(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.