THE SWALLOW. 



503 



HIRUNDO RUSTICA 



207. Hirundo rustica rustica L. THE SWALLOW. 



HIRTTNDO RUSTICA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 191 (1758 Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, Yarrell, n, p. 340 ; Saunders, p. 163. 



8 



The Swallow (Hirundo r. rustica). A. One half of tail of ai'ult. 

 B. Juvenile. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male. Winter and summer. Fore-head dark 

 chestnut ; rest of upper -parts dark metallic-blue (feathers of nape 

 and mantle with their concealed middle portions white, feathers 

 of back of crown with these portions usually brown but occasionally 

 buff and rarely chestnut) ; lores black ; ear-coverts, sides of 

 neck and broad band across lower -throat dark metallic -blue with 

 more or less black showing and often some chestnut feathers inter- 

 mixed ; chin and upper -throat dark chestnut ; rest of under - 

 parts varying from rufous-buff to dark creamy colour ; under 

 tail-coverts as belly but often deeper buff and sometimes vvdth fine 

 dark shaft -streaks and occasionally two longest feathers tipped 

 glossy green ; axillaries and under wing-coverts as belly but feathers 

 tipped more rufous-buff ; tail-feathers black-brown glossed metallic- 



