272 COTYLE SERRIPENNIS — ROUGH WINGED SWALLOW, 



In size this is the smallest of our swallows. Its color is 

 greyish brown on the upper parts, pure white on the under 

 side, with a band of brownish color across the breast and 

 sides of the body. The lower part of the taisus has a few 

 scattered feathers upon it. Tail slightly emarginate. It 

 differs from the next species in having the outer web of 

 the first primary of the wing soft, and without hooks. 



Length 41 inches; tail 2 inches. 



CoTYLE Serripennis, Bonapavte. — The Rough Winged 

 Swallow, 



This bird is a resident of almost every part of this State, 

 but has generally been confounded with the preceding 

 species. It is common near the mouth of Rocky River, 

 where it nests. Prof. Kirtland has seen it in that locality, 

 carrying sticks and straws for its nest towards the high 

 rocky banks of the river, where he supposes it breeds, but 

 he has never seen the nest. It probably resembles that of 

 the C. rij)aria^ but it may prove to occur in clefts of rocks. 

 We know of no description of the nest, although Dr. Brewer 

 figures the egg, and probably describes the nest, in his 

 unpublished North American Oology. 



The C. serripennis may be easily distinguished from the 

 C. riparia by its larger size, and particularly by the first 

 primary quill having the outer web stiffened, with the 

 extremities of the poDUulge re-curved into a hook. By 

 passing the finger down the edge of the wing, this is easily 

 felt. 



The upper parts are of a light sooty brown ; the lower 

 varies, in different specimens, from pure white to light 



