172 HIRUNDINID.E. 



as the upper surface of the toes; the soles of the feet are 

 also flesh-coloured, the claws have dusky tips, are long and 

 very sharp, but uot much hooked. The tarsi measure five 

 lines and a half, the middle toe, including the claw, seven 

 lines, and the hinder toe and claw, four lines and a half; 

 the outer and middle toes are connected up to the first joint. 



The hollow regions of the eyes, and the space between 

 them and the beak, are velvet black ; the top of the head, 

 nape, back, shoulders, and the upper tail-coverts are deep 

 black, with steel blue reflections. The wings and tail dull- 

 black, with bronze-green-coloured reflections on the smaller 

 feathers, and the three latter short quill-feathers have gene- 

 rally a narrow white edge near the tip ; the edge of the 

 wing is dusky and white, scolloped or scaled, the under 

 wing-coverts brownish-grey, or pale-grey. The rump and 

 all the under parts are white, although some few specimens 

 have grey shafts to the under tail-coverts, or two black 

 spots on the tips of the feathers. The under parts of the 

 wings and tail are glossy blackish-grey, and the shafts of 

 the larger feathers greyish-white. 



There is hardly any difference in the outward appearance 

 of the sexes ; in some instances the male is a little larger 

 than the female, his feathers are more glossy on the upper 

 parts, and the white on all the under parts is more pure ; 

 but these differences are so very little that the question 

 cannot be decided but by dissection. 



The young Martins of the first summer much resemble 

 the adult birds, but the upper feathering is paler, the gloss 

 on the head is wanting, the tertials are distinctly bordered 

 with white, the chin and throat, the rump and under parts 

 are also frequently tinged with red, or spotted with grey ; 

 the lower part of the beak is dirty flesh-coloured, the corners 

 of the mouth and eyelids, yellow, and the feet are very 

 thinly feathered with down. 



