CHELIDON 269 



CHELIDON, Boie, 1822. 



396. HOUSE-MARTIN. 

 CHELIDON URBICA. 



Chelidon urbica (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 344 (1766) ; (Naum.), vi. p. 75, 

 Taf. 145, fig. 2 ; (Gould) B. of E. ii. pi. 57 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. 

 pi. 6 ; Hewitson, i. p. 261, pi. Ixv. fig. 2 ; Newton, ii. p. 349 ; 

 Dresser, iii. p. 495, pi. 162 ; Sharpe, Cat, B. Br. Mus. x. p. 87 ; 

 Gates, F. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 269 ; Saunders, p. 165 ; Lilford, ii. p. 80, 

 pi. 37. 



Hirondelle de fenStre, French ; Andorhina, Portug. ; Am6n, 

 Span. ; Rondine comune, Ital. ; Haus-Schwalbe, German ; 

 Huiszwaluw, Dutch ; Marsvale, Dan. ; Tagsvale, Norw. ; Hussvala, 

 Swed. ; Raystdspddskynen, Finn. ; Lastotchka Gorodskaya, Russ. 



$ ad. (England). Head, nape, back, and scapulars glossy blue-black ; 

 rump, upper tail-coverts (except those nearest to the tail, which are black), 

 and entire under parts white ; wings and tail black, slightly glossed with 

 steel-blue ; tarsus and toes feathered ; bill black ; iris blackish brown. 

 Culmen 0*35, wing 4'25, tail 2'65, tarsus 0*45 inch ; outer rectrices O85 

 longer than the middle ones. Sexes alike. The young bird is duller in 

 colour, brownish with but little gloss where the old bird is black, has but 

 a trace of the pectoral collar, and the under parts are dull white. 



Hcib. Europe, as far north as the South Varanger and 

 Porsanger fiords, ranging east to Turkestan and west to the 

 Canaries and Madeira ; wintering as far south as Central Africa 

 and North-West India. 



Like the Swallow it spends most of its time, during the 

 day, on the wing, and captures its insect food in flight. It 

 does not appear, however, to be quite so strong on the wing 

 .as that species, though quite as graceful. It usually arrives at 

 its breeding-place a few days later than the Swallow, and if 

 undisturbed will occupy the same nesting-place year after 

 year. Its note is a low twitter, which, during the breeding 

 season, is continued till it constitutes a sort of warble. The 

 nest is placed under the eaves of a roof, in the upper corner of 

 a window or on the face of a sheltered rock, and like that of the 

 Swallow is constructed of mud mixed with short straws, and 

 lined with hair, wool, or feathers, but instead of being open is 

 built right up, having an entrance hole on the sheltered side. 

 The eggs, which are usually deposited in June. 4 or 5 in 



