: Argentine Ornithology, Volume I (of 2) by P. L Sclater, W. H Hudson (books to read in your 20s female .txt) 📖

feet reddish: total length 6·5 inches, wing 3·3,

    tail 3·0. _Female_ similar.

 

_Hab._ Paraguay and Northern Argentina.

 

This species was met with by Durnford near Salta in June 1878. He

describes the iris as "light rufous; upper mandible dark slate, under

mandible, legs, and feet pale slate."

 

Mr. Salvin founded his _C. altirostris_ upon Durnford's specimens, but

Graf v. Berlepsch is of opinion that this species is the "_Habia verde_"

of Azara, and should consequently bear the name "_viridis_" of Vieillot.

This is perhaps correct, but at the same time it would only make fresh

confusion to transfer to this species the name hitherto usually applied

to the preceding bird. We prefer, consequently, to let it stand under

Mr. Salvin's name "_altirostris_."

Fam. (VIII. HIRUNDINIDÆ, or SWALLOWS.)

 

The cosmopolitan family of Swallows, of which about eighty species

are known, is well developed in the New World, where some thirty

representatives occur in various parts. In Argentina the occurrence of

eight Swallows has been recorded. Three of them belong to the group of

Purple Martins (_Progne_), which is restricted to the New World, and

of the remainder four are members of genera entirely restricted to the

Neotropical Region. The genus _Petrochelidon_, of which one species

is met with in La Plata, has alone representatives in the Eastern

Hemisphere.

25. PROGNE FURCATA, Baird[3]. (PURPLE MARTIN.)

+Progne purpurea+, _Hudson, P. Z. S._ 1872, p. 548 (Patagonia);

      _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1872, p. 605; _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 14;

      _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 32 (Chupat), 1878, p. 392 (Central

      Patagonia); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 595 (Buenos Ayres).

      +Progne elegans+, _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 89

      (Bahia Blanca). +Progne furcata+, _Baird, Rev. A. B._ p. 278;

      _Sharpe, Cat. A. B._ x. p. 175.

 

    _Description._--Uniform deep purple-blue; on each side of the back a

    small concealed tuft of white feathers; tail-feathers black, washed

    with blue: total length 7·7 inches, wing 5·55, tail 3·3. _Female_:

    upper parts dull purple; head, neck, and lower parts blackish brown.

 

_Hab._ Argentina and Patagonia.

 

The Purple Martin is occasionally seen in the eastern provinces of La

Plata when migrating, but has not been found nesting anywhere so far

north as Buenos Ayres. I met with it breeding at Bahia Blanca on the

Atlantic coast, and on the Rio Negro, where it is very common. It

arrives in Patagonia late in September, and leaves before the middle of

February. On the 14th of that month I saw one flock flying north, but it

was the last. It breeds in holes under the caves of houses or in walls,

and its nest is like that of _P. chalybea_; but many also breed in holes

in the steep banks of the Rio Negro. They do not, however, excavate

holes for themselves, but take possession of natural crevices and old

forsaken burrows of the Burrowing Parrot (_Conurus patachonicus_).

In size, flight, manners, and appearance the Purple Martin closely

resembles the following species, the only difference being in the dark

plumage of the under surface. The language of the two birds is also

identical; the loud excited scream when the nest is approached, the

various other notes when the birds sweep about in the air, and the

agreeably modulated and leisurely-uttered song are all possessed by the

two species without the slightest difference in strength or intonation.

This circumstance appears very remarkable to me, because, though two

species do sometimes possess a few notes alike, the greater part of

their language is generally different; also because birds of the same

species in different localities vary more in language than in any other

particular. This last observation, however, applies more to resident

than to migratory species.

 

  [3] [I here follow Mr. Sharpe in considering the Purple Martin of

  Argentina and Patagonia separable from the closely allied northern

  species of North America. But I am altogether sceptical about its

  occurrence in Chili, which Dr. Philippi expressly diaries (P. Z. S.

  1868 p. 534) and for which I know of no good authority.--P. L. S.]

26. PROGNE CHALYBEA (Gm.). (DOMESTIC MARTIN.)

 

+Progne chalybea+, _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1872, p. 606 (Buenos Ayres); _Scl.

      et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 14; _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 595 (Buenos

      Ayres); _Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 88 (Concepcion);

      _Sharpe, Cat. B._ x. p. 178. +Progne domestica+, _Burm. La-Plata

      Reise_, ii. p. 477; _Sharpe, Cat. B._ x. p. 177.

 

    _Description._--Entire upper parts deep purple-blue; lesser and

    median wing-coverts the same; wing- and tail-feathers black, glossed

    with steel-blue; throat, fore neck, and chest ash colour; breast,

    abdomen, and under tail-coverts pure white; bill and feet black:

    total length 8 inches, wing 5·7, tail 3·2. _Female_ similar.

 

_Hab._ Central and South America.

 

This species, distinguished from the Purple Martin by its white

underparts, ranges from Mexico to Buenos Ayres, the extreme limit of

its range being about 250 miles south of that city. It was well called

_Golondrina domestica_ by Azara, being preeminently domestic in its

habits. It never breeds in banks as the Purple Martin often does, or in

the domed nests of other birds in trees, a situation always resorted to

by the Tree-Martin, and occasionally by the Common Swallow; but is so

accustomed to the companionship of man as to make its home in populous

towns as well as in country-houses. It arrives in Buenos Ayres about the

middle of September, and apparently resorts to the same breeding-place

every year. A hole under the eaves is usually selected, and the nest is

roughly built of dry grass, hair, feathers, and other materials. When

the entrance to its breeding-hole is too large, it partially closes it

up with mud mixed with straw; if there be two entrances it stops up one

altogether. The bird does not often require to use mud in building; it

is the only one of our Swallows that uses such a material at all. The

eggs are white, long, pointed, and five in number.

 

In the season of courtship this Martin is a noisy pugnacious bird, and

always, when quitting its nest, utters an exceedingly loud startling cry

several times repeated. It also has a song, uttered both when resting

and on the wing, composed of several agreeably modulated notes, and in

that thick rolling intonation peculiar to our Swallows. This song does

not sound loud when near, yet it can be distinctly heard when the bird

appears but a speck in the distance. I may here remark that, with the

exception of the _Petrochelidon pyrrhonota_, which possesses a sharp

squeaky voice, like the Swallows of Europe, all our Hirundines have soft

voices: their usual twittering when they are circling about resembles

somewhat the chirping of the English House-Sparrow in tone, but besides

these notes they possess a song more pleasing to the ear.

 

Before leaving in February these birds congregate in parties of from

twenty to four or five hundred, usually on the broad leafy top of an old

ombú tree.

27. PROGNE TAPERA (Linn.). (TREE-MARTIN.)

 

+Progne tapera+, _Scl. P. Z. S._ 1872, p. 606 (Buenos Ayres); _Scl.

      et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 14; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 168 (Buenos

      Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 595 (Catamarca); _Barrows,

      Bull. Nutt. Orn. Cl._ viii. p. 89 (Concepcion); _Sharpe, Cat. B._

p. 180. +Cotyle tapera+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 477.

 

    _Description._--Entire upper parts dull brown; tail-feathers

    blackish brown; throat ashy white; fore neck and chest ashy brown

    in the centre and dark brown on the sides, as are also the flanks;

    abdomen white; bill and feet horn-colour: total length 7 inches,

    wing 5·5, tail 2·6. _Female_ similar.

 

_Hab._ Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina.

 

The Tree-Martin is more slender and has a greater extent of wing than

the Purple Martins; and, instead of the beautiful dark purple (their

prevailing colour), its entire upper plumage is dusky brown, the under

surface white. But if these differences of structure and hue merely

serve to show that it is not a very near relative of the other species,

those exhibited in its habits remove it very far indeed from them.

 

The Tree-Martin is a very garrulous bird, and no sooner arrives early in

September, than we are apprised of the circumstance by the notes which

the male and female incessantly sing in concert, fluttering and waving

their wings the while, and seeming quite beside themselves with joy at

their safe arrival; for invariably they arrive already mated. Their

language is more varied, the intonation bolder and freer than that of

our other Swallows. The length of the notes can be varied at pleasure;

some are almost harsh, others silvery or liquid, as of trickling drops

of water; they all have a glad sound; and many have that peculiar

character of some bird-notes of shaping themselves into words.

 

This Martin is never seen to alight on the ground or on the roofs of

houses, but solely on trees; and when engaged in collecting materials

for its nest, it sweeps down and snatches up a feather or straw without

touching the surface. It breeds only in the clay-ovens of the Oven-bird

(_Furnarius rufus_). I, at least, have never seen them breed in any

other situation after observing them for a great many summers. An

extraordinary habit! for, many as are the species that possess the

parasitical tendency of breeding in other birds' nests, none of them

confine themselves to the nest of a single species excepting the bird

I am describing. It must, however, be understood that my knowledge of

this bird has been acquired in Buenos Ayres, where I have observed it;

and as this Martin possesses a wider range in South America than the

Oven-birds, it is more than probable that in other districts