt m ale.
Youvg birds {S. fu lv ip e n n is , S c la te r) a r e easily d istin g u ish ed from th e a d u lts by th e ru fo u s edgings to
th e w ing-cove rts a n d se co n d a rie s. T b e b a ck is also washed w ith ru fo u s . T h e th ro a t a u d b re a s t
a rc lig h t ru fo u s , a n d th e flanks a re washed w ith th e same c o lo u r ; th e u n d e r wiug-covcrts are
b ro a d ly edged w ith ru fo u s , a n d th e g ap e is yellow.
B e fo re le av in g th e ir b irth p la c e in th e U n ite d S ta te s , a goo d d e a l o f th e ru fo u s colour becomes
o b lite ra te d in th e y o u n g b ird s , a u d m an y o f th em a re a lm o s t as b rown a s th e ad u lts. T h e m o u lt
ta k e s p lace in th e ir w in te r-q u a rte rs a n d is comple ted by De c embe r, as is shown b y spe c imens in
tb e S a lv in -G o dm an collection.
T h is species b a s a d is tin c t w in te r p lum ag e , th e ed g in g s to th e se co n d a rie s b e in g wliite , while a rufous
tin g e is e v id en t o n th e th ro a t. O u th e ap p ro a ch o f th e b re eding-se a son, th e w h ite edges to th e
se conda rie s q u ick ly become abrad ed , b u t th e ru fo u s on th e th ro a t la s ts fo r some tim e . Oc c a siona
lly th e lo n g e r u p p e r ta il-c o v e rts show a b la ckish-brown sp o t a t th e e n d : th is is ap p a re n tly a
s ig n o f a v e ry o ld b ird , as i t is n o t confined to specimens from a n y o ne lo c a lity ; i t is m o st
s tro n g ly developed in a spe c imen o b ta in ed by M r . H en sh aw n e a r W a sh in g to n , o n th e 2 2 u d of
J u ly , 1883.
Hab. N o r th Am e ric a g en e ra lly , b u t som ew h a t loc a l in its d is tr ib u tio n ; b re e d in g a lso in p a r ts of C en tra l
A m e ric a , where it ex ten d s as fa r as C o s ta llic a a n d P an am a .
T h i s species is widely spread throughout North America, and extends into Central
America as far south as Panama; and, as far as is known, it breeds wherever it is found
in summer. It is only a migrant to tho United States and Southern Canada, and the
birds ’which nest there doubtless visit Central America in winter, but tho speeies also
breeds in certain countries of the Central-American subregion.
To oommeuee a history of tho Rough-winged Swallow, it is only necessary to quote
tho writings of that admirable field-naturalist. Professor Elliott Coues, who has given us
a full account of its distribution in his ‘ Birds ot tho Colorado Valley,’ published
in 1878. Some further instances of its occurrence in previously unrecorded localities
have been published since the above date, but tbe account given by Professor Coues
seems to us to embody all the information respecting its known range in North America
up to the above-mentioned year.
Writing, therefore, in 1878, Professor Coues observes
“ Its distribution is now known to include the entire breadth of the United States,
excepting some portions of New England, w hence wo have no record os yet. But the
bird certainly enters New England. This fact was first aimouucccl, as far as I know, by
Mr. II, A. Purdie, who states that an individual was shot at Sheffield, Conn., by
Mr. Shores, June (ith, 1871; and Mr. Merriam states tbat Mr. E. P. Bioknell found the
bird iu numbers at lliverdalo. Now York, within a few miles of the Connecticut line. I
had written in 1868 that it was singular there should he no New England instances on
record, ‘ as the species certainly onght to be there ’ ; and some of the New England
ornithologists may learn in the course of time that every bird known in a certain portion
of the Middle States will also be found in the Connecticut Valley. Determining tlius
the north-easternmost point at which tho Rough-winged Swallow has boon found, we
may turn in another direction along its supposed northern boundary. Its name appears
in Gregg’s Elmira list, but not in Mcllwraith’s Canada West, nor in Trippe’s Minnesota.
I never saw the bird iu Dakota or Montana; but west of the Rooky Mountains,
Mr. J . K, Lord seems to have met with it along tbo same parallel of 19°; and we also
bave Brown’s Vancouver record. This exhibits a nortberu limit coincident with that of
Tachycineta thalaasimis, and we may suppose that the northern border of the United
States is nearly tho terminus of the species, cxccptmg in New England, where the bird
is uot known to go so far.
“ In the Middle, Southern, and Western States the dispersion of the species is general,
caUiug for no comment; but the various records from the West may be profifably
analyzed. Dr. A. L. Ileorman early found the bird in California, as recorded by himself
and by Cassin in 1853, as well as at other places in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Audubon’s original surmise respecting its extension to tho Columbia was vorifled bv
Dr. Newberry, aud also by Drs. Cooper and Suckley, who fouud tho bird oommon ik