THE NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFTS. 43 



short, and scarcely forked at all. The wings, on the other 

 hand, are extremely long, and project far beyond the tail. 



In the Sub-family ClKEturhicB are included the edible Swifts 

 {Collocalia)^ which might very well be separated as a separate 

 Sub-family, on account of their peculiar nesting-habits. Mr. 

 Hartert includes them with the Chcettirince^ though they have 

 not spiny tail-feathers. 



The Short-tailed Swifts are found in most parts of the world, 

 but do not extend very far north, especially in the Old AVorld. 



THE NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFTS. GENUS CH/ETURA. 



Chcetura, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, p. 76 (1826). 



Type, C. pelagica (Linn.). 



The members of this genus vary very much in size, and in- 

 clude both the largest and some of the smallest Swifts. They 

 can, however, always be told by the stiffened shafts of the tail- 

 feathers, the points extending beyond the tip of the tail and 

 presenting the appearance of spines. 



The geographical range of the genus includes nearly the 

 whole of America from north to all but the extreme south. 

 In the Old World, species are found from Amoorland in 

 Eastern Siberia south to India, and the Malayan Region to 

 Australia, as well as the whole of Africa below the Sahara. 



I. THE NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT. CH/ETURA CAUDACUTA. 



Hirimdo caiidaaita^ Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. ii. p. 57 (1801). 



Aca7ithyllis caudacufa, Dresser, B. Eur. iv. p. 613, pi. 270 

 (1880); Newton, ed. Yarr. ii. p. 371, note (1874); 

 B. O. U. List, p. 74 (1883) ; Saunders, Man. p. 255 

 (1889). 



Chcetura caudacuta, Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 303 (1884) ; Har- 

 tert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 472 (1892). 



Adult Male. — Of large size. Upper surface of the body pale 

 brown, shading off into lighter brown on the lower back, the 

 rump with white bases to the feathers ; upper tail-coverts 

 black, glossed with steel-blue ; wings and tail black, with a 

 gloss of green or steel-blue, very distinct on the upper wing- 



