DELICHON.
Tail forked, but outside feather not elongated; tarsus and toes feathered; eggs white.
Delichon urbica urbica (L.). MARTIN. Fr. Hirondelle de feni:tre ; Ger. Hausschwalbe ; Balestruccio ; Hussvala.
d 9 Above steel blue ; rump and underparts white. Bill black. Legs and feet feathered white. Wing d 9 108-113. Tarsus 10-12. Bill Breeds.—British Isles, Europe north to Finmark, east to Mid Siberia, south to Turkestan, Caucasus and Mediterranean.
Migrates ; occurs on passage Faroes, Malta, Canaries, N. Africa. Winters in India and S. Africa.
D. urbica meridionalis (Hartert). Smaller than "urbica." Wing loo-to6 and secondaries longer in proportion to primaries.
Breeds.—Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Birds from S. Spain (Algeciras) are chiefly referable to this race. Occurs on passage Egypt in spring ; not common.