c:yps]sj.in^. chcetura. 
33 
Night-Hawk, Caprimulgus Americanus, Wips. Amer. Ornith. Biog. v. v, p, 65. 
Caprimulgus Virginianus, Bonap. Syn. p. 62. 
Caprimulgus (Chordeiles) Virginianus, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. i, p. 62. 
Night-Hawk, Caprimulgus Americanus, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 619. 
Night-Hawk, Caprimulgus Virginianus, Aud, Orii. Biog. v, ii. p, 273 5 v. v. p. 406 . 
FAMILY V. CYPSELIN^. SWIFTS. 
Mouth opening to beneath the hind part of the eyes ; 
bill extremely short, very broad at the base, compressed at 
the end ; upper mandible decurved at the point, the edge 
inflected, with an indistinct sinus. Nostrils basal, approxi- 
mate, oblong. Head large and depressed ; neck short ; 
body rather slender. Feet extremely short ; tarsus rounded, 
destitute of scutella ; toes extremely short, the three ante- 
rior nearly equal ; hind toe very small, and versatile ; 
claws strong, compressed, arched, very acute. Plumage 
compact ; no bristles at the base of the upper mandible ; 
wings extremely elongated, falciform, the first quill longest ; 
tail of ten feathers. QEsophagus of moderate width, with- 
out crop ; stomach oblong, moderately muscular, with a 
dense rugous epithelium ; intestine short, and rather wide ; 
no coeca. No inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest in crevices 
or holes, or attached to high places. Eggs elongated, 
white. 
GENUS I. CH^TURA, Stephens. SPINE-TAIL. 
All the characters as above. Tarsus bare, longer than 
the middle toe, which scarcely exceeds the outer. Tail 
short, even, the shafts very strong, and prolonged into 
acuminate points. 
44. 1. Chaetura pelasgia, Linn. American Spine-tail. — 
Chimney Swallow. American Swift, 
Brownish-black, lighter on the rump, with a slight greenish gloss 
on the head and back ; throat greyish- white, lower parts greyish -brown, 
tinged with green ; loral space black, and a greyish- white line over 
the eye. Female similar to the male. 
