STUDIES OF THE MACROCHIEES. 



383 



fig. 32, which gives its external characters sufficiently well to obviate 

 the necessity of a special description. Among the most interest- 

 ing of these features is the wonderfully short beak in this 

 nestling, as compared with the long slender one of the adult. 



Supplementary Notes on Cypseloides niger and Nyctidromus 

 albicoUis, var. Merrilli. 



As this paper is passing through the press I am able to add a 

 few words upon tlie structure of these two birds — the Black Swift 

 and Merrill's Parauque. This affords me particular satisfaction, 

 for inasmuch as every species of American {i. e. United States) 

 Swallow (seven in all) is anatomically described in this memoir, 

 I can add that I have similarly examined and compared every 

 species of Caprimulgine (except A. caroUnensis) and Cypseline 

 bird. I am indebted to my friend Professor Newton, P.R.S., of 

 Cambridge, for the specimens of Cypseloides, which were collected 

 for him on my behalf in Jamaica by Mr. Gr. A. Waddington. 

 The specimens of Nyctidromus are from Texas, where they were 

 procured on the lower liio Grrande by two of my collectors. 



Externally Cypseloides niger has a more Swallow-like appear- 

 ance than either Micropus or CJicetura. This no doubt is due to 

 the structure of the tail and feet, which have a more passerine 

 appearance than is seen in M. melanoleiccus, and still more so 

 than in C. pelagica or C. Vaucvi. Nevertheless Cypseloides is a 

 Swift, with the pterylograpliy of the order as given above. It 

 also exhibits the pecuKar black pigmentation on the palmar 

 aspects of its pinions, although the skin there is not quite so 

 dark as in other North-American Cypseli. The tarsal and pedal 

 integuments are skinny, but plainly show a scutellate definition. 

 The hind toe is somewhat elevated, though distinctly posterior 

 in position. In general form the plucked body presents the 

 appearance of the nude body of a Chcetiira rather than of Micro- 

 pus, which is more compressed in shape. 



Myologically, this Swift agrees with others already described, 

 the patagial muscles, the muscles of the thigh, and thorax being 

 almost identical with those of C. pelagica. 



Upon opening the abdominal cavity we find that in these 

 parts also Cypseloides agrees with all true Swifts. The stomach 

 is notably large, .and only overlapped by the lobes of the liver 

 above, in all these respects difl:ering widely from the corre- 

 sponding organs in any existing Humming-bird. 



