Part 166

Very little is known concerning the occurrence of the Siberian swallow in the Philippines where it has been found only during migration.

Genus RIPARIA Forster, 1817.

Plumage dull in color, above brownish black or earthy brown; no band across rump and no light spots on the tail which is but slightly forked; tarsi and toes nearly or quite naked.

Species.

a1. Larger; wing, 95 mm. or more; a small tuft of feathers on back of tarsus at base of hind toe; a dark band across breast. ... riparia (p. 425) a2. Smaller; wing, 90 mm. or less; no tuft of feathers on tarsus; no dark band across breast. ... chinensis (p. 426)

388. RIPARIA RIPARIA (Linnæus).

BANK SWALLOW.

Hirundo riparia Linnæus, Syst. Nat. (1758), 1, 192. Cotile riparia Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1885), 10, 96; Oates, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1890), 2, 272, fig. 76 (foot). Clivicola riparia Sharpe, Hand-List (1901), 3, 189; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903), 3, 231; McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 33; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 69.

Calayan (McGregor). Northern America and Asia; Europe, China; in winter to Central and South America, Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Indo-Burmese countries.

Adult.--Lores and crown blackish brown; remainder of upper parts grayish brown, each feather with a light gray fringe; primaries and coverts blackish brown; tail dark brown, its feathers edged with white; under parts white with a distinct dark brown band across the breast. Length, about 115; wing, 96; tail, 45; depth of fork, 7; bill from nostril, 5; tarsus, 9.

"Young birds have all the feathers of the upper plumage and the wings margined with rufous, the chin and throat fulvous, and the breast broadly brown." (Oates.)

The bank swallow has a very wide range, but occurs in the Philippines as a rare migrant only.

389. RIPARIA CHINENSIS (Gray).

CHINESE BANK SWALLOW.

Hirundo chinensis Gray, in Hardwick's Illustr. Ind. Zool. (1830), 1, pl. 35, fig. 3. Cotile sinensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1885), 10, 104; Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 236 (nesting). Clivicola sinensis Sharpe, Hand-List (1901), 3, 190; Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1903), 3, 232; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1901), 190.

Luzon (Whitehead, Mearns, Curran). Formosa and southern China; in winter to Indian Peninsula and Indo-Chinese countries.

Adult.--Above light earthy brown, lighter on the rump; wings and tail darker brown; chin, throat, breast, sides of head and of neck pale gray; abdomen, vent, sides, and under tail-coverts white. Length, about 100; wing, 89; tail, 40; depth of fork, 5; bill from nostril, 4; tarsus, 9.

Young.--"The young bird has all the feathers of the upper plumage and wings broadly margined with rufous, and the chin, throat, and breast are pale rufous." (Oates.)

The Chinese bank swallow is considerably smaller and has a less deeply forked tail than the preceding species. Whitehead found it fairly common in northern Luzon and observed numbers entering their nesting-holes in the high banks of the Abra River in February.

Genus HIRUNDO Linnæus, 1758.

Plumage blackish above, glossed with blue or green, and the feathers with white bases; no white band on rump; tail deeply forked, in some species the outermost feathers attenuated and extending beyond the closed wings.

Species.

a1. Under parts not streaked with blackish lines; rump uniform with the back.

b1. Chin and throat chestnut, but the fore breast crossed by a more or less complete band of glossy black.

c1. Dark pectoral band complete. ... rustica (p. 426) c2. Dark pectoral band more or less interrupted in the middle. ... gutturalis (p. 427)

b2. Chin, throat, and fore breast entirely chestnut with no blackish color on breast. ... javanica (p. 428)

a2. Under parts conspicuously streaked with blackish; rump chestnut. ... striolata (p. 429)

390. HIRUNDO RUSTICA Linnæus.