SWALLOW. 321 



Cypselus murarius, Tern. Man. d'Orn. 271. Id. Ed. ii. p. 434. 



Le grand Martinet, Bvf. vi. 643. PI. enl. 242. 1. 



Die Kirchenschwalbe, Natarf. xvii. 113? Vog. Kurl. p. 85. 



Rondone, Zinn. Uov. 47. t. 7. f. 33. Cett. Uc. Sard. 231. 



Thurm Schwalbe, Bechst. Deut. Ed. ii. 3. 929. 



Swift, Gen. Syn. iv. 584. Br. Zool. i. No. 171. pi. 57. Id.fol. 97. Id. Ed. 1812. 



i. p. 550. pi. G5. Collins's Birds, pi. 22. f. 7. 8. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 334. Wi//. 



.Eng/. 214. pi. 39. Albin, ii. pi. 55. Bewick, i. pi. p. 259. Shaw's Zool. x. p. 



72. pi. 8. Lewin, Birds, iii. pi. 126. Id. Eggs, xviii. f. 4. Walcot, pi. 254. 



Pafr. Dors. 13. Orn. Diet. 



THIS is a large Species, and nearly eight inches long, weight 

 one ounce. Bill black ; irides hazel ; colour of the plumage sooty 

 black, except the chin, which is white; the wings are very long, 

 and in some specimens expand no less than eighteen inches ; the 

 feet very short, and the toes all placed forwards : the tail forked, 

 consisting of twelve feathers; the outer exceeding the middle ones by 

 an inch or more;* legs blackish. 



The female is rather less, plumage more inclined to brown, 

 and the white on the throat less distinct. 



This is a summer inhabitant of these kingdoms. It comes rarely 

 before the beginning of May, and departs often before the middle of 

 August. It frequents elevated places, such as steeples, lofty towers, 

 and other buildings, in the holes of which it makes the nest ; some- 

 times under the tiles of houses and barns; and like the Chimney 

 Swallow, supposed to return to the same places year after year, 

 and only breeds once in a season. The eggs are generally two in 

 number, rarely three ; the nest, if such it may be called, seems a 

 mere layer of dried grass or hay, lined with feathers, collected on 

 the wing, being swept off the ground most dexterously ; for it 

 rarely alights thereon, well aware of the difficulty of rising again 

 into the air, on account of the length of wing ; and sips water from 

 a pond or river, as it skims over the surface. Like others of the 

 Swallow tribe it lives on flies, moths, and other winged insects, and 



* Willughby counted only ten feathers in the tail. Mr. White says it has no more.— 

 Buffon and Brisson both say the tail consists of twelve feathers. 



VOL. VII. T T 



