102 



STRIGID^. 



ORDER, INSESSORES, Vigors.— Vass^es or 

 Perching Birds. 



Toes usually three in fronts one behind, or with two before and two 

 behind by the outer being carried behind. 



Tribe, FISSIROSTRES. 



Bill very wide, the gape beneath the eyes. Keel curved to tip. 

 Prey on the wing. 



Family, HIRUNDINID^. 



Bill short and weak, very broad at base, suddenly compressed to tip; 

 wings long, sharp and narrow; tail forked; tarsi weak. 



Sub -Family, HIRUNDININ^,— Swallows. 



Bill short, sides gradually compressed to tip; nostrils at base of bill 

 rounded. 1st quill longest ; tail forked ; toes mostly long and slender. 



Gen. Hirundo. — Lin. 



Nostrils partly covered by membrane; exterior feathers of tail some- 

 times much lengthened. 



Hirundo rustica, Lin. S. N. i. p. 174. Naum. vogt. t. 3832; 

 Oould. B. Eur. pi. 54; Jerd. B. Ind. p. 157, No 82; Murraij, Hdbk., 

 ZooL, 8fc., Sind. — The Common Swallow. 



Male. — Forehead light chestnut ; body and wings glossy steel blue ; 

 primaries and secondaries black; tail feathers black, with a large white 

 spot on the inner webs of all except the mesial ones; throat chestnut; 

 a dark blue band across the upper part of the chest ; rest of under parts 

 white or rufescent white. Bill, legs, and feet black. 



Length. — To end of outer tail feathers 7' 5 inches, of which the tail 

 is 4"5 ; middle tail feathers 2 inches, wing 4'8. The female is dis- 

 tinguished by the smaller chestnut patch on the forehead, less intense 

 tints, whiter under parts, and the narrowness of the band across 

 the chest. 



Hab. — Europe, Palestine, Africa, Natal, Malacca, Penang, Tenna- 

 serim, Burmah, Sumatra, Borneo, China, and Celebes; also Persia, 

 Beloochistan, Afghanistan, Eastern Turkistan, Nepaul, and the whole 

 Continent of India and Ceylon. In Sind, as in other pai-ts of India, it 

 is a winter visitant. Said to breed in Persia at heights from about 

 4,000 to 8,000 ft. in the months of April and May. 



Hirundo filifera, Stephens ; Jerd. B. hul. p. 159; Sir. F. i. 164; 

 Murraij, Hdbk., Zuol., 8fc., Sind., p. 122. Hirundo filicaudata, 

 Franklin. — The Wire-tailed Swallow. 



Head deep ferruginous; wings glossy steel blue; lores black; under 

 parts white, a black patch upon the back of the thigh ; outermost tail 

 feathers filiform and elongated 5-6 inches beyond the rest; all the 

 tail feathers, except the four central ones, are spotted with white. 



Length. — To end of middle tail feathers 4'75, wing 4*5. 



