Genus— HI RUN DO. 
Hirundo Linne, Sysb. Nat., 10th ed., p. 191, Jan. 1st, 1758. 
Type (by subsequent designation, Gray, p. 8, 1840) : H. rustica Linne. 
Chelidon Forster, Synopb. Cat. Brit. Birds, p. 17, Dec. 
1817. Type (by monotypy) : H. rustica Linne. 
Small Hirundinine birds with short, broad, triangular bills, long nine- 
primaried wings, long forked tail and small naked feet. 
The bill is very short, broad at base, depressedly triangular ; the culmen 
flattened and the tip decurved ; the gape is large and noticeable ; the nostrils 
are oval, placed along edges of the bill near the base and semi-operculate ; 
under mandible also flattened ; rictal bristles small and inconspicuous. 
The wing with nine primaries only, the first much the longest, the 
others rapidly decreasing, the secondaries very short and a little shorter than 
the tertials, but neither exceeding the ninth primary ; hence the wing is very 
narrow and pointed. 
The tail is deeply forked, the two outer feathers much elongated and 
attenuate ; the succeeding much shorter and narrowed towards tip, but not 
attenuate, the other eight more normal and little forked. 
The feet very small ; the tarsus scutellate in front and behind ; the toes 
long, with long claws ; the middle toe longest, the inner and outer subequal 
with each other and the hind- toe. 
H. neoxena agrees with H. rustica save in the extreme length of the outer 
tail-feathers. 
Dr. Hartert has pointed out ( Pract . Handb. Brit. Birds, pts. 7-8, pp. 502, 
505) that there is a very minute first primary, which makes these birds ten 
primaried, but the above reads correctly as far as can be obviously seen ; the 
minute tenth being only found by very close investigation. 
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