IIIIMNDINID.K — Tin: SWALLOWS. 



Of). J 



The ei;j(s, six in lunnlM-r, in cvorv instance lliat we notiiMMl, woiv pun* wliitc. 

 jiituut the size of those of the /i^tttritf, hut ii litth' more unifoiinly o'ohinif in 

 shape and jjointed at one end. Their h'n^'tli varies from .TH to .01) of an ineli, 

 the average bein«' .75. Their avemije breailth is .5^^ of an inch. 



Gents COTYLE, Boie. 



Cotilh', BoiE, Isis, 1S-J2, 550. (TyiM', Ilirnn'lo n'/vm'fi, L.) 



(ten. Cflmj. Bill small ; nostrils lateral, ovcrhun.fi: l>y a straiirht-ed;^c(l mombrano. Tar- 

 sus abojit equal to middle toe without claw ; feathered at upper end, especially on inner 

 face, and haviiiij also a small tuft of leathers attaeheil to posterior edge near the hiii<l too. 

 Miildle toe with hasal joint adherent externally to m-ar the end, half-way infernally, the 

 «-laws comparatively little ciu'ved, the lateral reaehini; l>eV(Hi<l the hase of the middle. Tail 

 slijrhtly forked. Color dull lustreless l)rown above, in riparid white beneath with jrray 

 pectoral band. Nests in holes in banks; e<r?:s white. 



Many American birds have been referred to Cottjli', but the only one really 

 belonoini' to the oenus is tlie cosnio- 

 politan V. riparia. The peculiarity of 

 the genus consists essentially in the 

 tuft of tarsal featlii^rs at tlie ])ase of 

 the hind toe, and the unusual length 

 of the lateral claws, con)bined with 

 the lateral nostrils cverluniu; by nieni- ^"'"''^ rii^n,,. 



brane. J>y these characters the genus is very easily distinguished from 

 Stdfjidoptenj.r. 



Cotyle riparia, Boie. 



BANK SWALLOW; SAND MABTIH. 



Hirvndo rifxirw, Linn. 8. N. T, 17(56, .344. — Wii>. : Am. — Lf.mrf.yk. .Xvcs dc Cuba, 

 1850, 47, lam. vii, tig. 3. — Jones, Nat, Hist. Urniuida, 34 (occasional, Aug. and 

 Sept.). Cot ill e riparia, BoiK, Lsis, 1822, 550. — Cassin. — nuKWKU, N. A. ()i)l. 1, 



1857, 105, pi. iv, tig. 49 (eggs). — C.\R. Jour, 1856, 4 (Cuba). - Uviiin, Uinls X. Ami. 



1858, ;n:j ; Ik'v. 1864, :310. In. 18«;i, {•:} (Costa IJica [.']). -- (Junula.h, Cab. Jour. 

 1861, 0;50 (v«'ry rare in Cuba\. — Mai:« ii, I'r. A. N. Sc. 186:?, 297 (Jamaica ; very rare). 

 Hkf.kmann, p. K. K. X, 36 (California; abundant'). - Dall tS: Uannistki:, 2sO 

 (Ahuska). — Oooi'EK, Orn. Cal. 1, 187t», llu. — Samikls, 258. Ifinnnln ciiirrm, 

 ViKlLl,. Hirundo riparia mncrianiit, >L\x. 



Sp. Thar. AdnJf. Above grayish-brown, soinewliat fuliginous, with a tcndiMjcv to jtalrr 

 jiiargins of the feathers. Heneath jmre white, with a band across the breavSt and the sides 

 of the body like tlu^ back. Length, 4.75; wing, 4.00; tail. 2,00. 



Young birds have less eniarginate tails, and the feathers of back, rump, and wings edged 

 with whitish. 



IIar. The whole of North America ; B(M-niudas ; Greater A nt'Mes ; Costa Rio.T ; West- 

 ern Brazil (Pklz.). .\1so found in the northern parts of the Old World, 



4o 



