P la t e 30.
31.
32.
33.
3-1.
35.
36.
37.
LIST OF PLATES.
M a p o f th e Ge n u s C o tile .
th e G e n e ra C o tilc a n d T a c h y c in e ta .
th e G e n u s B ih lis .
th e G e n e ra B ib lis a iid T a c h y c in e ta .
th e G e n u s T a c h y c in e ta .
H i r u n d o r u s t i c a {n io id tin g ).
39.
10.
11.
12.
13.
é l .
15.
46 .
17.
18.
4 9 .
50.
51.
52.
53.
51.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
61.
M a
„ [a d u lt).
sa v ig n ii.
g n t tu r a l i s .
ty t le r i .
e r y th r o g a s tr a .
/ th e G e n e ra P h e d in a a n d H i ru n d o .
th e Genius H iru n d o .
H i r u n d o ta h itic a .
ja v a n ic a .
n e o x e n a .
a n g o le n sis .
a r c tic in c ta .
lu c id a .
a lb ig u la ris .
seth io p ic a .
le u c o som a .
d im id ia ta .
n ig r i t a .
a tro c a3 ru le a .
n ig ro ru f a .
sm ith ii [ fem a le a n d y o u n g ) .
„ [a d u lt m a le ).
g riseo p y g a .
c u c u lla ta .
p u e lla .
ru f u la .
I N T R O D U C T I O N .
T h e Swallows a p p e a r to u s to b e su c li a w e ll-m a rk e d a n d iso la te d F am i ly o f P a s se ro s,
th a t , in tiro ab se n c e o f a n y d e ta ile d a c c o u n t o f th e i r a n a tom y a n d g e n e ra l s tr u c tu r e ,
w h ic h , so f a r a s wo k n ow , h a s n o t b e e n a ttem p te d , th e r e rem a in s l i tt l e fo r u s to say. By
L in nm u s a n d th e e a r lie r m -itc rs th e Sw allow s w e re u n i t e d w ith th e S w ifts a n d a l l wen -
p la c e d in t h e g e n u s l l i r u m lo . T h e n in c o u rs e o f tim e th e y w o re re c o g n iz e d as a s e p a ra te
F am ily , b u t th e y w e re n o t a llow e d to e s c ap e from t h e i r a n c ie n t e n ta n g lem e n t, a n d , s id e h y
sid e w ith th e Sw ifts , th e y flo u rish e d a s m em b e r s o f th e w id e -g a p in g b ird s , o r “ F is s iro s tr e s .’
W h e n th e “ ro s tra l ” s y s tem b e c am e som ew h a t e x p lo d e d , th e y w o re ru th le s s ly s e p a ra te d
from th e i r fo rm e r c om p a n io n s , u n t i l n ow , in d u e c o u r s e o f rc -a o tlo n , th e y se em to bo
re co g n iz e d a s P a s s e r in e B ird s o f a som ew h a t C y p se lin o te n d e n c y , o r p e r h a p s , o n e m ig h t
m o re t r u ly say , th e Sw ifts a r c C y p s e lin e B ird s w ith a I l i r u n d in in o te n d e n c y . F o r
th e n in e y e a rs in w h ic h th is h o o k h a s b e e n in p u b lic a tio n , wo e n t e r t a in e d th e h o p e
t h a t som e c om p e te n t A n a tom is t w o u ld e n a c t su c h a c om p a riso n o f th e e h a v a c te rs of
t h e tw o F am ilie s t h a t wo sh o u ld h a v e b e e n a b le to s um m a riz e th e r e s u lts , a n d t e l l o u r
re a d e r s e x a c tly h ow th e Swallows m a y b e d iffe re n tia te d fr om th e Sw ifts iir e v e ry p o in t
o f s tru c tu r e . I n d e f a u lt o f th i s m iic h -n o cd e d e x h a u s tiv e e s sa y fr om o u r m o re e x p e r t
b r e th r e n , w e v e n tu r e to d e fin e th e o h a r a o tc r s o f t h e IHruncUmk lic a s follows
A . P a s s e r in e B ird s w ith n in e p r im a r y q n ills .
B . S p in a l f e a th e r - t r a c t b ifu rc a te d .
C. A s in g le m o u lt in th e y e a r, e x e c u te d , so f a r a s w e k n ow I'roiii th e m ig r a to ry
sp e c ie s , d u r in g th e i r re s id e n c e in th e w in t e r h om o *.
N o P a s s e r in e B ird s , w c b eliev e , p r e s e n t th i s t r ip l e c om b in a tio n o f c h a r a c te r s , b u t
f u r th e r in fo rm a tio n is, o f co u rse , d e s ira b le .
I n 1 8 9 1 , in th e ‘ C a ta lo g u e o f O s te o lo g ic a l S p e c im e n s in th e M u s e um o f th e llo y a l
C o lle g e o f S u rg e o n s ,’ w c p la c e d th e lU r u n d in id c c a t th e e n d o f th e se rie s o f “ Pas.scres
« It is extremely important to know whether the species which ore resident in restricted areas follow the rule
of the migratory species, and have but a single moult.