The OWL SWALLOWS (_Podargi_) constitute a family bearing considerable resemblance to the Night Jars, both in their general appearance and mode of life. These birds have a slender body and short neck; their head is broad and flat, their wings short and blunt, their tail long, their tarsi high and powerful. The beak, which opens farther back than the eyes, is large, flat at its base, and broader than the brow; the mandibles are hooked at the tip, of equal length, and smooth at the margin; the nostrils are situated at the base of the beak, and are almost entirely concealed beneath the feathers of the forehead. The foot is short, with three of the toes placed in front, and one pointing directly backwards; the latter is not reversible. The plumage is soft, and dusky in its coloration; the region of the beak, and, in some cases, that of the ear, is covered with a growth of bristles. Such of these birds as we are at present acquainted with, inhabit the forests of Southern Asia, as also of New Holland and the neighbouring islands; but little has as yet been ascertained respecting their general habits, and we must therefore confine ourselves to the mention of those species with which we are best acquainted. * * * * * The DWARF OWL SWALLOWS (_Ægotheles_), found exclusively in New Holland, are recognisable by their long but powerful body, nearly round head, short, rounded wing (in which the second quill exceeds the rest in length), long, rounded tail, and comparatively high and bare tarsi; the toes are of equal length and unconnected; the beak is thick, broad, and compressed at its base, but becomes suddenly narrow towards its extremity, and terminates in a flat hook; the lower mandible is furnished with a hollow rim that encloses the curved tip of the upper part of the beak. The plumage is soft in texture, except around the beak and in the region of the eyes and brows, these parts being covered with a bristle-like growth. THE TRUE DWARF OWL SWALLOW.