Hab. in r e g io n e N eo tro p ic à .
A d u lt. G e n e ra l c o lo u r above glossy broivn ; th e w ing-cove rts d a rk b rown, edged with w h ity b row n ;
ba s tn rd -w ilig , p rim a ry -co v e rts , a n d q u ills bla ck ish b row n , w itli s c a rc e ly a n y p a le r m a rgins!
c so e p tin g o n th e se co n d a rie s, th o in n e rm o s t o f wliich aro p a le r b row n oa to riia lly , w ith w h ity -
b rown m a rg in s n e a r th e tip s ; u p p e r ta il-co v e rts lik e th e ba ck, w ith s lig h t in d ic a tio n s o f p a le r
edges, more o r le ss o bsole te ; ta il-fe a th e rs blockish hrown, w ith o n a rrow f rin g e o f wh ity brown
a lo n g th e ed g e tow a rd s th e tip o f th e in n e r web ; crown o f he ad hrown, th e forehe ad blackish
th e re s t o t th e c row n s lig h tly m o ttle d witli bla ck ish c en tre s to th e f e a th e r s ; lo re s d u sk y h rown !
c a r-co v e rts u n ifo rm b rown ; che eks p a le r a n d m o re a shy b rown ; th ro a t a shy w hite ; fo re n e ck and
ch e st a sh y b row n in th e c e n tre , d a rk e r b row n o n th e sides as we ll as on th e sides o t th o body and
flan k s, th e fe a th e rs on th e lowe r flanks b e in g white c s te riia liy , b rowu in te rn a llv ; b re a s t, abdomen,
th ig h s , a n d u n d e r ta il-co v e rts w h ite ; in th e c e n tre o f th e b re a s t a loiigilu d iiia l s tre a k o f da rk
b row n , th e f e a th e rs fo rm in g which a rc d a rk b rown on th e in n e r and w hitish o n th e o u te r w eb s ;
axilla rie s a n d u n d e r w in g .co v o rls b rown, w ith w h itish tip s to th e f e a th e r s ; q u ills d u sk y brow é
below, m o re a shy b rown a lo n g th e in n e r face o f th e q n iils ; “ legs bla ck ish h rown ; b ill d a rk h o rn
g re y ish b row n ; iris d a r k ” [X eumied). T o ta l le n g tli 7 inche s, cu lm cn 0 '5 , wing 5 '5 , ta il 2 '6 5 ,
ta r s u s 0 '5 5 .
Th e sexes a re a lik e in p lum ag e , a n d th e following a re th e d im ensions o f th e sc rie s in th e B ritish
Mu s eum :—
a. A d .
b. Ad.
c. Î ad.
rf. CÎ ? ad.
e. Î ad.
/ . Ad.
g , h. ^ ad.
i. ? ad.
k. Î ad.
/, m, n. Ad.
o ,p . Ad.
q. Ad.
r , s. ad.
t. Î ad.
u ,v ,w ,x . ¿ “ad.
y , z , a'. Î ad.
b', c . Ad.
d '. ? ad.
d . Ad.
Rio G ra n d e {P la n t) . . . .
L iP ìu to u {ÌV. H . Hudson) . .
R u en o s Ayre s [E. IV. W h ite ) .
O ran , S a lta {E. W . W h ite ) . .
Bo liv ia { B r i d g e s ) ..........................
M a tto Grosso ( / / . . .
C u r ity b a {J. N a tte r e r ) . . .
B a h i a ....................................................
P e ru am b u c o {W . A . Forbes) .
R io T o c an tin s {A. l i . Wallace)
U p p e r U c aya li [E . B a r tle tt) .
Yq u ito s [H. W h ite ly )
S a n ta R ita , E c u a d o r ( Villagomez)
P u e r to C abc llo (A . Goering) .
C o re iity n R iv e r [E. im T h u rn ).
Total length. tVing. Tail. Tarsus.
in. in. in. iu.
. 7 0 5-5 2-7 0-G
5-35 2-55 0-5
. (i-7 •i-U 2-5 0 '5
. G-7 5 - i 2-5 0-5
. G-3 4-75 2-3 0-5
. 7-0 5-15 2-7 0-5
. G-5 5-8 2 -1-2-7 0-5
. G-5 5-05 2-5 Ü-5
. 6-0 5-0 2-2 0-45
. G 5 5-0-5-3 2-5 0-5
. 6-0 4-8 2 -1-2-3 0-5
. G-1 5-2 2-5 0-5
.G -2 -6 '7 5-2-Û-4 2-5 0-5
. G-3 4-8 2-4 0-5
4-9-S-2 2-3-2-G 0-45-0-5
4-S-4-9 2-35 0-45
. 6-5 4-9-5-1 2-6 0-5
. 5-8 4-75 2-2 0-5
. 5-2 4-7 2-1 0-5
A y o u n g b ird , re cog n iz ab le b y its swollen yellow gape , differs from th e a d u lt ia h aving d is tin c t whitish
frin g e s to th e e n d o f th e q u ills a n d in b e in g m u c h p a le r brown. T h e ta il is p e rfe c tly sq u a re , and
th e whole o f th e lowe r th ro a t, fore n e c k , che st, a u d sides o f b re a s t a rc a lm o s t u n ifo rm brown
le av in g th e ch in and u p p e r th ro a t, b re a s t, abdom en, a n d u n d e r ta il-co v c rts w h ite . O ne im m a tu re
sp e c im en in th e M u s eum , from B ah ia , h a s a yellowish tin g e o n th e abdomen.
T h e o v a te drops o f d a rk b row n c o lo u r o n th e b re a s t a re developed to a g r e a te r e x te n t d u rin g
th e hre ed in g -sc a so n , i f ind e ed th e y a re n o t th e p rin c ip a l evidences o f n u p tia l p lum age . T h ey a re
n e v e r se en in y o u n g b ird s , a n d th e r e a re m an y spe c imens in th o B ritish M u s eum wh ich have no
tr a c e w h a tev e r o f th e s e sp o ts o n th e b re a st, b e in g , moreove r, a lm o s t e n tir e ly u n ifo rm ho a ry
w h ite u n d e rn e a th , e x c ep tin g fo r a b row n ish sh ad e on th e fore n e ck a n d c h e s t. T h e ir r e g u la r ity
which c h a ra c tc rite s th e b rown spots o n th e c h e s t in th e s e h o a ry spe c imens co n firm s o u r op in io n
th a t th e y a re on ly developed wh en th e iie stin g -se a so n approaches.
A t f irs t wo w ere in c lin ed to th in k th a t th e absen c e o f th e s e b row n sp o ts o n th o b re a s t w as only
noticeaWe in spe c imens from n o r th e rn loc a litie s, a n d c e rta in ly in a se rie s from some places, such
a s B a lila , w h en c e th e r e are seve ra l spe c imens in th e B r itis h M u s eum , n o t a s in g le ono h a s a tra c e
o f s p o ts o n th e b re a s t, wliorcas eve ry o ne from th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f Biicitos Ayre s (where tlic
b ird breeds) h a s th e se spots ex trem e ly well developed a n d th e e n tir e p lum ag e ve ry d a rk . All
th e se spe c imens, howeve r, a re a d u lt, a n d i t is m u ch to b e d e sired th a t th e y o u n g from th o n e s t
should be exam in ed by a o om p c lcn t obse rve r a n d th e firs t p lnm ago c a rc fn lly de sc ribed.
Hab. T h e g r e a te r p a r t o f S o u th Ame ric a .
The habits of this species, as detailed below, and tbe totally different style of plumage,
present such a variation from tbe purple appearance of tbe ordinary members of tbe
genus Progne, that tbere is a good deal to be said in favour of its separation under the
subgeneric beading of Plueoprogne.
Our chief knowledge of tlie Tree-Martin is derived from observers in the Argentine
llepublic, and excellent notes on the species will be found below. The late Mr. Henry
Durnford states that it arrives in the nciglibourhood of Buenos Ayres in September,
nests, and leaves about tbe first week in April. Mr. Hudson has collected many specimens
near Concbitas, and Mr. E. W. White sent some from Oran in tlie Salta district,
Monte Grande, and Pixcbeco. Prof. Burmeister met with it in the eastern La Plata districts,
and states that it was not rare near Parana. In Uruguay, Mr. Barrows notices
its arrival about tbe same time as Prograepir/n/raci, viz. about tbe middle of September.
The Smithsonian Institution possesses examples from the llio Vermojo.
It extends to Bolivia, where d’Orbigny met with it iu the province of Cbiquitos,
and a specimen obtained in that country by Mr. Bridges is in the British Museum. In
Brazil, writes Prof. Burmcister, it is an inhabitant of the Campos districts in the interior,
but is nowhere very common. It does not live in tbe woods tbere, but frequents tbe
scattered bushes on tbe Campos, hunting for insects, nesting in old trees, and avoiding
tbe neighbourhood of man. The localities w'here Natterer observed the species were the
following Porte do llio Araguay (October); Engcnbo do Cap. Ant. Correia (December);
Cuyaba (July, September); Cai^ara (January, October, and November); Maribatanas,
(April); Barra do llio Negro (February). He states that it was common in Cuyaba,
living in tbe deserted nests of F u r n a r i u s r u f u s , and that it goes aw*^ay at tbe beginning of