276 HIEUNDINIDJE. 



Distribution. Sind, extending west to Arabia and Egypt. This 

 species appears to be only a winter visitor to Sind. 



Genus HIRUNDO, Linn., 1766. 



The genus Hirundo comprises the true Swallows, which are for 

 the most part familiar and well-known birds. 



The Swallows have the upper plumage, or the greater portion of 

 it, deep steel-blue and highly glossy. Many of them have the 

 tail greatly forked, and a few have it nearly square. They all 

 construct nests of mud lined with feathers, some making their 

 nests cup-shaped, while others add a long tubular entrance. The 

 eggs in some species are speckled, in others white without any 

 marks. 



Key to the Species* 



a. Rump blue or brown. 

 a. "White spots on tail. 



a". A complete or broken band across the 

 breast. 



a'". Pectoral baud complete H. rustwa, p. 277. 



b'". Pectoral band more or less inter- 

 rupted in the middle. 

 # 4 . Chin and throat chestnut ; abdo- 

 men white H. yutturalis, p. 277. 



6 4 . Chin, throat, and abdomen uni- 

 form deep chestnut H. tytleri, p. 278. 



c 4 . Chin and throat much deeper 



chestnut than the abdomen . . H. erythrogastra, p. 279. 

 V. No trace of a pectoral band, 

 c'". Chin, throat, and fore neck chest- 

 nut j abdomen grey H.javanica, p. 279. 



d'". Chin, throat, and fore neck white 



like abdomen H. smithii, p. 280. 



b'. No white spots on tail H. fiuvicola, p. 280. 



b. Rump chestnut. 



c'. Lower plumage pale rufous, much paler 



than ear-coverts. 



c". Rump and upper tail-coverts of same 

 colour throughout, or very slightly 

 paler posteriorly. 

 c". Wing 4-9 to 5-3. 



t/ 4 . Shaft - streaks on rump very 

 distinct j lower plumage nearly 

 white, with very coarse stria- 



tions H. striolata, p. 281 . 



c 4 . Shaft-streaks on rump absent or 

 obsolete j lower plumage de- 

 cidedly rufous, with fine stria- 



tions H. daurica, p. 282. 



/'". Wing 4;3 to 4-7. 

 / 4 . Striations on lower plumage 



much broader than the shafts . . H. nepaknsis, p. 282. 



