THE 8AND-MABTDT. 



513 



winged form in north-west Africa, apparently south-west Persia 

 and Greece and possibly south Spain, by other forms in central 

 and east Siberia, Mongolia, Manchuria and north China, Kashmir, 

 south China and Japan. 



Genus RIPARIA Forst. 



RIPARIA Forster, Syn. Cat. Brit. B., p. 17 (1817 Monotype : Riparia 

 europcea Forst. = Riparia riparia). 



Feet unfeathered, tail not deeply forked, its emargination not 

 above 10 mm. deep. Plumage rather softer than that of Swallows 

 and Martins. Upper-parts quite uniform, no metallic colours. 

 The members of the so-called " Biblis " are not structurally 

 separable, though they do not nest in deep holes dug into banks, 

 but build mud-nests, while their eggs are spotted instead of pure 

 white. Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. 



RIPARIA RIPARIA 



210. Riparia riparia riparia (L.) THE SAND-MARTIN. 



HIRUNDO RIPARIA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 192 (1758 Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Cotile riparia (Linnaeus), Yarrell, 11, p. 355 ; Saunders, p. 167. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and 

 female. Winter and summer. Whole 

 upper-parts dark earth-brown, 

 feathers of fore -head tipped grey, 

 rump and upper tail-coverts slightly 

 paler than rest of upper-parts and 

 feathers when fresh with very narrow 

 greyish tips ; lores greyish - white, 

 feathers tipped dark brown ; ear- 

 coverts dark brown ; chin and throat 

 white extending to sides of neck 

 below ear-coverts (chin sometimes 

 washed with buff and occasionally 

 speckled with brown) ; band across 

 brea.st and sides of breast brown, 

 feathers of centre of breast-band 

 fringed whitish ; flanks and a few 

 feathers down centre of breast partly 

 brown and partly white ; rest of 



under -parts including under tail-coverts white ; axillaries brown ; 

 under wing-coverts same tipped white ; tail-feathers dark brown 

 with a very faint greenish gloss, inner and outer webs very 

 narrowly edged white ; primaries blackish-brown with a very faint 

 greenish gloss, inner webs very narrowly edged whitish ; secondaries 



2L 



The Sand -Martin (Riparia ; 

 riparia). 



