302 A-ORTII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Family MICROPODID^E.— The Swifts. (Page 297.) 



Genera. 



a\ Tarsi and part of toes feathered, the hind-toe directed either forward or laterally. 



not backward. (Subfamily Micropodina'.) Aeronautes. (I'age 303.) 



«'. Tarsi and toes naked, the hindtoe directed backward. (Subfamily Chccturinw.) 

 b\ Tail rounded, or even, the feathers usually with distinct spinous points; 



wing less than 5.50 Chaetura. (Page 302.) 



v. Tail slightly forked, or emarginate. 



(•'. Tail-fouthcrs without spinous points; wing less than 7.00; no white 



collar Cypseloides. (Page 302.) 



e'. Tail-leathers with distinct, though small, spinous j)oiiits; wing 8.00 or 

 more; a white collar Hcmiprocne.^ 



Genus CYPSELOIDES Stueubel. (Page 302, pi. LXXXIX., fig. 2.) 



Species. 



Adult : Uniform dusky or blackish, becoming more sooty grayish on head and 

 neck, the forehead more hoary. Yoking : Similar, but feathers bordered terminally 

 with whitish. Length about 7.00-7.50, wing 6.50-7.50, tail 2.30-3.00. Hab. 

 "Western United States (north to Colorado, Nevada, and British Columbia), and 

 south to Costa Kica; Jamaica, Haiti, and other West India islands. 



422. C. niger (Gmel.). Black Swift. 



Genus CHAETURA Stephens. (Page 302, pi. LXXXIX., fig. 3.) 



Species. 



Common Cuaracters. — Plain dusky, or dark sooty grayish, above, the wings 

 darker, the rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail usually paler; lower parts plain sooty 

 grayish, darker posteriorly, paler (sometimes dull whitish or whitish gray) ante- 

 riorly. Or else, uniform sooty, the throat not paler (C. brunneitorques, 9), or black- 

 ish, with broad collar of rufous round neck (C brunneitorques, Z)- 



«'. Throat distinctlj' paler than other {larls ; male without rufous collar. 

 i". Wing 5.00, or more. 



Length about 4.75-5.50, wing 5.00-5.25, tail (including spines) 1.90- 

 2.15. Ke.st a shallow half-saucer-shaped structure of dried twigs, 

 glued together with the bird's saliva, and with the same adhesive sub- 

 stance fastened to the inside of a hollow tree (with the entrance from 

 above), a disused chimney, or similar place. Eggs 4-6, .79 X -52, ellip- 



• Ilrmiproene NiTZScn, Pterylog. 1840, 12.1. Type, by eliminntion, //I'nmrfu toniirin Shaw. 

 This genus incluJcs two Mexieivn specie,*— the largest members of the family— either of which may possibly 

 occur as a straggler within our southwestern border. 



