79 



the wings are long and pointed ; the two first quills generally 

 equal, sometimes the first longest ; the primary quills are nine in 

 number, the secondaries moderate, covered at the base only by 

 short coverts ; the tail is various, even in some, or only slightly 

 emarginate, deeply forked in others ; the tarsi are short ; the 

 feet small ; the middle-toe lengthened, the lateral toes nearly 

 equal, and the claws short, slightly curved, acute and slender. 

 The tarsus is occasionally feathered, and in some the toes also ; 

 these last, like the Swifts, have a tendency to revert the posterior 

 toe ; their plumage is soft, dense, and glossy. 



GENUS, Hirundo, Lin. 



Bill rather large, very broad at the base, triangular, compressed 

 at the tip ; tail long and forked, or short and square, or sub-fur- 

 cate ; tarsus naked ; feet moderate. 



Hirundo rustica, Lin. 



82. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 157 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 451 ; Deccan and South Mahratta 

 Country ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 377 ; Murray's Vertebrate 

 Zoology of Sind, p. 102 ; Svvinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; 

 Ibis, 1885, p. 59. 



THE COMMON SWALLOW. 



Length, 5'25 to 8'9 ; expanse, 13 to 14 ; wing, 4'3 to 5 ; tail, 

 275 to 4*5 ; the middle tail-feathers are only two inches in 

 length. 



Bill dusky -black ; irides deep brown; legs dusky-black. 



Male. Above glossy blue-black ; the chin, throat, and a narrow 

 band on the forehead deep ferruginous ; a slightly glossed black 

 pectoral band ; beneath, from the breast, rufescent- white ; tail 

 with all, except the mesial feathers, having a large white spot 

 on their inner web. 



The female has the outer tail feathers shorter, and the under 

 .parts whiter. The young may be known by the pale ferruginous 

 hue of the throat, and by the dull color of the upper plumage, 

 as also by the shorter outer tail-feathers. 



The European Swallow is a common cold weather visitant, 

 arriving early in August, and leaving towards the end of March, 

 but stragglers are occasionally seen, both earlier and later ; they 

 do not appear to breed anywhere within our limits, but in the Bolan 

 Pass, Quetta, Chaman, and Kandahar I found them breeding 

 freely. 



Hirundo filifera, Steph. 



84. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 159; Butler, Guzerat; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 451 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p. 377 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 

 59 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind) p. 102. 



