Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/456

420 HiRUNDO RUSTICA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 343.

HiRtTNDO RUFA, Ch. BoTiaparle, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 64 Nuitali, Manual, part i. p. 601.

Barn Swallow, Hirundo Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. voL v. p. 34. pi. 38, fig, 1, 2. Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 329. Adult Male. Plate CLXXIII. Fig. 1.

Bill very short, feeble, much depressed and very broad at the base, compressed towards the tip, upper mandible with the ridge straight and sloping, the sides towards the end convex, the edges sharp and overlap- ping, having a slight notch close upon the tip, which is very small, rather obtuse, and declinate; lower mandible flattish, the edges inflected, the tip acute. Nostrils basal, lateral, oblong, with a membrane above. Head of ordinary size, neck short, body rather slender. Feet very small and feeble, tarsus very short, anteriorly scutellate, sharp behind ; toes free, lateral nearly equal, the outer united as far as the second joint ; claws shortish, arched, much compressed, very acute.

Plumage rather compact and shining above, blended and with ordinary lustre beneath. Wings very long and narrow, primaries narrow and tapering to a rounded point, the first longest, the rest gradually di- minishing ; secondaries very short, truncato-emarginate.

Bill black. Iris hazel. Feet purplish-black. Anterior part of the forehead bright chestnut ; the rest of the head, the hind neck, back, rump and smaller wing-coverts glossy deep steel-blue. Quills and tail brownish- black, the latter wath a white spot on the inner web of each feather, ex- cepting the two middle ones. Throat bright chestnut ; a broad band of black glossed with steel-blue on the lower part of the neck, joining the dark colour of the upper parts. The rest of the lower parts light brownish-red.

Length 7 inches, extent of wings 13 ; bill along the back /g, along the edge -^^ ; tarsus j.

Adult Female. Plate CLXXIII. Fig. 2.

The Female differs from the Male only in being generally paler beneath.

The young bird fully fledged has the red of the forehead and throat paler, the band on the forepart of the breast brownish-black, without gloss, and the rest of the lower parts white tinged with red