STELQIDOPTERYX. 463 



extensive spot of samo in middle of breast. Young : Similar to adult, but wing- 

 coverts, secondaries, upper tail-coverts, and feathers of rump more or less distinctly 

 bordered with buffy or whitish. Length about 4.75-5.50, wing 3.70-4.25, tail 2.10- 

 2.25. Nest in horizontal holes or burrows excavated in sand-banks, banks of 

 streams, etc. Eggs 3-6, .70 X -49, pure white. Hab. Northern hemisphere in gen- 

 eral; in America, south in winter to Cuba and Jamaica, and through Middle 

 America to Brazil 616. C. riparia (LiNN.). Bank Swallow. 



GENUS STELGIDOPTERYX BAIRD. (Page 458, pi. CXIV., fig. 5.) 



Species. 



Adult : Above plain grayish brown, darker on wings and tail, the tertials usu- 

 ally margined with paler brownish gray ; beneath plain brownish gray, the belly, 

 anal region, and lower tail-coverts white. Young: Much like adult, but wing- 

 coverts broadly tipped and tertials broadly margined with cinnamon, the plumage 

 in general more or less tinged or suffused with this color. Length 5.00-5.75, wing 

 4.00-4.70, tail 2.05-2.35. Nest in holes, usually in banks (as in Clivicola riparia), 

 but often in abutments of bridges, etc. Eggs 3-6, .72 X -51, plain pure white. 

 Hab. United States (except extreme northern border, and New England except 

 Connecticut), south, through Mexico, to Guatemala. 



617. S. serripennis (Aim.). Rough-winged Swallow. 



FAMILY AMPELID^. THE WAXWINGS, ETC. (Page 322.) 



Genera. 



a 1 . Wings pointed (first or se'cond quill longest), decidedly longer than the short, 

 even tail ; primaries apparently only nine, the first being excessively minute, 

 nearly or quite concealed ; of those normally developed, the first or second 

 longest; rictal bristles obsolete; frontal feathers filling completely the nasal 

 fossae, and concealing the nostrils ; young with lower parts streaked. (Sub- 

 family Ampelince) Ampelis. (Page 464.) 



a 2 . Wings much rounded, shorter than the rounded, emarginated or graduated 

 tail ; primaries obviously ten, the first always very evident; of the remain- 

 der, the third to fifth (actually, fourth to sixth) longest ; rictal bristles very 

 distinct; frontal feathers not encroaching on nasal fossae; young not streaked 

 beneath. (Subfamily Ptilogonatince. 1 ) 



b 1 . Bill narrow, the width of upper mandible at posterior extremity of nos- 

 trils decidedly less than length from nostril to tip ; crest springing from 

 centre of crown composed of narrow, somewhat recurved, feathers; 

 adult male glossy black, with white on inner webs of quills ; adult fe- 

 male dull brownish gray, with white edgings on wings. 



Phainopepla. (Page 465.) 



1 In reality a very distinct family (Ptilogonatidx), peculiar to Mexico and Central America, and repre- 

 sented by several strongly characterized genera. 



