CYl'SEIJD.E - THE SWIFTS. 



431 



Genuh CHJBTURA, Stephens. 



Chatura, Stepiik.\s, Slmw's (icii. /oiil. I'.inls, XIII, n, 182,-., 7fi. (Tyjic, C 

 AeiiHtliii/i.i, Hon:, Isis, Isyti, !i7]. {V,,pwliis .yiiiiiiviK/u.) 



htf/icii.) 



Gks. Ciiah. Tail V(;ry short, snaivcly moro than two liftiis tho wings ; shgliliv n)un<lu(l • 

 the shads stiU'cncd ami ox- ^ ' ' 



toiHlin<rsome distanco hcyonc 

 llio fcatliors in a i-igiii Kpino. 

 I-'irst i)iiniary longest. Legs 

 covered by a nake<l sl<in, 

 without seutelliu or featiiers. 

 Tarsns longer tiian njiddle 

 toe. Lateral toes equal, 

 nearly as long as the middle. 

 Hind toe scarcely vei-satile, 

 or quite posterior ; inelndinjr 



I'hrrtttra pdfii^ien. 



' » ' o 



claw, less than the middle anterior withont it. Toes slender ; claws moderate. Feathers 

 of the base of the bill not extending beyond the begimung of the nostrils. 



By the arrangement of the genera on page 1018, the C. rntila and large 

 white-collared species are excluded fiuHi the present genus as restricted 

 Chatura, as here defined, is a genus of very extensive distribution, species 

 occurring not only in Xorth and South America, but also in Africa and Asia. 

 Among the several American members, three styles are distinguishable, 

 these probably representing oidy as many species ; the several more closely 

 allied forms bein-.-, in all probability, but geographical modifications of these 

 three types. They may be arranged as follows : — 



Plumage with no marked contrast of shades. 

 C. pelagica. Nearly uniformly dusky grayish-brown, the throat, however, 

 very nuich lighter, an<l the rump just ajiprecial.ly .<io. 



Above glossy dusky-brown, hardly ai)i.reciably paler on the rump; 

 abdomen scarcely .paler than the back. Wing, 5.20. Hub. Eastern 

 Province Xorth America . . . . '. . . y^xr. pelagic a . 



Above glossy l)lackish-dusky, very decidedly paler on the rump ; 

 abdomen very much paler than the back. Wing, 4.u0. Huh. Pacilic 

 Province of North America, south to Guatemala (from whence speci- 

 mens are much darker, almost black above, and .slightly sniiiUer) var. vaux i. 

 Above glossy black, fading into sooty dusky on tho rump; abdomen 

 like the rump. Wing, 4.80. IM. Northern South America (Cayenne, 



'^''^^SO) xav.poliura.' 



Plumage with mnrhed contrast of shades. 

 C. oinereiventris.' Tipper parts, except the rump, glossy, intense blue- 

 black ; rumj) and lower parts bluish-cinorcous, conspicuously diHerent. 



> Ch(clura poUurri, (Tkm.m.) Scr,. Cat. Am. B. 1862, 101 ; P. Z. S. 1866, Gil (Ciipsclus 

 pnlii'iirus, Tl•:M.^^. Tab. Moth. p. 78.) 



" ChccturaciHtnivcntri!^, Sci,. Cat. Am. B. 18(!-2, p. 283; P. Z. ,S. ]8fi3, p. 101, pi. xiv, f 1 • 

 P. Z. 180G, 612. C. sclateri, Pklz. Orn. Braz. I, 1868, pp. 16, 56, is Jlso refe'rrible to' it as' 

 perhaps a race. 



