Purple Martin
Progne subis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photo © By Seabamirum from Ithaca - Purple Martins, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48541991
STATUS
North and middle America. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally during the period covered (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1842 Greater London Brent Reservoir, Middlesex, two, killed, September, one now at Booth Museum, Brighton.
(F. Bond, Zoologist 1843: 148; Yarrrell, 1845; Morris, 1856-62; Harting, 1866; F. W. Frohawk, Field 19th Nov., 1925: 879; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 9).
[Harting, 1872; Yarrell, 1871-85; J. J. Dalgleish, Bulletin of Nuttall Ornithological Club 5: 70; Seebohm, 1883-85; J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1889: 415; Not in BOU, 1883; Glegg, 1935; Not in BOU, 1971].
History Frederick Bond (1843) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. I. p. 148, says: 'Two specimens were obtained last autumn near Kingsbury Reservoir, by Mr. J. Calvert, of Paddington. One of these is now in my possession, which I believe is a male.'
Yarrell (1845 (2): 257-258, 2nd ed.) says: During the first week of September 1842, two other examples of this same species were shot by Mr. John Calvert, of Paddington, at the Kirigsbury Reservoir. One of these specimens was lent me by F. Bond, Esq.; it is a young bird of the year, and the outside tail-feathers are not fully grown up. From this bird the figure here inserted was taken. Since then Mr. John Calvert very kindly brought me his bird to examine, and this proves to be an old male, rather larger than the young bird, and of very brilliant plumage. These two birds, though shot during the same week, were not both killed on the same day, two or three days intervened, and the brood might therefore have been raised in this country.'
Morris (1857 (2): 149, reissue) says: 'The following specimens of the Purple Martin have been met with in this country: Two were shot on different days by Mr. John Calvert, of Paddington, the first week in September, 1842, at the reservoir, Kingsbury, Middlesex. One was a young bird of the year, the outside tail feathers not being grown to their full length, the other was an old male in full plumage.'
Harting (1866) hints at fraud with this record (British Birds 48: 9). Later, Harting (1872: 125) states that Mr. W. Yarrell was misinformed on these two.
Alfred Newton (1876-82 (2): 361-362, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, in a footnote, adds: 'It is said that in the first week of September, 1842, two examples of this species were shot at Kingsbury Reservoir. One of them, a young bird of the year from which the above figure was taken, passed into Mr. Bond's collection. Subsequently the other specimen, an adult male in brilliant plumage, was brought to the Author [Yarrell]. The Editor [Newton] agrees with Mr. Harting (Handb. Br. B. p. 125) in thinking that Mr. Yarrell was misinformed on this subject, and has failed to get any satisfactory corroboration of other asserted instances of the occurrence of the species in Britain.'
J. J. Dalgleish (1880) in the Bulletin of Nuttall Ornithological Club, Vol. V. p. 70, says: 'Two others are mentioned by Yarrell as having been obtained at Kingsbury, Middlesex, in Sept., 1842, but he was misinformed.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU (1883: 45).
Seebohm (1884 (2): 189) says: 'Two other examples were said to have been obtained at Kingsbury Reservoir, Middlesex, in September 1842, one of which went into Mr. Bond's possession.'
J. E. Harting (1889) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XIII. p. 415, on Frederick Bond's bird collection, says: 'Case 114 contains an American Purple Martin, Hirundo purpurea, which belonged to Yarrell, and was said to have been shot with another at Kingsbury Reservoir in September, 1842, but no one now believes the story; and there can be no doubt, from the result of inquiries made, that Yarrell's credulity was imposed upon.'
F. W. Frohawk (1925) in The Field of 19th Nov., Vol. CXLVI. p. 879, says: 'On November 10th last , the disposal took place at Stevens' Auction Rooms, Covent Garden, of the first portion of the very remarkable collection of British birds, formed by the late Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe, Bart., during about fifty years of his life....There was also an American Purple Martin, one of two birds shot at the Kingsbury Reservoir during the first week of September, 1842, and recorded in Yarrell's British Birds, first edition. This bird, a white Sand Martin and a White-bellied or Alpine Swift, shot at Chobholm, Surrey, October, 1841, mounted in same case, went for £7. 10s.'
Glegg (1935: 90) placing the record in square brackets, says: 'A male was said to have been shot, along with another of the species, near the Brent Reservoir, in September 1842, by J. Calvert. J. E. Harting writes that Calvert had bought American skins and relaxed them. This specimen was sold with Sir Vauncey Crewe's collection on 10th May 1925, and now resides in the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton.'
W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 9, say: 'Harting (1866) hints at fraud in connection with the Brent Reservoir (Middlesex) record of September 1842.'
Comment Seebohm had no faith in the record as he used the words "said to have been". Not acceptable.
0). 1842 Cheshire & Wirral Near Macclesfield, shot, October.
(Eds., Field 22nd June 1861: 545; Harting, 1872).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History In an Editorial (1861) in The Field of 22nd June, Vol. XVII. p. 545, under 'Sale of Macclesfield Museum,' they say: 'On Friday, the 14th, the contents of this Museum, formed by Mr. Armfield, were sold by Mr. Stevens, at his auction-rooms, King Street, Covent Garden. The sale consisted of skins and stuffed birds, mounted in glazed cases and otherwise prepared; and of rare British birds. The following are some of the most important lots: - Purple Martin, shot near Macclesfield, Oct., 1842, £1.8s.'
Harting (1872: 125), says: 'A specimen, said to have been shot near Macclesfield, was sold at Steven's, with other birds from the Macclesfield Museum, on the 14th June, 1861, and realized £1.8s.'
0). 1854 Yorkshire Colne Bridge, near Huddersfield, undated.
(Hobkirk, 1859; Harting, 1901; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 9).
[Seebohm, 1883-85; Not in BOU, 1971].
History Clarke & Roebuck (1881: xxxvii) under 'Introduction' say: 'Purple Martin...whose claims to a place in the Yorkshire fauna must be regarded as inadequate, though it is possible that further investigation may show it to be of genuine occurrence.' Further, p. 29, they say: 'Huddersfield, one shot at Colne Bridge, 1854 (Hobkirk's Hudd., 1859, p. 144). Requires investigation.'
Seebohm (1884 (2): 189) says: 'Another example is said by Mr. Clarke (Handbook of Yorkshire Vertebrata, p. 39) to have been shot at Colne Bridge, Huddersfield, in 1854; but the statement requires confirmation.'
W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 9, say: 'The Huddersfield record is not now provable.'
0). c. 1870 Essex River Stour, shot, undated.
(Christy, 1890).
[BOU, 1971].
History Christy (1890: 110-111) recording the record in square brackets, says: 'Mr. Fitch also writes me that he remembers seeing Mr. John Squire, formerly of Wixoe Park, shoot one on the Stour about twenty years ago, but he does not know the present whereabouts of the specimen.'
0). 1878 Essex Colchester, seen, about 26th September.
(C. R. Bree, Field 5th Oct., 1878: 446; Glegg, 1929).
[Christy, 1890; Not in BOU, 1971].
History C. R. Bree of Colchester (1878) in The Field of 5th Oct., Vol. LII. p. 446, says: 'Capt. Dugmore, lately of this town, told me the day he left (Sept. 27) that he had the day before, or certainly within a day or two, seen a specimen of this bird (Hirundo purpurea) on the barrack exercising ground here. Having lived in Canada, where the bird is plentiful, and being within ten yards of the swallow as it sailed past him, he had no doubt whatever about the bird being the one indicated. I find Mr. Harting (Handbook of British Birds, p. 125) only gives two instances of this bird's appearance in Great Britain, one of which was in Ireland, and one at Huddersfield. He may now add Colchester to his list of localities. The strong prevalence of westerly winds for the last month may be expected to have blown over many of its birds. Colchester may now boast of being the locality where three very rare specimens of Hirundinidae and Cypselidae have been procured, viz., the present bird; Alpine Swift Cypselus melba); and the Spine-tailed Swift (C. caudacutus) (see the Handbook above referred to, p. 127).'
Christy (1890: 110-111) placing the record in square brackets, adds: 'An American species, which has been admitted into the British List, chiefly on the strength of a specimen said to have been shot near Kingstown, about 1840, but there are not sufficient grounds for allowing its name to remain. There are records of two reputed occurrences of it in Essex....This record seems very unsatisfactory, but if so good a naturalist as Dr. Bree gave credence to it, it is perhaps as well to follow him.'
0). 1924 Sussex Near Newhaven, six, seen, 28th June.
(Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[Walpole-Bond, 1938; BOU, 1971].
History Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 137) recording the record in square brackets, says: 'The six American Purple Martins, Progne subis subis (L.), claimed to have been seen by Mr. T. Colgate near Newhaven on June 28th, 1924, and reported to me by him (in litt.) the same day, must, I fear, reside in square brackets if for no other reason than that the one or more examples hitherto recorded from our Islands have not been permitted a place on the British list. The idea has been that, even if the statements were correct, the birds had reached us by means of "assisted passage".'
