276 HIEU^DINID.E. 



Distribution. Siud, extending west to Arabia and Egypt. This 

 species appears to be only a winter visitor to Siud. 



Genus HIRUNDO, Linu., 1766. 



The genus Hirundo comprises the true Swallows, which are for 

 the most part familiar and well-known birds. 



The Swallows have the upper plumage, or the greater portion of 

 it, deep steel-blue and highly glossy. Many of them have the 

 tail greatly forked, and a few have it nearly square. They all 

 construct nests of mud lined with feathers, some making their 

 nests cup-shaped, while others add a long tubular entrance. The 

 eggs in some species are speckled, in others white without any 

 marks; 



Key to the Species. 



a. Rump blue or brown. 

 a. White spots on tail. 



a". A complete or broken band across the 

 breast. 



a'". Pectoral baud complete H, rustica, p. 277. 



I)'". Pectoral band more or less inter- 

 rupted in the middle. 

 « 4 . Chin and throat chestnut ; abdo- 

 men white //. yidturalis, p. 277. 



IA. Chin, throat, and abdomen uni- 

 form deep chestnut II. tytleri, p. 278. 



c'. Chin and throat much deeper 



chestnut than the abdomen . . H. erythrogastra, p. 279. 

 b". No trace of a pectoral band. 



c". Chin, throat, and fore neck chest- 

 nut ; abdomen grey H.javanica, p. 279. 



d'". Chin, throat, and fore neck white 



like abdomen II. smithii, p. 280. 



b'. Xo white spots on tail H. fiuvicola, p. 280. 



b. J Jump chestnut. 



e'. Lower plumage pale rufous, much paler 

 than ear-coverts, 

 c". Rump and upper tail-coverts of same 

 colour throughout, or very slightly 

 paler posteriorly. 

 e" . Wing 4-9 to 5-3. 



d i . Shaft - streaks on rump very 

 distinct; lower plumage nearly 

 white, with very coarse stria- 



tions H. slriolata, p. 281. 



e 4 . Shaft-streaks on rump absent or 

 obsolete ; lower plumage de- 

 cidedly rufous, with fine stria- 



tions H. daurica. p. 282. 



/'". Wing 4;3 to 4-7. 

 f l . Striatums on lower plumage 



much broader than the shafts . . H. nepalensis, p. 282. 



