Air. AA”. T. Alarcli has also published the accompanying note on the species in
Jamaica:—
“ Though sometimes met with domiciled in buildings, the Progne still manifests its
peculiar predilection for dark places. In the office of the Island Secretary, in Spanisli
Town, they resort to the ceiled roofs of the upper story, entering through holes found
under the eaves, where they live and carry on the work of incubation in total darkness.
At each end of the House of Assembly is a hole drilled through the brick wall for tbe
insertion of a pipe for carrying off the surplus water from the drip and watcr-jars ; in
consequence of some alterations made in this respect, the pipes were removed and the
lioles stopped up from within, but left open outwardly ; in each of these holes the Progne
builds every year. Iu tlie mountains, caves and hollow trees are chosen for the nestiiig-
])laces. The nest is composed of au odd mixture of shreds of cloth, silk, paper, leaves,
grass, twigs, etc., all loosely put togetlier with a lining of down aud feathers. Iu Spanish
Town the nest is composed principally of tho soft, flexible portion of the seed-pods of the
Catdlpa longissima. The eggs arc rouud, oval, clear wliite, 15-l()ths by 11-lGths of an
inch. The species is musical. It is' one of the phases of the naturalist’s barometer, as
whenever, though the atmosphere be clear and dry, the Progne porches on the weathercock
or ligUtuiiig-rod, on the highest points of the house top, or ou the topmost twigs
of some lofty tree, chanting its incantation, cloudy weather and rain will surely follow
within 24 houi's. I believe stragglers of tliis species remain during the winter montlis.
Several species of the migi*atory llirundines traverse the island from north to south in
the autumn, and from south to north in the spring. They pass in considerable numbers
high overhead. Sometimes in squally weather their lliglit is lower, skimming rapidly
along, rarely alighting, and then only for a few seconds. I have on several occasions
had sonic passing glimpses of some alighting for a moment at some water puddle in
the road or street, but these opportunities are rare. On one occasion I saw distinctly
some large Alartins Avith ashy-blue backs, and others were black Swallows. I observed
and hoard several flocks pass over in September of 1802, but they were too high to
recognize.”
Tho descriptions are from birds in the British Aluseum, and the figures have been
taken from specimens iu the Salvin-Godman collection.
PROGNE DOMESTICA (M ) .
AZAEA’S PURPLE AIARTIN.
Golondrina domestica, Azara, Apunt. ii. p. 502, no. 300 (1805).
Jlirundo domestica, Vieill. N. Diet. d’Uist. Nat. xiv. p. 520 (1817).
Progne domestica. Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 59 (1845); id. Cat. Pissir. Brit. AIus. p. 28
(1848) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 337 (1850) ; Cab. AIus. Hein. Th. i. p. 51 (1850) ; lìurm.
La-Plata Reis. ii. p. 477 (1861) ; Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 282, note (1864) ;
Gray, lIand-1. B. i. p. 75, no. 893 (1869) ; Sel. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 159 ;
Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 17, 403 (1871); Sliarpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. AIus. x. p. 177
(1885).
Progne dominicensis (nec Gm.), Burm. Th. Bras. iii. p. 141 (1856).
Progne elegans. Gray, Iland-l. B. i. p. 74, no. SS8 (1869).
Progne chalyhea (nec Gm.), Hudson, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 606 ; Sci. & >Salv. P. Z. S. 1S73,
p. 258, 1879, p. 495; AAJiitc, P.Z. S. 1882, p. 595 ; B a riws, Bull. Nutt. Orii.
Club, viii. p. 88 (1883) ; Sci. & Hudson, Argent. Orn. i. p. 25 (1888).
Progne purpurea (nec L.), Durnfoi’d, Ibis, 1877, p. 168 ; Gibson, Ibis, 1880, p. 22.
Progne chalyhea domestica, Berlepseh & Ihering, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. ii. p. 11(5
(1885).
P . similis P . 1 m a jo r.
Hab. in Bra siliil m c rid io n a li-o rien ta li e t in re p ú b lic a A rg e n tin a .
A d u lt male. G e n e ra l c o lo u r above b r ig h t p u rp lish b lu e , th e le s s e r a n d n icd iau wing-coverts lik e tho
b a c k ; gi-eater win g -co v e rts, b a s ta rd -w in g , p rim a ry -co v e rts , q u ills , and ta il-fe a th e rs b la ck , witii
. a gloss o f s te e l-b lu e e x te rn a lly ; lo re s b la ck ish ; c a r-eo v c rts and sides o f n e ck g lossy p u rp lish bUio
lik e th e u p p e r p a r t s ; ch e ck s d a rk sm o k y b rown, tip p ed m in u te ly u 'itli p u rp lish b lu e ; th ro a t aud
fo r e u c ck a n d c h e s t p a le ashy, w ith m in u te d u sk y sh a ft-lin e s , and o b scu red w ith m a rg in s o f ashy
w h itish , b ro a d e r on th e c lic st whe re th e y jo in th e w h ite b r e a s t ; sides o f th e u p p e r b r e a s t with
e rc sc cn tie tip s o f p u rp lish b lu e ; b re a s t a n d ab d om en aud u u d e r ta il-c o v e rts p u re w h ite ; th ig h s
w hite , with d u sk y b a s e s ; flan k s an d sides o f th e b o d y pa le sm o k y brown, with d u sk y .shaft-
s tre ak s ; a p a tch o f s ilk y -w h ite fe a th e rs o u th e sides o f th e lowe r ba ck ; fe a th e rs on tiie sides o f
th e rum p w hite with b lu e c cu trc s ; axilla rie s sm o k y b row n washed with b lu e ; u n d e r wing-eoverts
sm o k y b rown, with b la ck ish sh a ft-s trip e s , th e o u te r one s edged w ith wliite. T o ta l le n g th «
inche s, cu lm cn 0-5, w ing 5-75, ta il 3 ‘2 , ta r s u s O'uo.
Hah. S o u th -e a s te rn Bra z il, A rg e n tin e lle p u b lic .
This is a large raee of the common South-American Progne chalybea, and it has usually