RED- FRONTED SWALLOW. 559 



inches and five-twelfths long, gradually contracts from five- 

 twelfths to two-twelfths ; the proventricular glandules are broad 

 and about half a twelfth long. The stomach, d ef, is a gizzard 

 of moderate power, oblong, seven-twelfths of an inch in length, 

 its muscles somewhat distinct, the cuticular lining thin and ru- 

 gous. The intestine, ef^ h, is six and a half inches long, rather 

 wide, the diameter of the duodenal portion three-twelfths, the 

 smallest diameter two-twelfths. The cceca, (/, oblong, two- 

 twelfths long and three-fourths of an inch from the extremity. 

 The rectum, g k, is wide from the commencement, and dilates 

 into a pyriform sac half an inch in diameter. 



The nostrils are linear, oblique, one-twelfth of an inch long ; 

 the aperture of the eyes a twelfth and a half ; that of the ears 

 two and a half. The feet are very short and slender ; the tar- 

 sus extremely short, being shorter than the hind toe with its 

 claw, bare, excepting for a short space above, and having an- 

 teriorly a single undivided scutellum, and an inferior one, be- 

 hind sharp-edged ; the toes resemble those of a Sylvia ; the 

 first stronger, with seven scutella, the second with eight, the 

 third with ten, the fourth with ten ; the claws rather long, 

 moderately arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, taper- 

 ing to an extremely fine point, that of the first toe rather shorter 

 than that of the third. 



The plumage is very soft, blended, highly glossed or splen- 

 dent on the upper parts ; the feathers oblong. The wings are 

 extremely long ; the quills eighteen, the primaries nine ; the 

 first longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly gra- 

 duated ; the primaries narrow and rounded ; the secondaries 

 rather short, curved inwards, deeply emarginate. The tail is 

 very long and deeply forked, of twelve straight feathers, the 

 lateral very narrow and much elongated, exceeding the mid- 

 dle by an inch and a half, or sometimes by more than three 

 inches. 



The bill is black, the mouth yellowish, the iris light brown, 

 the feet and claws brownish-black. The forehead and throat 

 are deep chestnut or brownish-red ; all the upper plumage, 

 except the quills and tail-feathers, splendent with steel-blue 

 changing to purplish ; the neck all round being of the same 



