560 HIRUNDO RUSTICA. 



colour. The rest of the lower parts reddish-white, or greyish- 

 white with a yellowish-red blush, or when the plumage is 

 quite fresh of a most beautiful pale red. The quills and tail 

 are greenish-black ; their outer webs glossed with greenish- 

 blue ; the tail-feathers have a large spot of white on the 

 inner web, about a third from the end, excepting the two 

 middle ones. 



Length to tips of tail 8f inches ; extent of wings 14 ; wing 

 from flexure 4^§ ; tail, middle feathers l^f, lateral 5j ; bill 

 along the back y%, along the edge of lower mandible y^ ' tar- 

 sus /g ; first toe i%, its claw j^g ; second toe j\^, its claw 1^^ ; 

 third toe 1^^, its claw || ; fourth toe ^^|, its claw j^^. 



Female. — The female differs very little from the male. The 

 tail is considerably shorter, the red of the forehead and throat 

 lighter ; the dark band across the neck narrower, and the 

 lower parts less tinged with red. 



Length to end of tail 7f inches ; extent of wings 14 ; wing 

 from flexure 4xf ; longest tail-feathers 3f. 



Variations. — Adult males exhibit little variation, the lower 

 parts being merely lighter or darker, and more or less tinged 

 with red, and the lateral tail-feathers more or less elongated. 

 The same may be said of the females. 



Changes of Plumage. — This species arrives in complete plu- 

 mage, and does not moult until after its departure. The tints 

 fade considerably as the summer advances, but the changes are 

 not remarkable. A fine specimen newly shot exhibits the most 

 splendent tints of blue and purple on the upper parts, which 

 become much fainter in less than an hour, the purple almost 

 entirely disappearing. 



Habits. — The elegance and celerity of the motions of Swal- 

 lows exceed those of the flight of almost all birds, and cannot 

 fail to be observed and admired even by those most habitually 

 inattentive to the phenomena of nature. The present species 

 occurs abundantly, during the summer months, in the vicinity 



