HIRUNDINIL\E. 333 



dusky spots. The note of this species is a gentle twittering, like that of the 

 H . urbica of Europe, which it strongly resembles in its mode of building. When 

 the bird is angry or alarmed, it utters a feeble, but harsh and acute scream. It 

 preys on mosquitoes and other small winged insects. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a male, killed on the Saskatchewan, June 26, 1827. 



Colour. — Region of the bill, lores, and orbits, black. Top of the head, back, and scapu- 

 lars also black, glossed with violet-purple. Chin, throat, and sides of the head and nape, 

 bright brownish-red : nuchal collar greyish-brown. Rump and vent wood-brown. Wings 

 and tail blackish-brown, with a greenish gloss, the lesser quills edged on the tips with grey ; 

 tail coverts above and below clove-brown, fringed with brownish-white. Crescentic frontal 

 band and belly white. Breast and flanks brownish-grey. — Female like the male. 



Form typical. Wings a little longer than the slightly forked tail*. The first quill is the 

 longest, the lesser ones, as usual, are deeply emarginated. 









Dimensions. 













Inch. 



Lin. 



. 



Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. Lin. 



Length, total 



. 6 



3 



Length of bill above . 



. 



4 



Length of middle nail 



. 2 



„ of tail 



2 



3 



„ of tarsus 







6 



,, of hind toe 



. 2\ 



„ of wing 



. 4 



6 



,, of middle toe . 



. 



H 



„ of its nail 



■ 2i 



„ of bill to rictus 



. 



6| 











— R. 



1117.] 4. Hirundo riparia. (Linn.) The Sand Martin. 



Genus, Hirundo, Linn. 



Sand Swallow. Penn. Arct. Zool., ii., p. 430, No. 332. 



Bank Swallow or Sand Martin {H. riparia). Wils., v., p. 46, pi. 38, f. 4. 



Hirundo riparia. Bonap. Syn., No. 75. 



Shee-shee-winee-paeshoo. Cree Indians. 



This species, which is considered to be identical with the European Sand Martin, 

 is an inhabitant of the four quarters of the world. It is remarkable for the extent 

 of its breeding stations, which embrace the whole continent of North America. 

 It arrives in Pennsylvania earlier than the other Swallows, or about the third 

 week of March, begins to breed in April, and has commonly two broods in a 

 season. Mr. Hutchins states that it breeds later than any other bird which 

 frequents Severn River, sometimes not laying its eggs until near the end of July ; 



* We should have thought our species was the same as the Hirundo fulva of the Prince of Musignano, but for the 

 following observation, — " The most striking characteristic of the Hirundo fulva (Bon.), is its even tail." (Am. Orn., 

 i., p. 64.) Ours is slightly, but distinctly forked. — Sw. 



