170 



Order VIII.— CHELIDONES. 



Family HIRUNDINIDJE. (Bonaparte.) 

 Genus Hirundo. ( Linnceus.) 



Generic Characters. — Beak very short, very much depressed, 

 and broad at the base; upper mandible curved downwards at 

 the point. Feet short, with three toes in front entirely divided, 

 or united at the base only by a short membrane; claws much 

 curved; wings long and pointed. 



ORIENTAL CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 



Hirundo rustica, var. Savignyi. 



Hirundo Savignyi, Leach. Stephens. 



" rustica orientalis, Schlegel. 



" Cahirica, Lichtenstein; Cat., 1823. 



" Mocourii, Audouin; Des. del'Egp., vol. 13. 



" Boissonneautii, Temminck; Man. 3, p. 652. 



Cecropis Savignyi, Boie ; Isis, 1828, p. 316. 

 Horondelle de cheminee orientate, Of the French. 



Ostliche Rauchschwalbe, Of the Germans. 



Diagnostic Characters. — Under parts of the body, from, the 

 crop to the base of the tail, of a dark chesnut. Length six 

 inches ; carpus to tip four inches ; tail from base to end of lateral 

 feather three inches ; tarsus five lines ; beak from gape to end of 

 upper mandible seven lines. 



This "permanent variety" of our English. Swallow 

 is found principally in Macedonia, Egypt, and Eastern 



