Swallow

Swallow, a book name for a cosmopolitan family (Hirundinidae) of Passerine Birds, and for its type-genus (Hirundo). There are several genera, and about 100 species, mostly insectivorous birds that take their prey on the wing, though some feed on berries. The wings are long and pointed, the legs and feet small, and the tail usually forked. The type-genus, with the range of the family, has about forty specles, three of which visit Britain in the summer. The Common or Chimney Swallow (H. rustica) arrives about the middle of April, and is looked upon as the harbinger of summer. The 1ength of the adult male is about eight inches, of whloh the deeply-forked tail counts for five. The upper surface and a band across the chest are glossy blue-black, the forehead and throat chestnut, and the under parts buffy white. The hen-bird is a litt1e smaller. The nest of mud and clay is lined with feathers, and there are usually two broods in a year. These birds assemble in large flocks in autumn before migrating south. The House-Martin, or Window Swallow (H. urbica), may be distinguished by its smaller size, the white patch on the rump, and the absence of the chestnut on the throat, and of the blue-b1ack band on the breast. The feet are covered with downy feathers. The Sand Martin (H. riparia) is the smallest of the three, and arrives first. The plumage on the upper surface and on the breast is brown, and white beneath. The toes are not feathered. The nest is placed at the end of a gallery excavated in sand-banks, cliffs, river-banks, and similar situations. [SWIFT.]