420 BARN SWALLOW. 



HiRUNDO RUSTICA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 343. 



HiRtTNDO RUFA, Ch. BoTiaparle, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 64 Nuitali, 



Manual, part i. p. 601. 

 Barn Swallow, Hirundo Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. voL v. p. 34. pi. 38, 



fig, 1, 2. Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 329. 



Adult Male. Plate CLXXIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill very short, feeble, much depressed and very broad at the base, 

 compressed towards the tip, upper mandible with the ridge straight and 

 sloping, the sides towards the end convex, the edges sharp and overlap- 

 ping, having a slight notch close upon the tip, which is very small, rather 

 obtuse, and declinate; lower mandible flattish, the edges inflected, the tip 

 acute. Nostrils basal, lateral, oblong, with a membrane above. Head 

 of ordinary size, neck short, body rather slender. Feet very small and 

 feeble, tarsus very short, anteriorly scutellate, sharp behind ; toes free, 

 lateral nearly equal, the outer united as far as the second joint ; claws 

 shortish, arched, much compressed, very acute. 



Plumage rather compact and shining above, blended and with ordi- 

 nary lustre beneath. Wings very long and narrow, primaries narrow 

 and tapering to a rounded point, the first longest, the rest gradually di- 

 minishing ; secondaries very short, truncato-emarginate. 



Bill black. Iris hazel. Feet purplish-black. Anterior part of the 

 forehead bright chestnut ; the rest of the head, the hind neck, back, rump 

 and smaller wing-coverts glossy deep steel-blue. Quills and tail brownish- 

 black, the latter wath a white spot on the inner web of each feather, ex- 

 cepting the two middle ones. Throat bright chestnut ; a broad band of 

 black glossed with steel-blue on the lower part of the neck, joining the 

 dark colour of the upper parts. The rest of the lower parts light brown- 

 ish-red. 



Length 7 inches, extent of wings 13 ; bill along the back /g, along 

 the edge -^^ ; tarsus j\. 



Adult Female. Plate CLXXIII. Fig. 2. 



The Female differs from the Male only in being generally paler be- 

 neath. 



The young bird fully fledged has the red of the forehead and throat 

 paler, the band on the forepart of the breast brownish-black, without 

 gloss, and the rest of the lower parts white tinged with red 



