SWALLOW. 291 



margins; the latter very little forked, the two middle feathers, and 

 the outmost ones on each side are plain, the four on each side between 

 these, marked on the inner web with a white spot; all the under 

 parts of the body are rufous, but the sides incline to brown ; legs 

 covered with grey down, mixed with brown, claws black. 



Inhabits the rocks and crags about Savoy ; arriving the middle 

 of April, and departing the 15th of August, now and then a few 

 remaining, to the 10th of October; is found also in the mountains of 

 Auvergne and Dauphiny. 



This is, we believe, the bird called at Gibraltar the Winter Martin ; 

 said to be six inches long, and thirteen and a half in breadth, and 

 exceeds the Swallow in bulk and weight; above of an uniform 

 mouse-colour; chin and breast dirty white ; belly rusty brown ; tail 

 nearly square at the end, not forked, but in a small degree emargi- 

 nate, or notched in the middle ; under coverts nearly as long as the 

 tail, dark brown, tipped with russet; the tail feathers marked as 

 above, but the oval spot is broader and larger than in the Swallow, 

 placed on the inner web, very remote from the end ; all the quills 

 remarkably crenated at the extremity, and one or two of them in some 

 birds are whitish ; such is the description of Mr. White, from whom 

 I formerly received a specimen. The name given to it seems very 

 appropriate, for, as he observes, these birds at first were taken for 

 Bank Martins, but from their differing so greatly in manners, he was 

 induced to scrutinize into the circumstance, especially as they were 

 never seen in summer. He found that they invariably came about 

 the 18th or 20th of October, (once observed on the 12th) and were 

 in great abundance till the beginning of March ; and if the same 

 bird mentioned by Scopoli, by the name of Hirundo Rupestris, which 

 he thinks not unlikely, it certainly inhabits Carniola, in Tyrol, in 

 summer, and breeds there ;* and that it makes a nest of clay, in the 

 hollows of rocks. It is possible, also, that they may breed on the 



* M. Aso, in his Faun. arag. thinks the same; but we must have doubts, since Scopoli 

 sa\s not a word of any white spot on the tail feathers of this bird. 



P p 2 



