WESTERN MARTIN. Progne subis hesperia Brewster

Field characters.—General appearance that of our other swallows, but size much greater; tail forked, though not deeply so, as in the Barn Swallow. Male: Solidly black with purplish sheen to plumage of body. Female and young: Brownish black above, with little or no gloss on feathers; breast dull brown; belly grayish white. Voice: Loud, and usually mellow; male gives a series of full 'burbling' notes, constituting a sort of song.

Occurrence.—Not seen by us. Reported in Yosemite Valley June 20 to 25, 1893, and in foothills along Coulterville road. Lives in open, nesting in cavities in dead trees. In pairs.

Mr. W. O. Emerson (1893, p. 181) records that between June 20 and June 25, 1893, he heard the notes of the "Purple" Martin from some old oaks near the Stoneman house in Yosemite Valley, and that at two of his camping places on the way into the Valley (doubtless along the Coulterville road) he had noticed young martins. Mr. Donald D. McLean reports it as appearing occasionally, in spring, in the vicinity of his home east of Coulterville. We, ourselves, however, failed to see anything of this ordinarily conspicuous bird.

It is strange that it should be so rare in the Yosemite region, where the great range of conditions afforded would surely meet its needs in one place or another.