Chapter II: Family Hirundinidæ. the Swallows

Plumage compact; size generally small; bill small, much depressed, very wide at base, and suddenly compressed to the tip, giving it a somewhat triangular shape; wings long; tail various, frequently forked; legs and feet short and weak.

These birds form a peculiar and easily-recognized family, species of which inhabit all parts of the world, and in civilized countries are generally regarded with favor. The Swallows are eminently social and gregarious, being almost constantly seen in companies even in the breeding season, and are amongst the comparatively few birds whose numbers are not diminished by the progress of the settlement and cultivation of countries. They subsist exclusively on insects captured on the wing, in the pursuit of which they exhibit extraordinary powers of flight.

A.

1. Genus Hirundo. Linn., Syst. Nat. I. p. 343. (1766.)

Bill depressed, wide at base, compressed to the end, nostrils basal; wing long, pointed, first primary usually longest, secondaries short; legs and feet short and weak; tail moderate, forked or emarginate. General form rather broad, robust; flight protracted, rapid.

1. Sub-genus Hirundo.

Tail with the two external feathers disproportionately long; others graduated.

1. Hirundo rufa. Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I. p. 1018. (1788.) The Barn
Swallow.
Hirundo horreorum. Barton, Frag. Nat. Hist. of Penna. p. 17.
(1799.)
Hirundo americana. Wilson, Am. Orn. V. p. 34. (1812.)
Hirundo erythrogaster. Boddaert, Tab. Pl. Enl. p. 45. (1783.)?
Hirundo cyanopyrrha. Vieill., Nouv. Dict. XIV. p. 510. (1817.)
“Hirundo rustica. Linn.” Aud. Orn. Biog. II. p. 413.

Wilson, Am. Orn. V. pl. 38, fig. 1, 2; Aud., B. of Am. pl. 173, Oct.
ed. I. pl. 48; Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 29, fig. 64; Buff., Pl.
Enl. 724, fig. 1?

Wings long; tail deeply forked with the two outer feathers much the
longest; forehead, throat, and neck in front, chestnut, which color is
separated from the paler color of the breast by a partial or rarely
perfect collar of dark steel blue; entire upper parts steel blue, with
a purple lustre, inclining to green on the wings and tail; breast,
abdomen, and under tail coverts, chestnut, very pale in some
specimens, but generally darker on the tail coverts; tail with a large
spot of white on the inner web of every feather, except the middle
two; bill and feet black; sexes very nearly alike.

Dimensions. Total length, 7 inches; wing, 4½; tail, 3½. Female
smaller.

Hab. Throughout North America. Canada (Dr. Hall); Oregon (Dr.
Townsend); Texas (Dr. Woodhouse); Santa Fé (Col. McCall); Indiana (Dr.
Haymond); Long Island (Mr. Giraud); Cuba (Mr. Lembeye).

This is one of the most abundant of the birds of the United States, and known to all classes and ages of the population. It is nearly related to the European House Swallow (_Hirundo rustica_), but can readily be distinguished on comparison. The European is rather the larger, the under-parts are darker, and the collar on the neck in front complete. In the present bird this collar is imperfect, with very rare exceptions.

2. Sub-genus Petrochelidon.

Tail moderate or short, emarginate, but slightly forked.

2. Hirundo lunifrons. Say., Long’s Exp. to the Rocky Mts. II. p. 47.
(1823.) The Cliff Swallow.
Hirundo opifex. Clinton, Ann. N. Y. Lyceum I. p. 161. (1824.)
Hirundo respublicana. Aud., Ann. N. Y. Lyc., I. p. 164. (1824.)
“Hirundo fulva. Vieill.” Aud., Orn. Biog. V. p. 415, and Clinton,
as above.

Bonap., Am. Orn., 1. pl. 7, fig. 1; Aud., B. of Am., pl. 68, Oct. ed.
I. pl. 47; Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 30, fig. 64.

Bill very wide at base, short; wings long; tail rather short,
emarginate; forehead white, nearly pure in some specimens, but
generally tinged with reddish chestnut; head above and back
bluish-black, with a purple lustre; plumage of the back usually edged
and streaked with grayish white; rump pale chestnut; throat dark
brownish chestnut, which color extends upwards and forms a complete
collar around the neck behind; lores and large spot on the neck in
front black; entire other under-parts ashy-white, tinged with pale
chestnut, especially on the breast; under tail coverts with a green
lustre, and tipped with pure white; wings and tail brownish-black;
bill and feet dark; sexes very nearly alike.

Dimensions. Total length, 5½ inches; wing, 4⅜; tail, 2 inches. Female
rather smaller.

Hab. Throughout North America. Oregon (Dr. Townsend); California (Dr.
Heermann); New Mexico (Col. McCall); Texas (Dr. Woodhouse); Indiana
(Rufus Haymond, M. D.); Canada (Dr. Hall).

This handsome species is now well known throughout almost the whole of the United States, but is said to have appeared for the first time in the States on the Atlantic seaboard within the memory of persons now living. It builds a curiously-formed nest of the shape of a gourd, faithfully represented in Mr. Audubon’s plates, cited above.

_Hirundo fulva_, Vieill., is an allied species, but much smaller, and not ascertained to inhabit any part of North America. It is best known as a bird of the Island of Jamaica.

The paper referred to above, in which this bird is named _Hirundo opifex_, possesses additional interest, from the fact that it was written by the late De Witt Clinton, formerly Governor of the State of New York, who had given particular attention to American Natural History.

3. Hirundo bicolor. Vieill., Ois. d’Am., Sept. 1, p. 61. (1807.) The
White-bellied Swallow.
Hirundo viridis. Wilson, Am. Orn. V. p. 44. (1812.)
Hirundo leucogaster. Stephens, Gen. Zool. X. p. 106. (1817.)

Vieill., Ois. d’Am., Sept. 1, pl. 31; Wilson, Am. Orn. V. pl. 38, fig.
3; Aud., Birds of Am., pl. 98, Oct. ed. I. pl. 46; Nat. Hist. N. Y.
Birds, pl. 29, fig. 1.

Wings long, exceeding the tail, pointed; tail deeply emarginate;
entire upper parts uniform dark green, changing to blue in some
lights, very glossy; wings and tail brownish-black, slightly tinged
with green; entire under-parts silky-white, generally with a tinge of
cinereous; bill black; feet yellow; sexes alike, but the female with
the colors duller.

Dimensions. Total length, male, 5½ inches; wing, 4¾; tail, 2¼ inches.

Hab. Throughout North America. Canada (Dr. Hall); Oregon (Dr.
Townsend); California, Texas (Dr. Woodhouse); Cuba (Mr. Lembeye);
Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Northern Ohio (Prof. Kirtland); Long Island (Mr.
Giraud).

When in full plumage, this is one of the handsomest of the Swallows of the United States. It is quite abundant everywhere in the States on the Atlantic during the summer.

Specimens from California present some points of difference from the bird of Pennsylvania, being apparently more tinged with blue, and having the bill perhaps slightly large. We regard the two, however, as specifically the same.

4. Hirundo thalassina. Swains., Philos. Mag., 1827, p. 366.

Aud., B. of Am., pl. 385, fig. 4, 5, Oct. ed. I. pl. 49.

Wings long, exceeding the tail, which is rather short and emarginate;
entire upper-parts rich grass-green, very glossy, and shaded with
purple, especially on the head, and in some specimens approaching to
carmine on the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts; entire under-parts
silky-white, generally with a tinge of cinereous; bill and feet dark.
Female, less glossy, and with the purple generally tinged with brown.

Dimensions. Total length, male, 5 inches; wing, 4½; tail, 2 inches.
Female, smaller.

Hab. Western North America. Oregon (Townsend); California (Gambel);
Mexico (Swainson); New Mexico (Woodhouse).

This is the most beautiful of the North American birds of this family. It is exclusively an inhabitant of the countries west of the Rocky Mountains and of Mexico.