CHATURA MACROPTERA, Swains.

Long-winged Swift.

Crown of the head, back of the neck, and ear-coverts deep shining green, strongly tinged with brown; a small
space immediately before the eye deep velvety black ; throat, inner webs of the secondaries nearest the back,
a patch on the lower part of the flanks, and the under tail-coverts white; wings and tail deep shining green,
with purple reflections ; centre of the back greyish brown, becoming darker towards the rump; chest and
abdomen dark clove brown ; bill black; feet brown:
Total length, 74 inches; wing, 8; tail, 21; tarsi, 4.

Chetura macroptera, Swains. Zool. Ill. 2nd Ser. Pl. 42.

Hirundo caudacuta, ? Lath. Ind. Orn. Sup. p. lvii. sp. 1.

Needle-tailed Swallow,? Ib. Gen. Syn. Supp. vol. ii. p. 259. sp. 3. and Gen. Hist. vol. vii. p. 307. Shaw Zool. vol. x.
p. 133.

Pin-tailed Swallow, ? Lath. Gen. Hist. vol. vii. p. 308.

Chetura Australis, ? Steph. Cont. Shaw Zool. vol. xiii. p. 76.

 

Among the numerous collections I have received from New South Wales, only a single specimen of this beautiful
Swift has as yet occurred, and that unaccompanied by any remark relative either to the localities it inhabits
or to its general economy; we may fairly presume however, that the portion of Australia called New
South Wales, comes at least within the occasional range of its habitat, as it is from thence that this
specimen, and the greater portion of my collection, have been obtained. It is one of the largest and most
powerful species of the genus, and possesses a development of the wing fully equal to that of the Cypselus
alpinus of Europe.

The birds of the genus Chetura or Spine-tailed Swifts, although limited in the number of species, are
widely dispersed over the globe, several of them being common both to India and America. They differ in
many important points from the true Swifts, (Cypselus,) among the most singular of which is the form of the
tail-feathers, whose shafts are prolonged into sharp spines, in the more powerful structure of the feet and
claws, and in the position of the fourth toe, which in the present genus is not directed forwards, as in the
case of the Swifts: this peculiar construction enables the birds of the genus Cietura to place themselves in
an upright position when at rest, and they are even said to traverse the face of steep rocks in search of food,
in which particular they offer a striking resemblance to the Woodpeckers and other Scansorial birds.

I have little doubt that the Needle-tailed Swallow and Pin-tailed Swallow of Dr. Latham’s ‘‘ General
History,” vol. vii. pp. 307, 308, are identical with the present bird ; but as a very important and conspicuous
character, (the white colouring of the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts,) is omitted in the

former, and the latter is without a scientific name, I have deemed it best to adopt the appropriate appellation
given by Mr. Swainson.
Habitat. New South Wales.