212 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



posed, instead of being overliung ; the tarsus is bare below, not 

 feathered, and the lateral claws are considerably cur\ed, and not 

 reacliing beyond the base of the lateral, as in Cotyle. The structure 

 of the wing is very diflFerent." (Baird.) 



The cliief peculiarity of this genus consists in the remarkable 

 roughness of the ecge of the wing, said to occur also in Pmilidopronie 

 Cab., an African genus. This characterizes only the adult male and 

 older females, tiie young and many adult females having the web of 

 the outer primary soft, as in other swallows. 



Stelgidopteryx serripennis (And.) 



HOUGH WINGED SWALLOW. 



Popular aynonjrms. llMiitjli-wingod Bank Swallow, or Sand Martin; Bridge Swallow. 



Hirundo gei-iipenuiii AuD. Orn. Biog. iv. 1838.593: Synop. 1839. 37; B. Am.i. 1840. 19:). pi. T,l. 



Cotyle serripennis BoiE. 1814.— Baird. B. N. Am. 1858. 313; Cat. X. Am. B. 1859 No. 230. 



Stelgidopleru-r serripeunis Baird. Rovli-w. 1865.314.— C'oi'Es. Kfy. ix?.'. 114; Clicok LiHt, 



1873. No. 116; 2d cd. 1882. Xo. 1G4; B. N. W. 1874. 90; B. Col. Val. 1878. 438.-B. B. & R. 



Hist N. Am. B. i, 1874. 350, pi. 16. Hg. 12.— Ridgw. Noin. Am. B. 1881, No. 158. 



Had. Whole of United States, oxeept extri'me northern border, and New England ea,st 

 of the Conneetiout Valley; northwest to British Columbia; wintering in Mexieo and 

 Guatemala. 



"8p. Chak. (No. 32,269. male.) .\bove smoky brown, rather deeper on the head, perhaps 

 a little paler on the rump. Larger nuills and tail-feathers dusky brown; the seeondarlea 

 and greater eoverts sometimes lighter along their <'.\tenwil edges. The under parts (for 

 about half the total li'ngth) from Mil to and ineUiding breast, with the sides i>f body ami 

 lining of wings, mouse-gray, rather lighter along the throat: the ri'st of under parts. In- 

 elnding erissum. white, the latter with the shafts sometimes dusky, ami very rariJy with 

 dusky blotehes at the ends of thi' longer fi'ulhers. 



"Young birds (as in 1.120) dilTer in a tinge ot reddish fulvous on the upper parts; the 

 wlng-eoverts, seeondaries. and inner primaries margined more or less broadly with a 

 brighter shade of the same. The gray of the under parts is also washed with this eolor, 

 especially on the ehin and aeross the breast. The hooks of the edge of the wing have not 

 yot beeome developed. 



"(No. ;t2.2ti!». male, fresh speeinien before being skinned.) Total length. 5.40; i-xpanse of 

 wings. 12.2tl; wing from earpal joint. 4.50. 



"(No. 32.269. male, prepared spi'idmen.) Total length. 5.20; wing. 4.50: tail, 2.25; depth ot 

 fork. .15; dllTerenee of primaries. 2.28; length of bill from forehead. .40. from nostril. .24, 

 along gape, .56. width of gape, .4:1: tarsus, 45: miildle toe and elaw. .57; elaw alone, .19; 

 hind toe and elaw, .41; elaw alone. .16." {Ilisl. -V. .1 m. /(.) 



In its general appearance as well as in habits, the Kough-wiiiged 

 resembles so closely the Bank Swallow as to be not easily distin- 

 guished by the casual observer. It nests, like the latter species, ui 

 holes dug into the banks of streams or ravines, usually, however, 

 in colonies l)y themselves, though not unfrequently mingling with 



