64 
FULVOUS OR CLIFF SWALLOW. 
entirely attributable to the incorrectness of Vieillot’s figure, which 
is one of those better suited to mislead than to assist the naturalist 
in his researches. The most striking characteristic of the Hirundo 
fuha is its even tail; yet Vieillot has represented this part as forked. 
We are therefore not surprised that our learned zoologist, who had 
no opportunity of consulting the coloured plate, should not have 
even thought of comparing his bird with that of Vieillot, who 
probably figured it with a forked tail merely because it was a 
Swallow . The characters of the Cliff Swallow are so remarkable, 
and its manner of building is so peculiar, that, when these are 
accurately delineated, it cannot be mistaken for any other species. 
The Cliff Swallow is five and a half inches long. The bill is 
black, and the feet dusky; the irides are dark brown. A narrow 
black line extends over the bill to each eye; the front is pale rufous, 
and the remaining part of the crown black-violaceous; the chin, 
throat, and cheeks, are dark ferruginous, extending in a narrow 
band on the hind head; the upper part of the body is black, glossed 
with violaceous; the inferior part of the rump, and some of the 
tail coverts, are pale ferruginous; the breast is of a pale rufous-ash 
colour, and the remaining under parts are whitish, tinged with 
brownish-ferruginous. The wings and tail are blackish, the small 
wing coverts being glossed with violaceous; the inferior wing co¬ 
verts are ashy-brown: the tail is nearly entire, somewhat shorter 
than the tips of the wings; the exterior tail feather is slightly edged 
with whitish on the inner vane: the wing and tail feathers have 
their shafts black above, and white beneath. 
This description is taken from our finest male, which is also 
represented in the plate; no difference exists between the sexes, 
and the young, even during early age, can scarcely be distinguished 
from the parents, except by having the front white instead of rufous.- 
We are informed by Vieillot, that some individuals have all the 
inferior surface of the body tinged with the same colour as that of 
the throat; these are probably very old males. 
