RIPARIA.
Feet not feathered; tail slightly forked or almost square; nest in holes in bank or of mud in cliffs; eggs pure white, or spotted with red.
Riparia riparia riparia (L.). SAND MARTIN. Fr. Hirondelle de rivage ; Ger. Uferschwalbe ; Md. Topino ; &wed. Backsvala.
d 9 Above dark brown ; underparts white crossed by a pale brown pectoral band. Legs bare, except for a tuft of short white feathers on back of tarsus above hind toe. Bill black. Legs and feet dark brown. Wing d Y 102-II I. Tarsus io. Bill 5-6.
Brceds.—British Isles and Continental Europe to farthest north, east to Urals and in Siberia to Pacific ; south to Caucasus and Mediterranean ; also Asia Minor and in N. Africa (Tunisia and Algeria); in Mediterranean Islands chiefly on passage, some breed Sicily and Balearic Islands ; also breeds in N. America. Winters S. Arabia, E. and S. Africa, and S. America.
R. riparia littoralis (Heuglin). Above slightly paler than "riparia" ; pectoral band narrower and paler. Smaller. Wing 90-97 (H.).
Breeds.—Egypt and Nubia. Some winter there.
R. riparia diluta (Sharpe and Wyatt). Upper parts and pectoral band paler. Wing j 9 97-106.5 (Ticehurst).
Breeds.—Afghanistan to N. Siberia. Occurs Egypt on passage, and in winter in S.W. India.
Riparia paludicola mauritanica (Meade-Waldo).
j 9 Somewhat resemble "R. r. riparia" but throat as well as pectoral band pale brown. Bill and feet dark slate.
Wing j 103-109, 9 1o1-io8. Tarsus io. Culmen 8-9 (H.). Resident.—W. Morocco (Wadi Moor-bey).
The typical race "R. p. paludicola" is S. African.
Riparia rupestris (Scopoli). CRAG MARTIN. Fr. Hirondelle de rochers ; Ger. Felsenschwalbe ; Ital. Rondine montana.
j 9 Above light brown ; beneath paler with reddish buff tinge, and on upper throat fine brown spots ; tail feathers (except outer pair) with an oval white patch on inner web. Bill black. Legs and feet pale pinkish flesh. Wing j Y 124-136 (H.). Tarsus I 1-12. Bill 5-6.
Breeds.—S. Europe ; Mediterranean Coasts and Islands, Montenegro, Albania, S. Russia, Caucasus ; and Asia east to China. Resident except in north of breeding range ; occurs on passage in Egypt and Algeria, and in winter India and N.E. Africa.
Riparia obsoleta obsoleta (Cabanis).
Paler than "rupestris" and smaller ; upper throat uniform, unspotted. 115-122 (H.).
Breeds.—Egypt and Nubia, east to \V. India. Resident.