BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA, 537 



scapulars, and upper part of rump dusky gray (dark quaker drab) ; 

 wings neutral gray, becoming paler anteriorly and quite white on 

 anterior lesser coverts and outer margin of wing; lower rump and 

 upper tail-coverts immaculate white, sometimes pale gray; tail 

 grayish white or very pale gray, more decidedly grayish terminally; 

 anal region and under tail-coverts immaculate pure white; axillars 

 and under wing-coverts deep gray ; bill dusky (dull reddish in life) ; 

 iris dark brown; legs and feet coral red or orange-red (in life). 



Adults in winter. — " In the latter part of July, when the molt begins 

 (in Europe), the bird is curiously parti-colored, the new feathers of the 

 head, neck, and under parts being white and those of the back gray 

 (paler than in Hydrochelidon nigra). . . . Later, the under parts, 

 including the under wing-coverts and axillaries, become white, the 

 crown of the head and the nape being merely mottled with black; 

 but by the following April the black color has reappeared to a con- 

 siderable extent, especially on the axillaries." " 



Immature. — "In birds which are not mature, though capable of 

 breeding, the black of the under parts has a brownish tinge and the 

 tail-feathers are pearl-gray, especially toward the tips." " 



Young. — " Posterior portion of the crowoi, a patch on the side of the 

 head, and one on the hind-neck dark sooty gray, the feathers with 

 lighter margins, the patch on the hind-neck with brownish markings; 

 rest of the head, neck, and entire under parts pure white; back and 

 scapulars blue-gray, broadly tipped with blackish gray; wings as in 

 the adult in winter, but the wing-coverts tipped with light reddish 

 brown; rump and upper tail-coverts white; tail light French gra}-, 

 becoming darker toward the tip." ^ 



Downy young. — "Upper parts warm reddish buff, boldl}^ marked 

 with black on the crown, nape, back, wings, and rump; under parts 

 grayish buff with a sooty tinge, marked with sooty gray on the upper 

 throat; space round the eye nearly white,"'' 



Adult male.— Wmg, 196.5-209 (201.6); tail, 65.5-76 (70); exposed 

 culmen, 23-26.5 (24.3); tarsus, 16-20 (18.2); middle toe, 15.5-19 

 (16.8).'= 



a Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxv, 1896, 9. 



^ Dresser, Birds of Europe. 



c Eight specimens. No adult females measured. 



Locality. Wing. 



HALES. 



Three adult males from Europe 200.8! 68.7 22.8 18.5 17 



Two adult males from British East Africa (August 9) 203.2 | 68 24.2 18 16.5 



Two adult males from northern China (Tientsin) (//./. jrwea). 203.5 70.2 25.7 17 16.5 

 One adult male from Philippine Islands (Mindanao, June) (//. ' 



l.grisea) 197 76 26 20 17.5 



Middle 

 toe. 



