80 HIRUNDININ.E. 



THE WIRE- TAILED SWALLOW. 

 Leishra, Hin. 



Length, to end of middle tail-feathers, 475 ; outer tail-feathers, 

 5 inches longer; expanse, 12 ; wing, 4'12 to 47; tail, except the 

 outer two feathers, 1*5; tarsus, 0'5 ; bill at gape, 0'5; bill at 

 front, 0'25. 



Bill black ; irides very dark brown ; legs and feet black. 



Above, very glossy steel-blue ; top of head deep ferruginous ; 

 lores deep black ; beneath pure white, with white spots on all, 

 except the four central tail-feathers, the outermost prolonged 

 in the form of a thin wire ; the female differs in having the 

 outer tail-feathers much less developed. 



The Wire-tailed Swallow occurs throughout the district, but 

 is nowhere numerically common ; it is a permanent resident, 

 and breeds from February to August, rearing at least two broods 

 in the year ; the nest is deep half saucer-shaped, and is com- 

 posed of pellets of mud, well lined with soft feathers, and is 

 usually placed in the immediate vicinity of water ; under the 

 cornices of bridges, arches of culverts, sides of wells, where there 

 are projections under which they can build, niches in buildings 

 overhanging water, or under projecting ledges of rock, it is 

 always placed against the side and a little below the roof or pro- 

 jection, just enough space being left for the ingress and egress of 

 the bird. 



The eggs, generally three in number, are long, narrow ovals, in 

 shape a good deal pointed towards one end, are fine and delicate 

 in texture, and fairly glossy when fresh, but as incubation pro- 

 ceeds this disappears. 



Their color is white, beautifully speckled, spotted, and blotched 

 with various shades of reddish-brown. When fresh and unblown, the 

 ground color is a delicate pink, owing to the yolk showing through. 

 They will not desert the nest, even if the eggs are taken. 1 have 

 obtained as many as nine eggs from a single nest, but never 

 more than three at any one time. 



They vary a good deal in size, but average 072 in length by 

 0*52 in breadth. 



Hirundo erythropygia, Sykes. 



85. Hirundo aaurica, Lin. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, 

 p. 160 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 451 ; 

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

 Zoologv of Sind, p. 103 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; 

 Ibis, 1885, p. 59. 



THE RED-HUMPED SWALLOW. 

 Length, 6'5 to 7 ; expanse, 12'25 to 13 ; wing, 4'1 to 4'5 ; tail, 



3 to 3'35 ; (the tail is forked to the extent of about 1'5 inches) ; 

 .tarsus, 0-46 ; bill from gape, 0'58 ; bill at front, 03. 

 Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. 



