SWALLOW AND SWALLOW-LIKE BIRDS. 131 



guished easily from any of iU family by the contpicucwt 

 white tract on the lower back ; and when perching, it 

 may be as readily detected by the absence of any braut- 

 band, the under parts being uniformly white. In the 

 late summer the birds congregate with Swallows and 

 Sand-Martins, often in the neighbourhood of streams 

 and open waters, and, sleeping at night in large 

 companies in reed-beds, remain together until in 

 September they ' swarm ' for migration. Arriving 

 in England towards the end of March, the House- 

 Martin, save for stragglers, usually retires by the 

 middle of October. 



SWALLOW 7| inches ; lacks the white lower hack of the 

 House-Martin; has coloured throat and black hreast- 

 band ; tail more deeply forked. Call, Whett t tofce* /' 



SAND-MARTIN 6 inches; above wholly brown; below 

 white, except brown breast-band. Call, a guttural 

 sound. 



SWIFT 7 inches ; dead black all over, except gray chin, 

 scarcely visible ; wings long and slender. Call, shrill 

 cream. 



SWALLOW. Plate 59. Length, 7J inchea Fore- 

 head and throat reddish-brown, not readily visible 

 during flight ; head, neck, breast-band, and back glossy 

 blue - black ; wings and tail dull black latter, 

 when spread, showing a fancy white pattern ; outer 

 tail-feathers extended aa a long slender fork in 

 male, less extended in female ; under parts white. 

 Summer migrant 



Eggs. 4 - 6, elongated, white, blotched and 

 speckled, some minutely and closely, others more 



