r 
Genus— MICROPUS. 
Micropus Meyer und Wolf, Taschenb. d. Vogel, p. 280, 1810 Type M. apus, 
Apus Scopoli, Introd. Hist. Nat., p. 483, 1777 . . . . Type M. apus. 
Not 
Apos Scopoii, %h., p. 404. 
Cypselus Illiger, Prodromus Mamm. et Av., p. 229, 1811 . . Type M. apus. 
Also spelt — 
Cipmlus Vieillot, Analyse nouv. Orn., p. 3S, 1816. 
Not 
Cypsela Meigen, N. Class Mouches, 1800, p. 31. 
Brachypus Meyer, Vogel Liv. u. Estlil., p. 142, 1815 . . Type M. apus. 
Brevipes P. (=S. Palmer) Analyst, Vol. IV., No. XV., 
Apl. 1, 1836, p. 101 . . . . . . . . . . Type M. apus. 
The typical Swifts differ from tlie preceding in lacking the spines to the 
extremities of the tail-feathers, an item of little import, and in the feathering 
of the tarsus with the four toes directed forwards. 
The general bill formation is as in the preceding genus, the wing is very 
long and pointed, the second primary longest, the tail forked, not very long 
in proportion to the wings, and the feet very small. A feature not superficially 
discernible is the reduction of the number of the phalanges of the outer and 
median toes to three. 
It is possible that the genus as accepted in the Catalogue of the Birds in 
the British Museum will later be subdivided, as there large and smaller species, 
tails forked or square, are included, but at the present time little superficial 
differences are to be seen. 
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