595 



HIRUNDO RIPARIA. THE BANK SWALLOW 



SAND MARTIX. SAND SWALLOW. MALLAC. 



Hirundo riparia. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 344. 



Hirundo riparia. Lath. Ind. Orn. IL 575. 



Sand Martin. Mont. Orn. Diet. 



Hirondelle de rivage. Hirundo riparia. Teram. Man. d'Orn. L 429. 



Sand Martin. Hirundo riparia. Selb, Illustr. L 125. 



Hirundo riparia. Bank Martin. Jen. Brit. Vert. An. 158. 



The upper parts and a broad band across the breast greyish- 

 brou'n, the lower parts broicnish-white. 



]\Iale. — The Bank Swallow is by much the smallest British 

 species of this geuus, and is therefore easily distinguished from 

 the rest, to which it is inferior in beauty of plumage. But, al- 

 though plain in its appearance, it is elegantly formed, and in 

 agility is certainly not surpassed by any bird whatever. It is 

 proportionally more slender than the preceding species ; but 

 in form resembles the White-rumped Swallow, its feet how- 

 ever being bare, excepting a few small feathers on the hind 

 part of the tarsus. The bill is extremely short, depressed, the 

 ridge of the upper mandible rather distinct, its outline convex, 

 as is that of the lower, so that the bill is somewhat stronger 

 than that of the other species. The mouth measures four 

 twelfths of an inch across ; the oesophagus is two inches long; 



