Part 135

a1. Culmen equal to tarsus or greater; tufts of elongated feathers above and below eye. ... Hemiprocniidæ (p. 350) a2. Culmen decidedly less than tarsus; no elongated feathers anywhere on head. ... Micropodidæ (p. 351)

Family HEMIPROCNIIDÆ.

Swift-like; wings long and pointed, tail deeply forked; feet stout; tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw; colors largely blue and brown with a slight metallic gloss; plumage of the sexes dissimilar; at once distinguished from any nearly related family by the elongated white feathers above and below eye. Habits more flycatcher-like than swift-like.

Genus HEMIPROCNE Nitzsch, 1829.

Characters same as those given for the Family.

311. HEMIPROCNE MAJOR (Hartert).

PHILIPPINE WHISKERED SWIFT.

Macropteryx comata Hartert, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1892), 16, 517 (part). Macropteryx major Hartert, Novit. Zool. (1897), 4, 11; Sharpe, Hand-List (1900), 2, 89; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 58.

Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Meyer, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere, Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Schmacker, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Steere, Bourns & Worcester, Keay, Whitehead); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibutu (Everett); Sulu (Guillemard, Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester).

Adult male.--Lores deep black; ear-coverts chestnut; a broad white stripe from base of culmen, continued over eye and running out in elongated feathers to nape; a similar white line under ear-coverts, continued from the large white chin-patch; remainder of head and throat dark metallic blue; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, breast, and sides of body bronze-brown; middle of abdomen and under tail-coverts white; wings and tail dark metallic blue; innermost secondaries white. Iris dark brown; bill and legs black. A male from Mariveles, Luzon, measures: Wing, 140; tail, 80; tarsus, 6.

Adult female.--Like the male but ear-coverts metallic blue instead of chestnut. A female from Irisan, Benguet, Luzon, measures: Wing, 140; tail, 81; tarsus, 6.

"Curiously local in its habits. Perches in the same place day after day, taking short flights from time to time in pursuit of insects. The ground under its favorite perch is usually covered with excrement. Five males average, 148 in length; wing, 129; tail, 73; culmen, 6; tarsus, 7; middle toe with claw, 12. Two females are somewhat larger, measuring 160 in length; wing, 136; tail, 81; culmen, 6; tarsus, 7; middle toe with claw, 13." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Family MICROPODIDÆ.

Wing long, pointed, and when closed extending far beyond the end of tail; bill small and weak but gape very wide; legs and feet very small and weak; plumage mostly black or dark brown, slightly glossy, often with patches or mottlings of white; small birds capable of long continued flight; nests usually placed in caves or fastened to cliffs or houses; eggs two, white and unspotted. Certain species of the genus Collocalia vel Salangana make the edible nests of commerce and nest in great colonies. Birds of this family are wide ranging and one or more species may be expected to occur in any island of the Philippine group. Of the genera, Tachornis may be recognized by its deeply forked tail; Chætura by its sharp, stiff tail-feathers; Collocalia by its square, or nearly square, tail without spines; Micropus by its white throat and tail without spines.

Subfamilies.

a1. Tarsi unfeathered or with a few feathers only; tail square or but slightly forked; toes arranged normally, three in front one behind. ... Chæturinæ (p. 352) a2. Tarsi distinctly feathered; tail decidedly or even deeply forked; all the toes directed forward. ... Micropodinæ (p. 360)

Subfamily CHÆTURINÆ.

Genera.

a1. Shafts of rectrices ordinary and without spinous tips; wing less than 140 mm. ... Collocalia (p. 352) a2. Shafts of rectrices stiff and extending in a sharp point beyond the web; wing more than 150 mm. ... Chætura (p. 357)

Genus COLLOCALIA Gray, 1840.

Hind toe directed backward and only partially reversible; tail short, square or but slightly forked; shafts of rectrices normal, not extending beyond the webs. This genus includes numerous small swifts, several of which build the edible nests of commerce.

Species.

a1. Larger; wing, 115 mm. or more; under parts brown; no white on abdomen.

b1. Without whitish or grayish band across rump.

c1. Tail square; tarsi unfeathered. ... lowi (p. 352) c2. Tail slightly forked.

d1. Tarsi entirely devoid of feathers.

e1. Above lighter and more brownish; below lighter, throat paler. ... whiteheadi (p. 353) e2. Above darker, and more blackish; below darker and more uniform. ... origenis (p. 353)

d2. Tarsi sparsely feathered. ... fuciphaga (p. 354)