THE SAND -MARTIN. 



513 



wmged form in north-west Africa, apparently south-west Persia 

 and Greece and possibly south Spain, by other forms in central 

 and east Siberia, Mongolia, Manchuria and north China, Kashmir 

 south China and Jajoan. ' ' 



Genus RIPARIA Forst. 



RiPARiA Forster, Syn. Cat. Brit. B., p. 17 (1817— Monotype 

 europcea Forst. = Biparia riparia). 



Riparia 



Feet unfeathered, tail not deeplj^ forked, its emarginatiou not 

 above 10 mm. deep. Plumage rather softer than that of Swallows 

 and Martins. Upper-parts quite uniform, no metallic colours. 

 The members of the so-called " Biblis " are not structurally 

 separable, though they do not nest in deep holes dug into banivs, 

 but build mud-nests, while their eggs are spotted instead of pure 

 white. Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. 



RIPARIA RIPARIA 



210. Riparia riparia riparia (L.) — THE SAND-MARTIN. 



HiRUNDO RIPARIA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 192 (1758 Europe. 



Restricted tj^pical locality : Sweden). 



Cotile riparia (Linna?us), Yarrell, ii, p. 355 ; Saunders, p. 167. 



Description. — Adult male and 



female. Winter and summer. — Whole 



upper-parts dark earth-browix, 



feathers of fore -head tipped grey, 



rump and upper tail-coverts slightly 



l^aler than rest of upjoer-parts and 



feathers when fresh with very narrow 



greyish tips ; lores greyish - white, 



feathers tipped dark brown ; ear- 

 coverts dark broAvn ; chin and throat 



white extending to sides of neck 



below ear-coverts (chin sometimes 



washed with buff and occasionally 

 speckled with brown) ; band across 

 breast and sides of breast brown, 

 feathers of centre of breast-band 

 fringed whitish ; flanks and a few 

 feathers down centre of breast partly 

 brown and partlj' white ; rest of 



under -parts including under tail-coverts white ; axillaries brown ; 

 under Aving-coverts same tij^ped white ; tail-feathers dark broM'n 

 with a very faint greenish gloss, inner and outer Avebs very 

 narrowly edged Avhite ; primaries blackish-brown with a very faint 

 greenish gloss, inner Avebs very narrowly edged whitish ; secondaries 



2l 



The Saud -Martin (Riparia r. 

 riparia). 



