CYPSELI— CVrSELID.i: 147 



CYPSELI. 



Related to Nightjars but not to Swallows, to which 

 they have a superficial resemblance. Humerus very 

 short; wing long, lO primaries; lo tail feathers; gape 

 very wide ; feet short and strong with strong claws. 



CYPSELIDJE. 



Phalanges of outer and middle toes reduced to 3. 



MiCROPUS. 



Toes 4, all pointing forwards for clinging; constantly 

 hawking insects by day ; nest in holes and crevices in cliffs, 

 caverns, and walls ; eggs white. 



Micropus melba melba (L.). Alpine Swift. Fr. 

 Martinet a ventre blanc ; Ger. Alpensegler ; Ital. Rondone 

 di mare. 



(^ 9 Above brown ; beneath white with brown breast band, 

 under wing and under tail coverts ; tail forked. Bill blackish. 

 Tarsus feathered. Feet dull yellowish brown, claws black. Wing 

 213-225. Tarsus 14-16. Bill 9-10. Fork of tail 22-24. 



Breeds. — Mountains and Towns of S. Europe, from Pyrenees, 

 Alps, and Translyvania to Mediterranean and Islands, Crimea, 

 Caucasus; S.W. Asia east to Himalayas, S. India and Ceylon; 

 also N.W. Africa. Migrates ; occurs Egypt on passage ; winters 

 tropical Africa and S. India. Occurs exceptionally in C. Europe 

 to Denmark and Britain. 



M. melba tuneti (Tschusi). Paler and lighter in colour. 

 Breeds. — Tunis to Palestine. 



Micropus apus apus (L.). Swift. Fr. Martinet noir ; 

 Ger. Maucrscgler ; //<//. Rondone ncro ; Swed. Ringsvala. 



(^ "J Brown with a strong bottle-green tinge, chin and upper 

 throat white; ist primary usually 1-5 m.m. shorter than 2nd, 

 rarely equal. Bill black. Tarsus feathered in front, bare behind. 



