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GENUS XXIX. 

 HIRUNDO. 



Beak small, bent downwards, pointed and depressed 

 at the base \ gape extremely wide ; tail forked. 



1. RUSTICA. COMMON SWALLOW. 



H. nigro-ccerulescens subtus albida, fronte gulaque 

 castanets, rectricibus dudbus intermediis exceptis, 

 macula alba notatis. Shaw. 



The beak and mouth are black ; irides hazel ; the 

 forehead and chin are chesnut red ; the top of the 

 head and whole upper parts of the body are black, 

 glossed with purplish blue ; the upper part of the 

 breast is black ; the lower part and belly white ; the 

 tail feathers are marked with a white spot ; the legs 

 are short. 



In the female the tail-feathers are shorter than in 

 the male. 



The young birds have not the forked tail, nor the 

 white spot on the tail-feather. 



The nest and bodies of the common swallow are 

 much infested with an insect called 



Hippobosca Hirundinis by Lin. 

 Stenepteryx Hirundinis of Leach. 



