144 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



HiRUNDO. 



P'eet not feathered; outer tail feather much lengthened; 

 nest of mud ; eggs white, red spotted or pure white. 



Hirundo rustica rustica L. Swallow. Fr. Hirondelie ; 

 Ger. Schwalbe ; Ital. Rondine ; Swed. Ladusvala. 



^ $ Above steel blue ; beneath buffy white to reddish 

 cream ; forehead and throat chestnut ; gorget steel blue ; 

 diagonal white patches on inner webs of tail feathers ; tail 

 much forked, outer feathers about 47 m.m. longer than next. 

 Bill black. Legs and feet dark brown. Wing 120-126. Tarsus 

 13-13. Bill 6-7. 



Breeds. — All Europe (including British Isles), W. Siberia, 

 N.W. Africa to Sahara, Asia Minor, Caucasus and east to 

 Himalayas. Migrates ; occurs on passage Egypt, Malta, 

 Canaries. Winters C. and S. Africa, India. 



H. rustica transitiva Hartert. Closely resembles "rustica" 

 with reddish underparts, but always darker, most marked on 

 under tail coverts. Intermediate between typical form and 

 "savignii." 



Breeds. — Coast region of Palestine. Partly resident, some 

 migrate ; has Occurred in Egypt in winter and been reported 

 from Uganda at the same season. 



H. rustica savignii Stephens. Underparts reddish chestnut, 

 almost as deep as on throat ; patches on tail feathers pale red. 



Resident. — Egypt and Nubia. 



Hirundo daurica rufula Temminck. Red-rumped 

 Swallow. 



^ 9 Above steel blue, hind collar and rump pale chestnut ; 

 beneath reddish buff with narrow dark shaft-streaks. Bill black. 

 Legs and feet brown. Wing ^^ 117-126, $ ii5-i23(W.). Tarsus 

 13-14. Bill 5-6. 



Breeds. — Greece, Cyprus, Asia Minor and east to Afghanistan ; 

 Morocco ; also probably in S. Spain near Tarifa, Sicily, and 

 S. Italy. Occurs Tunisia, W. Algeria and Egypt on passage ; 

 doubtful if breeds. Has occurred S. France, S. England, 

 Heligoland, and Fair Isle. 



The typical race " H. d. daurica" is E. Siberian. 



