The Swallow 



they be able to undertake so long a journey and not 

 fall exhausted on the way ? Such are some of the 

 questions that force themselves upon us, and our inability to 

 answer them helps to keep alive that spirit of wonder and 

 reverence for the powers of nature that is too apt to be 

 overlooked in this matter-of-fact twentieth century. 



Its colour above is of a deep metallic blue ; forehead and 

 throat dark chestnut ; pectoral band blue, rest of under parts 

 huffish pink, somewhat variable in tint. Tail forked, the 

 outermost pair much longer than the rest, and all except 

 the central pair with white patches on the inner webs. 

 In the female the outer tail feathers are shorter and the 

 chestnut less intense. The young are duller, and the 

 chestnut on the throat is very pale. Length 7' 5 in. ; 

 wing 4*9 in. 



RED-RUMPED SWALLOW 



Hirundo rufula, Temminck. 



This species is found in Southern Europe west of Italy 

 through Asia Minor to Persia and Afghanistan. An adult 

 male was picked up dead on Fair Isle near the Shetlands 

 early in June 1906. 



It may easily be recognised from our own SwaUow in 

 having the tail black ; rump, nape and sides of neck, rusty 

 red ; and the under parts rufous finely streaked with black. 

 Length 7 in. ; wing 4' 8 in. 



Ill 



