L I B RA FlY OF THE U N I VERSITY or ILLl NOIS Sk2,4m v.l Wr. HIST. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/monographofhirun01shar A MONOGRAPH OF THE HIEUNDINID/E OR FAMILY OF SWALLOWS. BY E. BO AVI) LEE SHAEPE, LLD., F.L.S, F.Z.S.. Etc., DEPAHTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, BRITISH MUSEUM ; HOLDEE OF THE GOLD MEDAL FOE SCIENCE FROM H.I.M. THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA: M.A. (Hon.) BATES COLLEGE, U.S.A.; HOX. MEMBEE OF THE XEW-ZEALAND INSTITUTE: FOEEIGX MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OP SCIENCES OP LISBON: HON. MEMBEE OF THE EOYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIKIV (•NATUEA AETIS MAGISTRA')OF AMSTERDAM: FOREIGN MEMBEE OF THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION: MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NATURALISTS OF MOSCOW; FOREIGN MEMBER OP THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OK FRANCE: MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS- UNION, ETC. ETC.: AND CLAUDE ^Y. WYATT, ME.MBEE OF THE BEITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' INluN. VOLUME I LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHORS. 1885-1894. ALEKB T FLA.MMA1I. rRTNTF.B BY lAYLOK AND FKANCIS. P.F.I) LIOJI COURT, FLEET STRF.F.T. v.l ■ PREFACE Fob the conveuieuce of binding this work we have divided it into two volumes, but it was originally Avritten with the idea of forming a single volume only. The unexpected growth of the material at our disposal and the discovery of new species have caused the work to extend far beyond the limits originally proposed by us, and therefore the division of the volume into two portions may be found more convenient. The paging, however, is consecutive, as is also the numbering of the Plates, throughout both of the proposed volumes, as the numbering of the Plates had been settled before the idea of a subdivision of the work occurred to us. It remains only to thank the many friends who have interested themselves in our labours, and to assure them that the long delay in the completion of the A'olumes has been caused by the pressure of official work, and also by a desire to make the book as complete a ' Monograph ' as was possible. Thus great attention has been devoted to the migration and geograj)hical distribution of the interesting birds of which the volumes treat, and wc hope that the introduction of the " Tables of Geographical Distriluition,' with the symbols agreed upon by the "Second International Congress "at Budapest, \\\\\ be found in.structive, as well as the illustration, l)y means of coloured maps, of the range of each species. To our excellent printers, Messrs. Taylok and Fi;ancis, we o\\e our licai-tiest acknowledgments for the care and attention thev have shown. Tlie colourim;' df ilic Plates has been executed by Miss Bektha Sharpe and Miss Doha SnAia'K, with the occasional help of their sisters Emily and Eva. In the early parts they were assisted by Miss Eloeence Wilson. E. BOWDLEll SKAKL'i:. August 3, 1804. CLAUDE AV. A\' VATT. LIST OF COiNTENTS. VOL. I. -•»»*«•- Page Titlepage , • i Preface iii List of Contents \' List of Plates ix Introduction >^' Geographical Distribution >^v Literature *'..,.... xxxi Pamily Hirtjndinid^ (Half-title) 1 Subfamily I. Hirundinin^ 3 Key to the Genera of HiRUNDiNiNiE ... 3 Genus Chelidon (with Key to the Species) 5 Chelidon urbica i „ cashmiriensis . !•-> ,, dasypus 23 „ lagopus -5 „ albigena. [No Plate.] -9 ,, nipalensis 31 Appendix to the Genus Chelidon 35 Tabic of Geographical Distribution of thr Genus Chelidon 3S Genus Cotile (T\-ith Key to the Species) I'l Cotile riparia '3 „ diluta. [No Plate.] fJ3 „ shelleyi. [No Plate.] ^''J „ cincta (57 ., congica. [No Plate] "' VI LIST OF CONTENTS. Page Cotile paludicola . 73 „ minor 77 „ cowani 79 „ sinensis 81 Appendix to the Genus Cotile 89 Table of Geographical Distribution of the Genus Cotile 94 Genus Biblis (with Key to the Species) 97 Biblis rupestris 99 obsoleta Ill fuligula 115 anderssoni. [No Plate.] 119 rufigula 121 concolor 123 Appendix to the Genus Biblis 129 Table of Geographical Distribution of the Genus Biblis 131 Genus Tachtcineta (with Key to Species) . . v 137 Tachycineta albiventris 139 leucorrhous 143 albilinea 149 meyeni 153 bicolor 155 thalassinus 175 cyaneoviridis ... 185 Appendix to the Genus Tachycineta 187 Table of Geographical Distribution of the Genera Tachycineta and Phedina . . 196 Genus Phedina (with Key to Species) 199 Phedina borbonica 201 „ madagascariensis 205 „ brazzae 207 Appendix to the Genus Phedina 208 Genus Hirundo (with Key to Species) 209 Hirundo rustica 213 „ savignii 237 „ e:utturalis 241 LIST OF CONTEXTS. vii Hiriindo tytleri 249 „ erythrogastra 253 Table of Geograpliical Distribution of the Genus Hirundo 272 Hirundo tahitica 275 „ javanica 279 ,, namiyei 287 ,, neoxena 289 ,, angolensis 293 ,, arcticincta 295 lucida 297 Table of Geographical Distribution of the Genus Hirundo {continued) .... 300 Hirundo albigularis 303 sethiopica 307 leucosoma 311 dimidiata 313 nigrita 317 atrocserulea 319 Table of Geographical Distribution of the Genus Hirundo {continued) .... 322 Hirundo nigrorufa 325 ,, smithii 327 griseopyga 335 ,, cucullata 337 ,, puella 3-11 rufula 347 Table of Geographical Distribution of the Genus Hirundo {continued) .... 354 LIST OF PLATES. VOL. I. Plate 1. Cheliclon urbica (?/o??«^) , „ 2. ., „ {adult). ,, 3. ,, caslimiriensis. 4. „ dasypus. 5. „ lagopus. 6. ,, nipalensis. 7. Hop of Mange of the Genus Chelidou. ., O. 53 51 5) !! ,, 9. Cotile riparia. „ 10. „ cincta. „ 11. „ paludicola. „ 12. „ miuor. ., 13. „ cowaiii. ., 14. ,, sinensis. ,, 1.5. Biblis * rupestris. ,, 16. ,5 obsoleta. 5, 17. „ fuligula. .. 18. „ rufigula. ,, 19. ,, concolor. 20. Tacbvciueta albivcntris. 21. ,, leucorrbous. 22. albiliuea. 23. meycni. 21. bicolor. 25. tbalassinus. 2G. cyaueoviridis 27. Phedina borbonica. 28. ?5 madagascaricusis 29. „ brazzas. * Printed Cotik on riatcs Ij In (sec pji. -II, ;>7). VOL. I. X LTST OF PLATES. Plate 30. JIaj) of the Genus Cotile. „ 31. ,, the Genera Cotile and TachyciiTeta. Jl t>'^- J5 )5 !! 1) !5 ,, 33. ,, the Genus Biblis. ,, 34^. ,, the Genera Biblis and Tacliycineta. ,, 35. ,, the Genus Tachycinota. ,, 36. Ilii'undo rustica {jnoulting). 37. Jl {young). 38. 1) ,, {adult). 39. )J savignii. 40. 5) gutturalis. 41. J9 tytleri. 42. M erytlirogastra. 43. Majy of the Genera Phedina and Hirundo 44. 5) the Genus Hirundo. 45. J? )> Jl 46. Hirando tahitica. 47. 39 javanica. 48. 35 neoxena. 49. 5) angolensis. 50. 33 arctieiiicta. 51. 3) Incida. 52. 33 alljigularis. 53. 33 setliiopica. 54. 35 leucosoma. 55. 33 dimidiata. 56. 3) nigrita. 57. 33 atrocEerulea. 58. 33 nigrorufa. 59. 53 smithii {female and young). 60. 33 ,, {adult male). 61. 33 griseopyga. 62. 33 cucuUata. 63. 55 puella. 64. 55 rufula. I X T R D L C T 1 X The Swallows appear to us to be sucli a well-marked and isolated Family of Passeres, that, in tlie absence of any detailed account of their anatomy and general structure, which, so far as we know, lias not been attempted, there remains little for us to say. By Linnjeus and the earlier Avriters the Swallows ivere united with the Swifts and all were placed in tlie genus Uirundo. Then in course of time they were recognized as a separate Family, but they were not allowed to escape from their ancient entanglement, and, side by side with the Swifts, they flourished as members of the wide-gaping birds, or "Fissirostres." When the " rostral " system became somewhat exploded, they were ruthlessly separated from their former companions, until now, in due course of re-action, they seem to be recognized as Passerine Birds of a somewhat Cypseline tendency, or perhaps, one might more truly say, the Swifts are Cypseline Birds with a Ilirundinine tendency. For the nine years in wliicb this book has been in publication, we entertained the hope that some competent Anatomist would enact such a comparison of the characters of the two Families that we should have been able to summarize the results, and tell our readers exactly how the Swallows may be differentiated from the Swifts in e\ery jjoint of structure. In default of this much-needed exhaustive essay from our more expert brethren, we venture to define the characters of the Uinindinkhc as follows: — A. Passerine Birds with nine primary quills. B. Spinal feather-tract bifiu'cated. C. A single moult in the year, executed, so far as we know from the migralury species, during their residence in the winter home *. No Passerine Birds, we believe, present this triple combinaliou of charaelers, l)ut further information is, of course, desirable. In 18i)l, in the 'Catalogue of Osteological Specimens in ihf .Museum df llif Jtnyal College of Surgeons,' we placed the llirniulljuiht' at the ciul of the series of " Passeres * It is extremely importiint to know whellier the spe^'ies which arc resident in restrieted areas iolluw the rule of the lui'^rator}- species, and have but u single moult. h-1 xn INTEGDUCTIOX. Normales," and in our 'Classification of Birds' Ave fiirther separated tlieni from the ordinary Percliing Birds or Passerifornies (RevieAV Classif. B. p. 80, pi. xi.), placing- them at the end of the series, and illustrating their position in the natural system as Passerine Birds without oiuj oery close ullies. We have seen no reason to depart from tliis conclusion, and until the study of the anatomy, style of moult, and other features in It tvt- 'if YMm % J) Mj\\m ^ ■■'tnOHAL TRACT . Dorsal view of Htnindo mstica, to show the ptenlosis, with the spinal feather-tract forked on the lower back. (From the 'Catalogue of Osteological Specimens in the lloyal College of Surgeons,' by the kind permission of the President and Council.) of certain Muscicapiue genera — such as Artoviylas and SemicheUdoii — tend to hridge the gap, "\ve shall continue to regard the Hirmiclinidce as ))eculiar Passerine Birds, standing well apart from the rest of the existing Passeriformes. Tlie SlmmdlniclcB were divided by us in 1870 into two Subfamilies — Sirundinince (True Swallows) and PscdidojiroGninai (Pv,ough- winged Swallows). The Swallows are represented by twelve genera, which might almost he characterized by the peculiarities of their nesting-habits as follows : — ^xxUixmilj 1. niBUNDININ.^. Genus 1. CIIELIDON. Nest. Of mud-nodules, entirely constructed by the birds themselves, lined with grass, feathers, &c., and fixed against the wall of a house or cliff. Eggs. Pure white. Genus 2. COTILE. JSlest. A ragged structure of grass, &c., lined with feathers, placed in the hole of a bank. Eggs. Pure Avhite. INTEOBUCTIOX. xiii Genus 3. BIBLTS. Nest. Of mud, placed against a rock or wall of a Ijuilding. Eggs. White, with rufous or hrown spots. Genus 1. TACHYCIXETA. Nest. In holes of trees or stumps, more rarely ia holes of cliffs. Eggs. Pure white. Genus 5. PHEDIXA. Nest. In holes of caves or rocks. Eggs. White, with rufous or hrown spots. Genus 6. IIIRrXDO. Nest. Of mud, straws, grass, &c., lined with feathers, in harns or on lieams of buildings, more rarely against walls or cliffs. Eggs. White, Avith reddish spots. The ahove characteristics belong to the Ti'ue Swallows [RiridnJo] only, and it is quite possible that the future systematist will sub-divide our genus Uirniulu. There would be some justification for this sub-division. Kirundo diiiuillciln is said to lay white eggs, like Tachyciiieta. Hlr/iiuto n/grita nests in tree-stumps in rivers like some species of TuchyGliieta, but lays spotted eggs. The Mosque-Swallows, have rufous rumiDS, build bottle-shaped nests, often without any linini;', and lay pure whitr eggs. If Bihlis is to be separated from Cotlle, then Illruinlu will also Ijc broken up into genera ; but this separation can hardly be attempted before the method of nidiflcation in the case of every species is known ; and this knowledge is, at present , wanting. Genus 7. CHEEAMCECA. Nest. Of gi-ass or leaves, in the hole of a bank or burrow. Eggs. Pure white. Genus S. PEOGXE. Nest. Of grass, kc, lined with feathers, in the hole of a tree or wall, dill' or Iiuimmw Eggs. Pure a\ bite. Genus 9. ATTICOEA. Nest. Of grass, in the hole of a bank or under eaves. Eggs. Pure wliite. xiv INTEODUCTIOX. Genus 10. PETROCIIELIDON. Nest. Bottle-.slia2:)ed. Eggs. White, spotted with rufous or brown. Two species afford an exception. P. nigricans \s> apparently a true Fetrochelidon in form and style of colour ; hut it breeds in holes of trees, and makes a nest of straw and feathers. It m ill probably be necessary to separate these Tree-building Swallows from the Cliflf-building species, so as to include the two species in Hylochelidon, viz., //. nigricans and H. timoriensis. Subfamily II. FSALIBOFBOCNIN^li. Genus 11. PSALIDOPROC^'E. These Hough-winged Swallows of Atrica are very Cypseline in their appearance and ways, and lay two white eggs. Mr. Jackson found P. orientalis l)reeding in a cave, somewhat after the manner of a Collocalia. P. pristoptera breeds in holes in the sides of ravines. Geniis 12. STELGIDOPTEEYX. The American Rough-winged Swallows, on the other hand, l)uild in holes of Imnks, like Sand-Martins, and, like the latter, lay several wliite eggs. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. ->-«-«-^ We have endeavoured in the present work, by meaus of the Maps and Tables of Geographical Distribution, to illustrate in a concise manner the range of the Swallows at the present day. Should the results appear incomplete to any Ornithological student, we can only recommend him to make a similar essay, and he will speedily find how intricate and ho\v difficult of demonstration is this branch of Ornitholo The nestii]g-ar(!a of a species is considered liy us to he its true home. t Chelidon albigena, a doubtful species, of which little is known. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTEIBUTIOX. xvu E. Nearctic Region. Peculiar Genera. Peculiar Species. 1. Tachycineta 2 2. Hirundo 3. Progne 2 4. Petrochelidon 1 5. Stelgidopteryx 1 Total F. Neotropical Region. 1. Tachycineta 2. Hirundo 3. Progne 4. Atticora 1 5. Petrochelidon 6. Stelgidoptery.x . 5 2 6* 7 3 2 Total 1 25 The total number of species of Swallows is 109, divided under the following heads :■ — Species. 1. Chelidon 6 2. Cotile 9 3. Biblis 4. Tachycineta 7 5. Phedina 3 6. Iln-undo 39 7. Cheramoeca 1 8. Progne 8 9. Atticora 7 10. Petrochelidon 10 11. Psalidoprocne 10 12. Stelgidopteryx 3 109 * /'/w/;;,' pvi-purtu is treated as u laircly Xearctic species, Ihougli it is saifl (o l.rccd williin Neolrnpical limits. VOL. I. *^ XV 111 GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. The species are distributed as follows :- Palpearctic Region. Etbiopiau Region. Tnciian Region. Australian Region. Nearctic Region. Neotropical Region. Total. 1. Chelidon 1 1 5 1 6 3 3 20 10 2 1 1 5 1 2 1 3 2 2 1 1 5 2 G 7 3 2 4 8 4 7 3 34 I 8 7 10 10 3 2. Cotile 3. Biblis 4. Tachj'cincta 5. Phedina 6. Hirundo 7. Clieramoeca 8. Progne 9. Atticora 10. Petrochelidon 11. Psalidoprocne 12. Stelgidopterj-x 7 45 10 6 6 25 99 There remain, therefore, but ten species to be accounted for, which cannot be tabulated as strictly peculiar to any one of the six regions. They are as follows : — 1. Chelidon . I. C. urhica ; 2. C. larjopiis. 2. Cotile I.e. riparia. 3. Biblis I. B. rupestris ; 2. B. obsoleta. 4. Hirundo 1. H. nipalensis ; 2. H. rvfula ■ H. H. sinithii ■ 4. H. javanica ; 5. H. erijthrogastra. Thus Chelidon iirhica and C. lagopus are Palaearctic and Indian. Cotile riparia is Palsearctic and Nearctic. Biblis rupestris is Paltearctic, Ethiopian, and Indian ; B. obsoleta is Palaearctic and Ethiopian. Hirundo nipalensis is Palsearctic and Indian ; H. riifula is Palaearctic, Ethiopian, and Indian ; H. smitkii is Ethiopian and Indian ; S. javanica is Australian and Indian ; and H. erijtUrogastra is Paltearctic and Nearctic. The 109 species are thus fully accounted for. The twelve genera Lave the following distribution, four being peculiar to a distinct region : — Palfearctic Region. Ethiopian Region Two peculiar, viz. Phedina and Psalidoprocne. Indian Region. Australian Region One peculiar, viz. Clierammca. Nearctic Region. Neotropical Region One peculiar, viz. Atticora. GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. xix Their raua-e is summarized as follows : a 1. Chelidon PalsearcfiCj Ethiopian, and Indian. 2. Cotile Pakearctic, Ethiopian, Indian, and Nearctic. 3. Biblis Pala3arctic, Ethiopian, and Indian. 4. Tachycineta Nearctic and Neotropical. 5. Pliedina Ethiopian. 6. Hirundo Pakearctic, Ethiopian, Indian, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical. 7. Cherammca Australian. 8. Progne Nearctic and Neotropical. 9. Atticora Neotropical. 10. Petrochelidon ' Ethiopian, Indian, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical. 11. Pscdidoprocne Ethiopian. 12. Stelgidopteryx Nearctic and Neotropical. Erom the foregoing Tables it becomes evident that, as regards the Hirundinidse, the Ethiopian Region is the richest in species, Avith 45 peculiar species and 2 peculiar genera. The Neotropical Region follows, with 25 peculiar species and 1 genus. Next in order is the Indian Region, with 10 species, but no genus peculiar to its area. Then the Australian Region with 6 species and 1 genus, followed by the Palsearctic and Nearctic Regions, with 7 and 6 species respectively, but neither possessing a peculiar genus. Some slight modification in these results will be obtained, if Cecropis be considered distinct from Hirundo, if Wirundo dimidiata be separated off generically, and Ilglo- chelidon be reckoned generically distinct from Fetivchelidon, all of which changes are distinctly feasible [vide antea, pp. xiii, xiv). In 1893 we published a paper " On the Zoo-Geographical Areas of the "\V(irld, illustrating the Distribution of Birds"' (Natural Science, iii. pp. 100-108), in whicli wo endeavoured to summarize the sub-divisions into which the six Zoological Kegions of tlic Globe have froni time to time been partitioned l)y zoologists. "We therefore now proceed to discuss the validity of these divisions from t]ie standpoint of the irn-iindinidir, but it is unlikelv that anv strikintr results caii l)u ohlaiiicd in a faniilv so susecid iblr In modification of habits as the Swallows are. Not only are (hey migr.itory w ilhin limited. as well as large, areas, but, as in the ease o'i I'i'dcjuc tliey e;in he indueed to change their 6-2 XX GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. natural mode of nidification and adopt an artificial one — their inclination, therefore, being to follow in the footsteps of civilization, which guarantees them protection during the breeding-season, and even provides them with nesting-sites. A. PALiE ARCTIC REGION. Ai. Arctic Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera: — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species which breed within its limits : — 1. Chelidon lagopus. 2. Coti/e riparia. Species which are met with within its limits, but arc not known to breed : — 1. Chelidon wbica. 2. Hirundo rustica. A-. Eurasian Sub-Region. a. European Province. Peculiar Genera: — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species which breed within its limits : — 1. Chelidon urbica. 2. Coti/e riparia. 3. Hirundo rustica. j3. Central Siberian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Chelidon lagopus (virtually replaces C. urbica of the European Province, though it also breeds just within the Arctic Province and elsewhere). Species which breed withni its limits : — 1. Chelidon lagopus. 2. Cotile riparia. 3. Hirundo rustica. J. East Siberian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species which breed withiu its limits: — 1. Chelidon lagopus. 2. Cotile riparia. '6. Hirundo gutturalis (replacing H. rustica). 4. H. tytleri. 5. H. erythrogastra (only known breeding- area in the Old World). A^. Manchurian Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1 . Chelidon dasypus. Species which breed within its limits:^!. Chelidon dasypus. 2. C. lagopus. 3. Cotile riparia. 4. Hirundo gutturalis. 5. H. tytleri. 6. H. daurica. 7 . H. nipalensis. GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. xxi A"*. Mediteera>ceo-Asiatic Sub-R,egiox. a. Mediterranean P root nee. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species: — 1. Hirundo sav/gnii. Species Trliich breed within its limits : — 1. CheUdon urbica. 2. CotUe ripuna. 3. Biblis rupL'stris. 4. Hirundo rustica. 5. H. saviyaii. 6. H. rufula. N.B. — BibUs 7-vpestris and Hirundo rufula are characteristic of this Province, as far as the Western Palaiarctic Region is concerned. /3. Mediterraneo-Persic Produce. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species: — 1. Cotile diluta. SpecicS which breed within its limits: — 1. ClteUdon urbica. '2. C lagopus. 3. Cotile ripuriu. 4. C. diluta. 5. Bib/is obsoleta. 6. Hirundo i-ustica. 7. H. rufula. ■y. Mongolian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : —0. Species which breed within its limits: — 1. CheUdon urbica. 2. C. lagopus. 3. Cotile riparia. 4. Biblis rupestris. 5. Hirundo gutturalis. 6. H. daurica. A^. HlMALO-CArCASIAN SuB-PtEGIOX. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species which breed within its limits: — 1. CheUdon urbica. 2. Biblis rupesiris. 3. Hiruudu rustica. 4. H. rufula. B. ETHIOPIAN REGION. B^. Saharan Sub-Regiox. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species ; — 0. Species which arc known to breed within its limits : — 0. This negative result, however, does not jirove that no species of Swallow Im-ed within the limits of tlie Saharan Sub-Region, the fact lieiug that we know little or nolhiui;- of the avifaima of this vast area. Undoubtedly SwaUowswill he round ni'stiiii; wiiliin its borders, albeit, lor our present purposes, no statistics are avaihd)le. xxii GEOGRAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. B^. Sudanese Sub-E-egion. Peculiar Genera :— 0. Peculiar Species : — ? 1 . Chelidon albigena * . 2. Cottle shelleyi. 3. Hinindo domicella. Species supposed to breed within its limits: — ? 1. Cotile cincta. 2. C. minor. 3. B'M'ts obsoleta. 4. Hirundo (ethiopica. 5. H. lucida^. 6. H.leucosoma. 7. H. smithii. 8. H. domicella. 9. H. senegaleruiis. W'. West-Afeican Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — %. Peculiar Species : — 1. Cotile congica. 2. Phedina brazzce^. 3. Hirundo lucida. 4. H. Inicosoma. 5. H. nigrita. 6. H. gordoni. 7. Psalidoprocne obscura. 8. P. nitens. 9. P. petiti. Species which occur and are supposed to breed within its limits : — ? 1. Cotile cincta. 2. C. congica. 3. t Hirimdo angolensis. 4. H. lucida. 5. H. athiopica. 6. H. leucosoma. 7. H. nigrita. 8. H. smithii. 9. H. griseopyga. 10. H. puella. W. H. gordoni. 12. H. senegalensis. 13. H.monteiri. 14. Psalidoprocne obscura. 15. P. nitens. 16. P. petiti. W. Abyssinian Sub-E,egion. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. 'i Chelidon albigena. 2. Hirundo melanocrissa. 3. Psalidoprocne pristopter a. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Cotile cincta. 2. C. minor. 3. Biblis rupestris. 4. B. obsoleta. 5. 7B. rufigula. 6. Hirundo (Bthiopica. 7. H. smithii. 8. H. puella. 9. H. rvfula. 10. H. melanocrissa. 11. H. senegalensis. 12. Psalidoprocne pristoptera. W. East-African Sub-Eegion. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Psalidoprocne albiceps ||. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. "? Cotile minor. 2. 1 Biblis rufigula. 3. Hirundo (ethiopica. 4. H. smithii. 5. H. griseopyga. 6. H. puella. 7. H. semirufa. 8. H. monteiri. 9. Psalidoprocne albiceps. B*^. South-Afkican Sub-Eegion. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Cotile paludicol a. 2. Biblis fuligula. 3. B. andcrssoni. 4. Hirundo dimidiata. 5. H. albigularis. 6. H. atroccerulea. 7. H. nigrorufa. 8. H. cucullata. 9. Petrochelidon rvfigida. 10. P. spilodera. 11. Psalidoprocne holomelcena. * As already stated, this species is of such very doubtful value, that it cannot yet be seriously entertained as a factor in the geographical distribution of the genus ClieVuJon. t This species ought to have appeared in our Table under the Sudanese column. + Wcddenia, for the reasons stated (sujjrd, p. siii), may have to be restored to its position as a distinct genus, in which case it will be a peculiar West-African form, Waldenia nigrita. § May prove to be distinct from Pliedina. I! This species may be found to belong to the Cameronian Sub-Eegion only. GEOGEAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. xxiii Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Cotile cincta. 2. C. paludkolu. 3. Biblis fuligula. 4. B. andtrssoni. 5. Hirumlo angohnsis. 6. H. albigularis. 7. H. atro- coerulea. 8. H. nigrorufa. 9. H. smithii. 10. H. griseopyga. 11. H. cucuUata. 12. H. puella. 13. H. semirufa. 14. H. monteiri. 15. Petrochelidon rufigula. 16. P. spi/odera. 17. Psalidoprocne hohmeUena. a. Cape Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Biblis fuligula. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Cotile cincta. 2. C. paludicola. 3. Biblis fuligula. 4. Hirundo albigularis. 5. H. dimidiuta. 6. H. cucullata. 7. H. puella. 8. PeiroclieUdon spilodera. |3. Natalese Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Hirundo atroccerulea. Species known, or supposed, to breed withiu its limits : — 1. Cotile cincta. .2. C. paludicola. 3. Hii-undo albigularis. 4. H. dimidiata. 5. H. atroccerulea. 6. H. smithii. 7. H. griseo- pyga. 8. H. cucullata. 9. H. puella. 10. Petrochelidon spiludtra. B'. Cambronian Suu-Eegiox. Peculiar Genera: — 0. PecuHar Species : — 1. Hirundo arcticincta. 2. H. e/nini. 3. Psalidoprocne chaUjbea. 4. P. unli- norii. 5. P. fuliginosa. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Hirundo arcticincta. 2 H. eiuini. 3. ? H. senegalensis. 4. Psalidoprocne chahjbea. 5. P. orientalis. 6. P. antinorii. 7. P. fuliginosa. W. Lemukiax Sub-E,egion. Peculiar Genera : — *. Peculiar Species : — 1. Cotile cowani. 2. Phedina borbonica. 3. P. madagascaricnsis. Species known to breed withiu its limits : — 1. Cotile coicaiii. 2. Phedina borbonica. 3. /'. mada- gascariensis. Remarks. — The resident species of Swallows contimi the validity of the natural regions of the Ethiopian Region, as i^roposed hy us in 1893. Imt our knowledge ou several points is extremely unsatisfactory. Of the great S;ili,u;ni Sulj-ltc^ion wc know next to nothing, and of the Sudauesi- ISuh-ltegion very littk-. 'rh;il ihiTc is a natural connection between the avifauna of a iiortion of Senega mhia and of Xorth-caslorn Atriea * If P/i«?ma ?)rarrffi from the Congo turns out to be gcnerically distinct, I Ian tlu' gcuus I'halina will lu' tyiiical Lcmurian gcuus. XXIV GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. is certain, e. g. the occurrence in both areas of Coracias abyssinica and other species ; l)ut the exact limits between the Senegambian Province of the Sudanese Sub-Region and the Forest or West-African Sub-E,egion have yet to be dehneated, and the Swallows do . not help us much. The only work on the fauna of Senegambia is by M. de Eochebrune ; but there are so many statemeiits in this work which are absolutely at variance with the experience of other collectors in the province, that his conclusions have been received with considerable hesitation. Nevertheless there are one or two Swallows of which specimens have been received from Senegambia by European museums, which are otherwise known as inhabitants of the West-African Sub-Region, such as Sirundo leiicosoma : and therefore further information is necessary as to the exact distribution of these otherwise purely West-Coast forms in Senegambia. Our knowledge of the Zoo-Geographical Sub-Re2;ions of Afi'ica is in its infancy, and there is much to be done in the definition of the boundaries of the Abyssinian and East- African Sub-Regions. In fact, if Psalidoprocne albiceps be found only at such elevations as to warrant its inclusion in our Cameronian Sub-Region, East Africa will possess no peculiar species of Swallow. The only sj)ecies which confirms our recognition of a Cape Province of the South- African Sub-Region is Biblisfuligula ; but, on the other hand, the presence of four peculiar species in South-westeru Africa, viz. Bihlis anderssoni, Ilirimdo angolensis, Hirimdo nigi'oriifa, and Petrochelidon rufigula, maj'-, in conjunction with numbers of other peculiar species of birds, enforce the recognition of another natural province of the South- African Eauna. As, however, its component species have not yet been statistically compared with those of Zambesia, we will not at present confer a name upon the western province, as it is possible that it may be found to extend towards the east in an unexpected degree. Our remarks on the zoo-geographical districts of Africa miist be compared with those of Dr. Reichenow in the ' Jahrbuch der Hamburgischen wissenschaftlichen Anstalten,' vol. x. pp. 3, J^. C. INDIAN REGION. C^. Indian PENiNsuiiAR Sub-PvEgiox. Peculiar Geuera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Bihlis concolor. 3. Hirundo erythropygia. 3. Petrochelidon fluvicola. Species Trliich are kuown to breed witLiu its limits : — 1. Chelidon urbica. 2. Cotile sinensis. 3. Biblis concolor. 4. Hirundo smithii. 5. H. erythropygia. G. Petrochelidon fluvicola. GEOGEAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION". xxv C-. Indo-Malayan Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species which are known to breed within its limits: — 1. Cotile sinensis. 2. Hiruado javanica. 3. H. smithii. 4. H. vipalensis. 5. H. striolata. C^. Indo-Chinese Sub-Eegion. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Hirimdo namiyei. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Cotile sinensis. 2. Hirimdo namiyei. C*. Himalo-Malayan Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. C/ielidon nipalensis. 2. Hirundo hyperythra. 3. H. budia. Species which are known, or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Chelidon urbica. 2. C. nipa- lensis. 3. Biblis rnpestris. 4. ? B. concolor. 5. Hirundo rustica. 6. H. smithii. 7. H. hyperythra. 8. H. hadia. C^. Himalo-Chinese Sub-R.egion. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Chelidon cashmiriensis. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Chelidon cashmiriensis. 2. C. lagopus. D. AUSTRALIAN REGION. Di. Celebean Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Hirundo javanica. J)". MoLuccAN Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species: — 1. Petrorhelidun li/noriensis. Species known, or su])posed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Hirundo jaranira. 2. PrlrochiUdou fimoriensis *. * ]iy mistake, this species has been entered mnler the l'a|iuaii Suli- IJe.irinn (p. ."!i!M. hul it shuuld ii,::hll\ lie eonsidcrcd a Moluccun specie.^. VOL. I. {/ xxvi &EOGEAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. D^. Papuan Sub-Eegion. Peculiar Geuera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — -1. Hirwido javanica. 2. Petrochdidou nigricans. D^. Australian Sub- Region. Peculiar Genera : — 1. Cheramceca. Peculiar Species : — 1. Hirundo neoxena. 2. Chei'amoeca leucosternum. Species known to breed within its limits : — 1. Hirundo neoxena. 2. Cheramceca leucosternum. 3. Petrochelidon nigricans. T>-\ New-Zealand Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — 0. D'^. PiJiAN Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species ;— 1. Hirundo tahitica*. Species known to breeil within its limits : — 1. Hirundo tahitica. W. Hawaiian Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — 0. E. NEARCTIC REG ion f. E^ Arctic Sub-Pv^egion. a. Arctic Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known^ or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Hirundo erythrogastrct, * Although occurring just within the confines of the Papuan Sub-Region, this species may virtuall}' he con- sidered one of the characteristic species of the Fijian Suh-Eegion. t In the paper above refei'red to we followed, in the main, the divisions of the Xearctio Area proposed liy Dr. J. A. Allen in his celebrated essays on the Geographical Distribution of North-American Mammals (Bull. Araer. ilus. iv. pp. 199-244) and Birds (' Auk,' 1893, pp. 97-150). In our endeavour to bring the Palsearctic " Sub-Regions " into equivalent rank with the Nearctic, we bestowed upon those of the latter a higher rank than that claimed for GEOGKAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. xxvii /3. Alaskan Arctic Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — 1. Tachycineta bicolor. 2. Hirundo erytltroyastra. 3. Petrochtlidon pyrrhonota. E-. Cold Temperate Sub-Region. a. Hnclsonian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — 1. Cotile riparia. 2. Tachycineta bicolor. 3. Hirnndo erythrogastra. 4. Progne purpurea. 5. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. (3. Canadian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — -1. Cotile riparia. 2. Tachycineta Incolor. 3. Hirundo erythrogastra. 4'. Progne purpurea. 5. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. y. Sitkan Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Pecviliar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits: — 1. Tachycineta bicolor. 2. Hiriindo erythrogastra. I. Aleutian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — 1. Hirundo erythrogastra. W. Warm Temperate Sub-Region. a. Sumld Province. a}. Appalachian Sub-Pi'ovince. ' Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed witliin its limits : — 1. Tachycineta bicolor. 2. Hirundo erythrogastra. 3. Progne -purpurea. 4. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. 5. Stelgidopderyx serripennis. thom by Dr. Allen. When our knowleda;e of (ho zoo-geographical divi.'^ions of the Old World cinials that of our American brc'tbrcn as regards those of tlicir own country, it will probably be found tba( Ibe position of " Suli-liegions," wbich wc have ui)hcld, will be found not U) be justified l)y exact statistics, and therefore many of these •' Sub-lteginns ' will have to be degraded to tlie rank of " I'rovinces " and " Sub-1'roviuees." In the Tables of (iengmphical iJistribution we have followed Dr. Allen's sub-divisions of the Nearelic Avifauna more closely than in our essay on the " Zoo-Geographical .Ireas '" of tho World. d 2 xxviii GEOGEAPHICAL DISTEIBUTION. a^. Austro-Rificirian Sub-Province. Peculiar Genera: — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits : — 1. Progne purpurea. 2. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. 3. Stelyidopterijx serripennis. (3. A)' id Province. (Peculiar Species : — 1. Tacliycineta thalassinus. 2. Proyne hesperia.) /3'. Campestrian Sub-Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Tachycineta thalassinus. Species known to breed within its limits: — -1. Tachycineta bicolor. 2. Hirutido erythrogaslra. 3. Progne purpurea. 4. P. hesperia. 5. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. jS-. Sonoran Sub-Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known to breed within its limits: — \. Hirundo erythrogastra. 2. Progne purpurea. 3. P. hesperia. 4. Stelgidopteryx serripennis. F. NEOTROPICAL REGION. E^. Antillean Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — *. Peculiar Species : — 1. Tachycineta cyaneovrridis. 2. Hirundo euchrysea. 3. H. sclateri. 4^. Progne dominicensis. 5. Petrochelidon fulva'\. Species known to breed within its limits : — 1. Tachycineta cyaneoviridis. 2. Hirundo euchrysea. 3. H. sclateri. 4. Progne dominicensis. W. Centkal-American Sub-Pv,egion. 05. Mexican Pi^ovince. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species :- — 0. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits :—=l. Tachycineta albilinea. 2. Hirundo erythrogastra. ' 3. Progne chalybea. 4. Atticora cyanoleuca. 5. Petrochelidon swainsoni. 6. P.fulva. * If the Bronze Swallows are separated from true Hinindo, then Calichelidon becomes a genus peculiar to the Antillean Sub-Region. t Practically an Antillean species, though it occurs in Yucatan, and is said to breed there. G-EOGEAPHICAL DISTRIBUTIOjN". xxix /3. Isthmian Province. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species ; — 1. Atticora pileaia. Species known, or supposed^ to breed within its limits : — 1. Taclujcinetu albUineu. 2. Frujjne chalybea. 3. Atticora cyanoleuca. 4. A. pileata. 5. A. tibialis. 6. Stetgidopteryx uro- pygialis. W. Sub-Andean Sub-Eegion. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Prugne concotor. 2. Atticora tibialis. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Tacliycineta albirtntris. ?2. T. albi- linea. 3. Progne concotor. -h. P. cfiali/bea. 5. P. tapera. Q. Atticora fascial a. 7. A. tibialis. 8. A. cyanoleuca, 9. Slelgidopteryx uropygialis. 10. S. ruficollis. E*. Amazonian Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 0. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits: — 1. Tacliycineta albiventris. 2. Progne chalybea. 3. P. tapera. 4. Atticora fasciata. 5. A. melanolevca. ' 6. A. cyanoleuca. 7. A.fucata. 8. Slelgidopteryx ruficollis. F^. Brazilian Sub-Region. Peculiar Genera : — 0. Peculiar Species:—!. Progne domestica. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Tachycineta albiventris. 2. T leucor- rhous. 3. Progne domestica. 4. P. ctialybea. 5. P. tapera. ? 6. Atticora fasciata. 7. A. melanoleuca. 8. A. cyanoleuca. 9. A.fucata. 10. Slelgidopteryx ruficollis. F*^. Patagonian Sub-Region. Peculiar Geueia : — 0. Peculiar Species : — 1. Tachycineta nieyeni*. 2. Progne furcata. 3. Atticora cinereu. i. Petro- chelidon ruficollaris. Species known, or supposed, to breed within its limits : — 1. Tachycineta leucorrhous. 2. 7'. meyeni. 3. Progne furcata. 4. Atticora cinerea. 5. A. cyanoleuca. (i. Petroclielidou rujirollaris. * The status of this species as a peculiar Patagonian I'orm is modified by the recent discovery of its ucstiug near Buenos Aires by Mr. A. H. HoUand, but it is practically Patagonian. LITERATURE. The following we believe to be a tolerably correct account of the principal Literature relating to the SiruncUnidcc. Per an exhaustive list of pamphlets and works bearino- on the history of the family, the student is referred to the " Bibliography " published by Professor Elliott Coues, in his ' Birds of the Colorado Valley,' and again in bis " Third Instalment of American Ornithological Bibliography " (Bull. U.S. Geol. Surv. v. no. 4, pp. 522-528). 1731. Catesby, Maek. The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, &c. Folio. Vol. i. London, 1731. Hirundo purpurea ("Purple jNfartiu ") described aud figured (p. 51, pi. 51). . . The same. Vol. ii. App. pp. 1-22, pi. 20. L'Hirondelle d'Arnerique described and figured (p. 8, pi. 8). [=Ch(efiira pelasr/ia (L.).] 1750. Edwards, George. A Natural History of Birds. Ito. London, 1750. Vol. iii. pp. 105-157. Gives a very bad figure of the " Great American Martin " (pi. 120) " brought from Hudson's Bav by ^Ir. Isham." \^=.Progne purpurea (L.).] 1760. Bri.ssox, a. D. Ornithologie, on Methode contenant la division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes et leurs Varietes. A laquelle on a joint une description exacte de chaque Espece, avec les Citations des Auteurs qui en ont traite, les Xonis qu'ils iem- out donnes, ceux que leur ont donues los dillerentes Nations, et les Noms vulgaires. .Tome ii. Ito. Paris, 17G0. Pp. lS5-51(i. 1. L'Hirondelle dc cheminee (p. 486). — Described from a specimen in the Reaumur collection. 'i — Hirundo rustica, L.] Ditto. Var. A. L'Hirondelle blanche (p. 189). — J']vidcntly an albino variety ol' the Common Swallow. 2. La Petite Ilirondcllc, ou le Martinet a cul blanc (p. 190). — Desc-ribcil from a s])ccinuMi in llic Rcaunuir collection. \_^Hiruiiih urhica of Linmeus, who, cuiiously cnoui;li. omits all reference to lirissou in his synonymy of this species.] xxxii LITEEATURE. 3. L'Hiroudellc de S. Domingue (p. 493). — From the Island of Dominica^ whence sent to Reaumur by a M. Cliervain. On this description and on D'Aubenton's figure the name of Hirundo dominicensis was founded by Gmelin. 4. L'Hirondelle de Cayenne (p. 495). — Described and figured (pi. xlvi. fig. 1) from a specimen sent to Reaumur by M. Verron from Cayenne. From this description and D'Aubenton's figure is derived Gmelin's name of Hirundo chalybea. 5. L'Hirondelle du Senegal (p. 496, pi. xlv. fig. 1). — Described and figured from a specimen sent to Reaumur by M. Adanson. Evidently the Great Mosque-Swallow of Senegal, and it is on this description that Liniifeus founded his Hirundo senegalensis . 6. L'Hirondelle du Perou (p. 498), and 7. La Grande Hirondelle du Perou (p. 498). These two species are derived from Feuillee (Journ. Obs. Pliys. p 33 [1725]) and were not known to Brisson. We cannot identify the first for certain, but the second §,eems to be Atticora cinerea. 8. L'Hirondelle de la Martinique (p. 499, pi. xlv. fig. 2). — The figure represents a small Spine-tailed Swift, sent to Reaumur by M. Thibault de Chanvalon from the Island of Martinique. It is probably the same bird figured by D'Aubeuton under the same name. 9. L'Hirondelle de la Caroline (p. 501). — This description of a Spine-tailed Swift is founded on that of Catesby (App. p. 8, pi. 8). Linnseus named it Hirundo pelayica in his lOtli edition (c/. Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 480), and it is the Hirundo pelasgia of his 12th edition (p. 345). He also adds : — Conf. Hirundo martinicana, Briss. Av. ii. p. 499, t. 45. f. 2. The latter bird, which, it must be remembered, was described by Brisson from an actual speci- men, is not mentioned by Mr. Hartert in the above-quoted volume, and we are unable to identify it further. 10. L'Hirondelle d'Amerique (p. 502, pi. xlv. fig. 3). — The figure is unrecognizable, but the description is taken from a Cayenne specimen sent to Reaumur by M. Artur. It is the "Tapera" of the Brazilians, as quoted by Sloane, Marcgrave, and others of the old authors, and is the Hirundo tapera of Linnaeus (p. 345). 11. La Grande Hirondelle d'Espague (p. 504). [ = Hirundo melba, Linn. S. N. i. p. 345. Cf. Hartert, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 438.] 12. L'Hirondelle de rivage (p. 506). \_ = Hirundo riparia, Linn. S. N. i. p. 344.] 13. L'Hirondelle de rivage du Senegal (p. 508, pi. xlv. fig. 4). \_=Hirundo anibrosiaca, Gm. S. N. i. p. 1021.] — Dr. Sclater has pointed out that this caunot be a Swift, as Brisson, the most con- scientious of describers, expressly states that his specimen had twelve tail-feathers. It is therefore impossible to define what the species really is. {Cf. Finsch & Hartlaub, Vog. Ostafr. p. 132; and Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 463.) 14. L'Hirondelle de rivage de la Cochinchine (p. 510, pi. xlvi. fig. 2 a). [ = Hirundo esculenta, Linn. S. N. i. p. 343. Collocalia esculenta (L.), Hartert, t. c. p. 509.] 15. Le Martinet (p. 512). [ — Hirundo apus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 3'ii; = Ci/pselus apus (L.). Micropus apus, Hartert, t. c. p. 442.] 16. Le Martinet de S. Domingue (p. 514, pi. xlvi. fig. 3). [ = Hirundo nigra, Gm. Ci/pneloides niger, Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 494.] 17. Le Martinet de la Caroline (p. 515). — From Catesby's " Purple Martin." [= Hirundo purpurea, Linn. S. N. i. p. 345.] LITEEATUEE. xxxiii 1760. Brissox, a. D. The same. Tome. vi. Supplementum OrnithologisR, pp. 5.5-58. L'Hirondelle de la Baye dc Hudson (p. 56). — Founded on Edwards's " Great American ^lartin." Additional references are given to the species mentioned in vol. ii. They consist mostly of quotations from the 10th edition of Linnaeus's ' Systema.' 1765-1781. D'AuBENTON, Edme Louis. Planches Euluminees d'Histoire Naturelle. Eolio. Tome vii. Paris, 1765-1781. [Issued in parts.] The history of this work is given by Boddaert in 1783. The designer of the plan of issuing this immense series of coloured plates of Birds, of which no less than 1008 were published, was the cousin of the celebrated Professor Louis D'Aubenton, the coadjutor of Buffon. The plates were executed by Martinet, who had also illustrated the work of Brisson. This circumstance will account for the fact that so many of the plates in the ' Planches Enluminees ' are mere copies of the figures in the older work of Brisson, the positions being frequently reversed, Boddaert says that the plates appeared in " Cahiers," without any systematic order, and in fact "pele-mele" ; and without any description except an indication of the name of the bird attached to the foot of each plate according to Brisson's nomenclature, because M. de Bulfon kept back the descriptions for his big work, which began to appear in 1770. To accompany D'Aubenton's plates, which were of folio size, a special reproduction of the ' Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux ' was executed, but the names on D'Aubenton's plates were generally changed by Buffon in the text of his own work. The species figured in the ' Planches Enluminees ' (vol. vii.) are the following : — Plate 543. fig. 1. L'Hirondelle des Cheminees. \_^=Ii- rustica, L.] Plate 543. fig. 2. L'Hirondelle de rivage. l=CotiIe riparia (L.).] Plate 724. fig. 1. Hirondelle a ventre roux, de Cayenne. — This is a very bad figure of the Chimney- Swallow of America. On this figure Boddaert founded his name of Hirundo crythroi/aster [p. 44]. Plate 724. fig. 2. Hirondelle k bande blanche sur le ventre, de Cayenne. — This figure is not referred to by Boddaert, but Gmelin's Hirundo fasciata [infra, p. xxxix] is founded on this plate and on Latham's description. Plate 723. fig. 1. Hirondelle brune k collier, du Cap dc Bonnc-cspcrauce. [=Co/ile cinrtn (Bodd.).] Plate 723. fig. 2. Hirondelle a tete roussc, du Cap de Bonne-espcrance. \_ = H. cucullata, Bodd,] Plate 310. Hirondelle tl ventre roux, du Senegal. [ = Hirundo seneyalensis, Linn.] Plate 542. fig. 1. Le Grand Martinet. \_=Cijpselus apus (Linn.).] Plate 542. fig. 2. Le Petit Martinet. [ = Chelidon urbica (Linn.).] Plate 725. fig. 1. Martinet dc la Louisiane. \_= Cypseloides nii/cr (Gm.).] Plate 725. fig. 2. Martinet ;\ collier, de Cayenne. \_ = Panijptila cui/cnncnsis (Gm.).] Plate 545. fig. 1. Hirondelle d'Ameriquc. — Universally referred to Brisson's Hirondcl/c dc S. Du- mivgue, of which it is a bad figure. [ = //. dominicensis, Gm.] Plate 545. fig. 2. Hirondelle dc Cayenne. \_ = Pro(jnc vhuhjhca (Gm.).] Plate 722. Hirondelle, de la Louisiane. \_Pru(jm' purpurea (L.).] Plate 54G. fig. 1. Hirondelle tachetee, de Cayenne. Not identified. Plate 546. fig. 2. Hirondelle ii ventre blane, de Cayenne. [^Tac/n/ri/ic/it alliimiler (Bodd.).] Plate 54k fig. 1. Hirondelle ilc la .Martini(|uc. \_= ClMliira uciiia ((i uicliii) .] VOL. I. e xxxiv LITEEATUEE. Plate 544. fig. 2. Hirondelle de FIsle de Bourbon. [=Hirundo borbonica, Gmelin.] Plate 726. fig. 1. Hirondelle k queue pointuej de Cayenne. \_=Ch(etura spmicauda (Temm.).] Plate 726. fig. 2. Hirondelle il queue pointue, de la Louisiane. [= Chcefura poliura (Temm.).] 1766. LiNN.EUS, C. Systema Naturge, per Eegna Tria Naturse, secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum cliaracteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. I. Holmice, 1766. Pp. 532. The genus Hirundo occupies three pages (pp. 343-345). Twelve species were known toLinnseus, of which many were Swifts (Cypseli). The species are: — 1. Hirundo rustica (p. 343) ; 2. H. esculenta [=Collocalia esculenta); 3. H. urbica; 4. H. ?-ij}a7-ia ; 5. H. purpurea {ex Catesby) ; 6. H. apus [ = Cypselus apus) ; 7. H. subis* [ex Edwards, pi. \20) = Progne purpurea ; 8. H. seneyalensis {ex Brisson, ii. pi. 45. fig. 1) ; 9. H. tapera {ex Brissou, pi. 45. fig. 3)=Progne tapera ; 10. H. pelasgia {ex Catesby, App. p. 8, pi. S) — Ch(Btura pelasgia; 11. H. melba {ex Edwards and ^xis%on) = Cypselus melba (L.) ; and, lastly, 12. Hirundo pratincola, the Pratincole. It is curious that Linnaeus should have put the Pratincole into the genus Hirundo, and a century later Sundevall once more placed it with the Caprimulgidoi {cf. Av. Meth. Tent. p. 86). 1769. Laxmann, Eric. " Ririmdo daurica, area temporal! rubra, uropygio luteo rufescente." K. Vet.-Akad. Handl. Stockliolm, xxx. p. 769. Here is given the original description of Hirundo daurica, a name generally attributed to Linnaeus. The latter refers to ' Act. Holm.,' 1769, but without giving the exact page. 1769. ScoPOLi, J. A. Annus I. Historico-Natiu'alis. Descriptiones Avium Musei proprii eariimque rariorum, quas vidit in vivario Angustiss. Imperatoris et in Museo excel]. Comitis Francisci Annib. Turriani. 12mo. Lijosise, 1769. Pp. 168. Hirundo rupestris described (p. 167). 1771. LiNN^us, C. Mantissa Plantarum prima et altera, generum editionis vi. et specierum editionis ii. 8vo. Holmiae, 1771. Pp. 588. Hirundo daurica (App. p. 528). Described after Laxmann {ut supra). 1773. Pallas, P. S. Eeise durcb verschiedene Provinzen des russischen E-eichs. II. Theil. Erstes Bucb vom Jahr. 1770. 4to. St. Petersburg, 1773. Pp. 744. Hirundo alpestris, with its peculiar nest, described (Anhang, p. 709). ]_ = Hirundo daurica, Laxm.] Pallas also refers to his ' Spicilegia,' but we can find no reference to the species in that work. * This name appears in the 10th edition of Linnasus's ' Systema,' 1758, and is adopted by our American colleagues and other ornithologists who recognize the 10th edition as their starting-point. \ LITEEATUEE. xxxv 1774. ScHAEFFER, J. C. Elementa Ornitliologica. Iconibus vivis coloribus expressis illustrata. 4to. Ratisbonse, 1774. The genus Hirundo (no. 100) characterized with the type (tab. xl.), which is Hirundo rvstica. 1776. SoNNERAT, M. Voyage a la Nouvelle Guinee, dans lequel on trouve la descrip- tion des Lieux, des Observations pliysiques et morales, et des details r^latifs a I'Histoire Naturelle dans le Regne Animal et le Regne Vegetal. 4to^ Paris, 1776. Pp. xvi, 208. L''Hirondelle d'Antigue (p. 118, pi. Ixxvi). [= Hirundo (jutturalis, Scop, {infra).'] — This description and figure can belong to nothing else but the Chimney-Swallow of the East, though the size ("de I'Hirondelle de rivage d'Europe") and the absence o£ any remarks about the white spots on the tail will always invest the determination o£ Sounerat's bird with a certain amount of doubt. 1777. ScoPOLi, J. A. Introductio ad Historiam naturalem, sistens genera lapidum, plantarum et animalium, baetentis detecta, cbaracteribus essentialibus donata, in Tribtis divisa, subinde ad leges natxirae. 8vo. Pragse, 1777. Pp. 506 et Index. On p. 483 the Swallows {Hirundo) are separated from the Swifts {Apvs). This latter name, however, had already been employed by Pallas. Cf. Hartert, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 437. 1779. [Bl'FFON et] Montbeillaed, P. G. de. Histoire Naturelle, generale et parti- culiere, avec la description du Cabinet du Roi. Tome xxix. Histoire Natm-elle des Oiseaux. Tome vi. 4to. Paris, 1779. Pp. xvi, 702. The portion of the volume dealing with the Swallows (pp. 552-642) was written by jNIontbeillard, and the following species are described : — L^Hirondelle de Cheminee ou I'Hirondelle domestique (p. 591, pi. xxv. fig. 1).— Figured in the 'Planches Enluminees' (pi. 543. fig. 1). Varietes de I'Hirondelle domestique. 1. L'Hirondelle d'Antigue, h. gorge coulcur de rouille (p. 607). — Taken from Sonncrat {sxpra). 2. L'Hirondelle k ventre roux de Cayenne (p. G07). — Figured by D'Aubenton (pi. 721. fig. 1). \_ = Hirinido erythroyaster, Bodd.] 3. L'Hirondelle au capuchon roux (p. 608). — Figured by D'Aubenton (pi. 723. fig. 2). [ = Hiri(iido cucullala, Bodd.] Oiseaux fitrangcrs qui out rapport ;\ I'Hirondelle domestique. 1. La Grande Hirondelle il ventre roux du Seurgal (p. 610). — Figured in the ' Planches Enlu- minees ' (pi. 310). \_ = Hirimdo senef/a/ensis, L.] 2. L'Hirondelle a ccinturc lilanclie (p. 611). — This is figured by D'Aubenton (pi. 721. W-j:. 2), liut Montbcillard does not quote the title of the plate correctly. It is not mentioned l)y ISodiliuTt. e'2 xxxvi LITERATURE. ■who omitted it in the same way that he did ph 542 of the ' Planches Enluminees/ but Gmeliu gave a name to D'Aubenton's figure. 3. L'Hirondelle ambree (p. 612). — Fouiuled on Seba's description, and also on Brisson's " Hiron- delle de rivage du Senegal" {supra, p. xxxii). Gmelin named it Hirundo ambrosiaca, and it has always been identified as a Swift ; but, as Dr. Sclater has pointed out, Brisson distinctly states that his bird had twelve tail-feathers, and no satisfactory identification of Brisson's species has yet been attempted. [Cf. Sclater, P. Z. S. 1865, p. 601.) L'Hirondelle au croupion blanc, ou I'Hirondelle de fenetre (p. 614). — This is the House-Martin, figured in the 'Planches Enluminees' (pi. 542. fig. 2), and is Hirundo urbica, Linn. L'Hirondelle de rivage (p. 632). \_ = Hirundo rijmria, L.] L'Hirondelle grise de rochers (p. 641). [ = Hirundo rupestris, Scop.] Le Martinet noir (p. 643). [= Ci/pselus apus (L.).] Le Grand Martinet ^ ventre blanc (p. 660). [ = Cypsebis melba, L.] Oiseaux Strangers qui out rapport aux Hirondelles et aux Martinets. 1. Le Petit Martinet noir (p. 668). [= Cypseloides Jiiger (Gm.). Cf. Hartert, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 494.] 2. Le Grand Martinet noir Jl ventre blanc (p. 669). [ = Hh'undo dominicensis (Gm.).] 3. Le Martinet noir et blanc a ceinture grise (p. 670). — Founded on Brisson's " Grande Hiron- delle du Perou," and not since identified. 4. Le Martinet a collier blanc (p. 671). [Is Panyptila cayennensis (Gm.). Vide infra, p. xl.] 5. La Petite Hirondelle noire a ventre cendre (p. 673), founded on the "Hirondelle du Perou" of Brisson. [^Hirundo cinerea, Gm.] 6. L'Hirondelle bleue de la Louisiane (p. 674). PI. Enl. vii. pi. 722. [Is Progne purpurea (L.).] Varietes. 1. L'Hirondelle de Cayenne (p. 675, ex D'Aubeuton, PL Enl. pi. 545. fig. 2). [ = Hirundo chahjbea, Gm. {vide infra, p. xxxvii) .] 2. Montbeillard here gives some remarks on Purple Martins from South America, brought by M. Commerson. 3. Remarks on Catesby's Purple Martin. 4. Hirondelle de la bale de Hudson, of Edwards, remarked upon (p. 677). 7. La Tapere (p. 678). [ = Hirundo tapera, L.] 8. Hirondelle brune et blanche h ceinture brune (p. 680). \^=Hirundo cincta, Bodd., and H. torquata, Gm.] 9. L'Hirondelle &, ventre blanc de Cayenne (p. 681). \_ = Hirundo aJbiventer, Bodd.] 10. La Salangane (p. 682). [ = Hirundo esculenta, L. Cf. Hartert, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 509.] 11. La Grande Hirondelle brune a ventre tachete, ou I'Hirondelle des Bles (p. 694). [—Hirundo borbonica (Gm.).] A " variete" (p. 696) is also included. 12. La petite Hirondelle noir h croupion gris (p. 696). This is also Hirundo borbonica (Gm.). 13. L'Hirondelle k croupion roux et queue carree (p. 698). This is the Hirundo aniericana of Gmelin, but wc have not been able to recognize the species described. 14. L'Hirondelle brune acutipenne de la Louisiane (p. 699). \_=. Ch(pf,ura poliura (Temm.). Cf. Hartert, t. c. p. 484.] 15. L'Hirondelle noire acutipenne de la Martinique (p. 702). [= Chatura acuta (Gm.J. Cf. Hartert, t. c. p. 486.] LITEEATUEE. xxxvii 1783. Latham, John. A General Synopsis of Birds. Vol. ii. pt. 2. 4to. London, 1783. Pp. 808. The Swallows (p. 560) known to Latham were 37 iti number, including several species of Swifts. They are as follows : — 1. Chimney Swallow (p. 561). [ = Hirundo rustica, L.] Var. A. White Swallow (founded on L'Hirondelle blanche of Brisson, vide supra, p. xxxi). 2. Otaheite Swallow (p. 563, frontisp.). [ = Hirundo tahitica, Gra. (p. 1016).] 3. Martin. \^ = Hirundo urb'ica, L.] Var. A, from North America (coll. Sir Joseph Banks), may have been Tacky cineta bicolor. 4. Pauayan Swallow (ex Sonnerat, Voy. N. Guin. pi. 76). 5. Rufous-bellied Swallow [ex D'Aubent. PI. Eul. 724. fig. 1). \_ = Hirundo erythrogaster, Bodd.] 6. Cape Swallow {ex D'Aubent. PI. Enl. 723. fig. 2). \_ = Hirundo cucidlata, Bodd.] 7. Senegal Swallow. [^^Hirundo senegalensis , L.] 8. White-bellied Swallow {ex D'Aubent. PL Eul. 724. fig. 2). [ = Hirundo fasciata, Gm.] 9. Ambergris Swallow {ex Month. H. N. Ois. p. 612). [ = Hirundo ambrosiaca. Gm.] 10. Sand-Martin. \_ = Hirundo rijmria, L.] 11. Rock-Swallow (ex Scopoli^ supra, p. xxxiv). 12. Crag-Swallow. — Described from a specimen in the Leverian jMuscum. Tt is, of course, the same as Scopoli's bird. As Latham observes : — " It seems to have great affinity to the last." 13. Daurian Swallow {ex Linn. Mant. ut supra). 14. Red-headed Swallow. — Not identified. 15. Aoonalashka Swallow. — Described from a specimen in the Leverian Museum. 16. Rufous-headed Swallow. — Described and figured (pi. Ivi.) from an unpublished drawing of Edwards's. It is said to be from the East Indies, and has been supposed to be Petrochelidon fluvicola {infra, p. Ivi), but is very probably the young of Hirundo smUhii. 17. Black Swallow (e^ Month. H. N. Ois. vi. p. 668). [ = Cypseloides niger (Gm.). Cf. Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 494.] 18. St. Domingo Swallow. In the Leverian Museum. References given to I\IontbciIlard and Brisson. l=Hirundo dominicensis, Gmclin, infra, p. xl.] 19. Peiiivian Swallow {ex Brisson, supra, p. 498). — Not identified {vide supra, p. xxxii). 20. Ash-bellied Swallow {ex Brisson, ii. p. 498 — Hirondelle du Pcrou). [ = Hirundo ciiierea of Gmelin.] 21. Violet Swallow. Founded on pi. 722 of D'Auhentou. \_ = Progve purpurea (L.).] 22. Chalybeate Swallow. — Dcsci'ibed apparently from a specimen in the Leverian Museum, "' beneatli white." Latham and Gmelin both quote Brisson (ii. pi. 46. fig. 1), but do not quote D'Aubentou's plate 545. fig. \ { = H. dominicensis, Gm.), which would pass for the "Chaly- beate Swallow" ; but they refer to fig. 2 of D'Aubentou's plate, which is represented as a dark brown bird, and which might pass for Progne furcuta. It has, however, always been identified with //. chabjbea, Gm., and the name is sanctioned by long custom. 23. Purple Swallow. [= Hirundo purpurea, L.^ 24. Canada Swallow. [ = Hirundo subis, L.] 25. Brazilian Swallow. [ = nirando lajicra, L.] 26. Brown-collared Swallow. — Founded on plate 723. fig. 1 of D'.Vubenton. [= Hirundo cinclu, Bodd.] 27. White-winged Swallow. — Founded on plate 546. fig. 2 of D',\.ubiiUon. It is the Hirundo albiventer of lioddaert. xxxviii LITEEATUEE. Var. A. Taken from D'Aubenton's ' Planches Enluminees' (pi. 546. fig. 1). Not identified, and probably not a Swallow at all. 28. Esculent Swallow. \_=Hirundo esculenta, L.] 29. Wheat Swallow. — Founded on " L'Hirondelle brune h. ventre tachete, ou L'Hirondelle des Bles," of Montbeillard (H. N. Oiscaux, vi. p. 694). D'Aubenton's figure (pi. 544. fig. 2) is here quoted as a " variety/' in which identification Latham again follows Montbeillard. 30. Grey-rumped Swallow. — This is founded on Montbeillard's " Petite Hirondelle k croupion gris," which was brought from the Isle of France by M. Commerson. Montbeillard describes the bird as black above, with the rump whitish, and the entire under surface whitish. Latham quotes again fig. 2 of D'Aubenton's plate 544, forgetting, apparently, that on the previous page he had referred this figure to his "Wheat Swallow." His description, however, is un- doubtedly that of the " Hirondelle de I'isle de Bourbon " of D'Aubenton (PI. Enl. 544. fig. 2). The quotation of " fig. 2," in which he is followed by Gmelin, is quite wrong ; but the description of the " Grey-rumped Swallow" is certainly Collocalia francica (Gm.), and is so identified by Mr. Hartert (Cat. B. xvi. p. 503). 31. Rufous-rumped Swallow. — Founded on Montbeillard's "Hirondelle a croupion roux et queue carree." This may be Petrochelidon pyrrlionota, but the description is not accurate. It is noteworthy that Latham seems to have appreciated the diff'erences between Swallows and Swifts, as all the remaining species, nos. 32-37, are placed at the end of the Swallows, and are even spoken of as " Swifts." He did not, however, demonstrate the true distinctions between them. 1783. BoDDAERT, M. Table des Planches Enlumineez d'Histoire Naturelle de M. D'Aubenton. Avec les denominations de MM. de Buffon, Brisson, Edwards, Linnaeus, et Latham, precede d'tine Notice des Principaux Ouvrages Zoologiques enlumines. 8vo. Utrecht, 1783. Pp. 58. The following are Boddaert's determinations : — Page 19. — 310. Hirondelle ^ ventre roux. [=Hirundo senegalensis, L.] Page 31. — 542. fig. 1. Hirundo apus, L. fig. 2. Hirundo urbica, L. Page 31. — 543. fig. 1. Hirondelle de Cheminee. [ = Hirundo 7-ustica, L.] Page 32. — 543. fig. 2. Hirondelle de rivage. [ = Hinmdo riparia, L.] Page 32. — 544. fig. 1. Hirondelle noir acutipenue. [ = Hirundo pelasgia, h.] [This identification is wrong, as Mr. Hartert refers this plate, or at least Montbeillard's description of the same, to Chcetura acuta (Gm.).] Page 32.-544. fig. 2. Hirondelle brune de I'isle de Bourbon. [ = Hirundo borbonica, Gm.] No name given by Boddaert. Page 32. — 545. fig. 1. [Martinet noire a ventre blanc. [=Hirundo tapera, L.] Page 32. — 545. fig. 2. Hii'oudelle de Cayenne, variete de I'Hirondclle bleue (pi. 722). Not named. Page 32. — 546. fig. 1. Hirondelle a ventre tachete de Cayenne. [ = Hirundo maculata, Bodd.] 546. fig. 2. Hirondelle £l ventre blanc de Cayenne. [^Hirundo alhiventer, Bodd.] Page 45. — 723. Hirondelle bleue. [^Hiru7ido subis, L.] Page 45. — 723. fig. 1. Hirondelle brune et blanche, k ceinture brune. [ = Hirundo cincta, Bodd.] 723. fig. 2. Hirondelle il croupion roux. [ = Hirundo cucullata, Bodd.] LITEEATUEE. XXxix Page 45. — 724. fig. 1. Hirondelle f\ ventre rous. [ = Hirundo erythroffasier, Bodd.'] [Fig. 2 omitted.] Page 45. — 725. fig. 1. Petit Martinet noir. ") 725. fig. 2. Martinet k collier blane. i ^'^'^'"^ °* '^'''' ""'' "^'""''^'^ ^^ ^°^''^^'^- Page 45. — 726. fig. 1. Hirondelle Cumaria. [—Chcetura spinicauda (T.).] 726. fig. 2. Hirondelle acutijjenue. [ = Hiru7ido pelasffia.'] This identification is wrong, according to Mr. Hartert, who refers the figure to Chcetura poliura. 1786. ScoPOLi, J. A. Deliciae Elorse et Paimge Insubricae, seu novae, aut minus cosnitfe species plantarum et animalium, quas in Insubria Austriaca, tarn spontaneas, quam exoticas vidit, descripsit, et aeri incidi curavit J. A. S. Pars ii. Ticini, 1786. Hirundo gutturalis (p. 96, no. 115) proposed as a name for the Hirondelle d'Antiyue of Sonnerat (Voy. Nouv. Guin. pi. 76). 1788. Gmelin, J. F. Caroli a Linne, Systema Naturae etc. Tom. i. Svo. Lipsige, 1788. Pp. 1032. The genus Hirundo (pp. 1015-1026) contains in this work 44 species, an advance of 32 on tlie number known to Linnseus. As in the case of the twelfth edition of the ' Systema,' many o£ the species are Swifts. The following are the species known to Gmelin, and, as usual, the names given for the first time are simply the latinization of the English titles given by Latham. This brings up to date the number of species of Swallows known to the older authors. 1. Hirundo rustica, L. 13. Hirundo alba, ex Brisson, ii. p. 489. 2. Hirundo tahitica, p. 1016. — Founded on Latham's " Otaheite Swallow." '^ 3. Hirundo escwfente.— Founded on Latham's "Esculent Swallow," which is again taken from Brisson (Orn. ii. p. 510, pi. 46. fig. 2). 4. Hirundo borbonica. — Founded on the " Wheat Swallow " of Latham, which is derived from Mout- beillard (supra, p. xs.xviii), and including the Hirondelle de I'lsle de Bourbon ('Planches Enluminees,' pi. 544. fig. 2), which is also Hirundo borbonica (Gmelin). 5. Hirundo francica. — Founded on the " Grey-rumped Swallow " of Latham, but by some mistake D'Aubenton's figure of the " Hiroudelle de Bourbon " is again quoted. The .species is Collocalia francica (Gmelin) : cf. Hartert, /. c. p. 503. 6. Hirundo americana. — Founded on the " Rufous-rumped Swallow " of Latham. This may be Pefrochelidon pyrrlionofa, but has not since been identified. 7. Hirundo urbica, L. 8. Hirundo panay ana. — Founded on the " Panayan Swallow" of Latham {supra, p. xxxvii). 9. Hirundo rufa. — Founded on Latham's " Kufous-bellied Swallow" {.s-upn), p. xxxvii), which is Hirundo erythroiiaster, Bodd. 10. Hirundo capensis. — Founded on Latham's " Cape Swallow "' (supra, [). \\\\\i), ^\]\ic]l= Hirundo cucullata, Bodd. 11. Hirundo riparia, L. 12. Hirundo rupcstris (" Rock-Swallow " of Latham). ■) i„ „■ , , ,„ ,-, on >! c t J.^ \ /■ Both of these = 7)/V///.« ;v7«-.v/r/.s- (Scoi).). 13. Hirundo nwnt a ua (" Crag-Swallow ' of Latham), j •' \ i- ' 14. Hirundo purpurea, L. xl LITEEATUEE. 15. Hlrundo apus=Cypselus apus (Linn.). 16. Hirundo sinensis.- — Founded on the "Chinese Swift" of Latham (ii. p. 586), where the description is again founded on Sonnerat's "Grand Martinet de la Chine." Mr. Hartert (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xvi. p. 473, note) believes this description to be that of a Cottle ; but this cannot be the ease, as the dimensions are given as " eleven inches and a half." 17. Hirundo subis, L. 18. Hirundo senegalensis, L. 19. Hirundo anibrosiaca. — Founded on the " Ambergris Swallow " of Latham {vide supra, p. xxxvii). 20. Hirundo fascial a. — Founded on the " White-bellied Swallow " of Latham {supra, p. xxxvii).. 21. Hirundo tapera, L. 22. Hirundo torquata. — Founded on Latham's " Brown-collared Swallow." \_ = Hirundo cincta,'SioAA.\ 23. Hirundo leucoptera. — Founded on Latham's "White- winged Swallow." \_ = Hirundo albiventer, Bodd.] 24. Hirundo pelasgia=Ch(Etur a pelasgia (L.). 25. Hirundo acuta. — Founded on Latham's " Sharp-tailed Swallow" (p. 584). [Is a Chmtura : cf. Hartert, /. c. p. 486.] 26. Hirundo melba, L. 27. Hirundo cay enneiisis. — Founded on Latham's " White-collared Swallow." [ = Panyptila cayen- nensis: cf. Hartert, /. c. p. 461.] 28. Hirundo daurica, L. 29. Hirundo erythrocepfiala. — Founded on Latham's " Red-headed Swallow." May possibly be Petrochelidon fluvicola : cf. Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 200. 30. Hirundo unalaschkensis. — Founded on Latham's "Aoonalashka Swallow," and not since identified. 31. Hirmido indica. — Founded on Latham's " Rufous-headed Swallow." This has not since been identified with certainty. 32. Hirundo nigra. — Founded on Latham's " Black Swallow." [= Cypseloides niger (Gmelin) : cf. Hartert, I. c. p. 494.] 33. Hirundo dominicensis. — Founded on the " St. Domingo Swallow " of Latham. 34. Hirundo peruviana. — Founded on the " Peruvian Swallow " of Latham, and not since identified. 35. Hirundo cinerea. — Founded on the "Ash-bellied Swallow" of Latham. [ = Atticora cinerea (Gmelin).] 36. Hirundo violacea. — Founded on the "Violet Swallow" of Latham. \_=Progne purpurea (L.).] 37. Hirundo chalybea. — Founded on the "Chalybeate Swallow" of Latham. \_ = Progne chalybea (Gm.).] 1789. Spakrman, A. IMuseum Carlsonianum. II. fasc. iv. 4to. Holmige, 1789. Hirundo javanica described and figured (pi. 100). 1791. Bartram, W. Travels tlirougli North and Sovitli Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, etc. Sm. 8vo. Philadelphia, 1791. Pp. xsxiv, 522. The " Chimney-Swallow " is called Hirundo cerdo (p. 292). It maj he Chcetura jjelasgia. It is certain that Bartram ought not to be regarded as a binomialist, as he calls the " Blue-winged Yellow Bird" P. aureus alls cajruleis. LITERATUEE. xli 1799. Barton, B. S. Fragments of the Katural History of Pennsylvania. 4to. Pliiladelpliia, 1799. Pp. 24. Hirundo horreorum, sp. n. (p. 17). [ = 11. erythrogaster, Bodd.] 1805. AzARA, Pelix de. Apuntamicntos para la Historia Natural de los Paxaros del Paraguay y Rio de la Plata. Tomo ii. 4to. Madrid, 1805. Pp. 502-512. The following species are recorded by Azara (cf. Hartl. Index Azara, infra, p. liii) : — 300. Golondrina domestica (p. 502). { = Hirundo domestica, Vieill. N. Diet. xiv. p. 520.] 301. Golondrina parda {p. 505). \_= Hirundo tapera, hinn.'] 302. Golondrina vientre roxizo (p. 507). [ = Hirundo cyanopyrrha, Vieill. N. Diet. xiv. p. 510. = Hirundo erythrogaster, Bodd.] 303. Golondrina timoneles negros (p. 508). [ = Hirundo cyanoleuca, Vieill. N. Diet. xiv. p. 509.] 304. Golondrina rabadilla blanca (p. 509). [ — Hirundo leucorrhoa, Vieill. N. Diet. xiv. p. 519.] 305. Golondrina rabadilla acanelada (p. 511). [=Hirundo pi/rrlionof,a, Vieill. t. c. p. 519.] 306. Golondrina vientre amarillazo (p. 512). [ = Hirundo ruficollis, Vieill. t. c. p. 528.] 1806. Levaillant, P. Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique. Vol. v. 4to. Paris, 1806. Pp. 163. The chapter "Des Martinets et des Hirondelles" commences on p. 140, and contains the following species : — Plate 243. Martinet a gorge blanche. [=Cypselus gutturalis, V. { = Micropus africanus, Temm. : cf. Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 440).] Plate 244. fig. 1. Martinet a croupion blanc. — May be Cypselus caffer, Licht., although, as Vieillot remarks in his description of Hirundo utra (N. Diet. xiv. p. 523), the bird is drawn with a hind toe like a Swallow. Suudevall (Crit. p. 51) says that it can hardly be anything but Cypselus caffer, though there is no Swallow or Swift which resembles the figure given liy Levaillant. It is doubtless compiled from memory or imagination, like the next. Plate 244. fig. 2. Le Martinet velocifere. — To this Vieillot gave the name of Hirundo velui- (N. Diet, d'llist. Nat. xiv. p. 533). It may have been meant for Psalidoprocne holorneUenu, as Sundevall suggests (Crit. p. 51), but the figure is entirely inaccurate. Plate 245. fig. 1. Hirondelle rousseline, male. — May have been intended for Hirundo cucullatn, to ■which the description of its habits seems to refer it, but the figure resembles a black-headed Mosque-Swallow. Sundevall (Crit. p. 51) believes it to be a made-up bird. Plate 245. fig. 2. Hirondelle ;\ front roux. — This is Hirundo rnfifrons of Vieillot (N. Diet. xiv. p. 521). This has generally been supposed to be intended for Hirundo albignlaris of the Cape Colony, but we think it is just as likely to be intended for //. ri/stira. It is too bad a figure to be admitted to represent either of these birds. Plate 216. fig. 1. Hirondelle fauvc. — Is Cotile fdignla (Licht.). Cf. Sundev. Crit. p. 52. Plate 246. fig. 2. Hirondelle de Marais, on La Brunette. — Is Hirundo paludicola, "\'ieill. N. Diet, xiv. p. 511. Plate 247. Hirondelle hnppec, mfde. — Apparently a made-up bii-d fr( "^ ( ^ )• [= Vrngiic purpurea (L.).] VOL. I. J' xlii LITEEATUEE. L'Hirondelle k ventre blanc : Hirundo dominicensis , p. 59^ pis. 28 ( cj ) , 29 ( ? ). [ = Progne domini- censis (Gm.).] L'Hirondelle rousse : Hirundo ritfa, p. 60, pi. 30. \_ — Hinmdo erythrogaster, Bodd.] L'Hirondelle bicolor : Hirundo bicolor, p. 61, pi. 31. \_=Tachycineta bicolor.~\ L^Hirondelle fauve : Hirundo fulva, p. 62, pi. 32. \_= Petrochelidon fulva.'] ISll. Pallas, P. Zoograpliia Posso-Asiatica, sistens omnmm animalium in extenso Imperio Possico et adjacentibus maribiis observatorum recensioneni, domicilia, mores et descriptiones, anatomen atque icones plurimorum. Vol. i. 4to. Petropoli, 1811. Pp. 572. Hirundo domestica (p. 528) includes, no doubt, H. rustica and H. gutturalis. H. lagopoda, sp. n. (p. 532). 1812. WiLso:^, A. American Ornitliology. Vol. v. Polio. Pbiladelphia, 1812. Pj). xii, 122, pis. xxxvii.-xliv. Hirundo americana (nee Gm.) described and figured (p. 34, pi. xxxviii. figs. 1, 2) =H. erythro- gaster, Bodd.; H. viridis (p. 44, pi. xxxviii. fig. 3) =Tachycineta Incotor ; H. riparia (p. 46, pi. xxxviii. fig. 4). Hirundo -purpurea described and figured (pi. xxxi.x. figs. 2,3). 1816. Leach, W. E. Systematic Catalogue of the Specimens of the Indigenous Mammalia and Birds that are jireserved in the British Muserim, with their Localities and Authorities. Sm. 4to. London, 1816. Pp. 42. Hirundo domestica is the name employed for the Chimney-Swallow (p. 19). It is doubtful if this Catalogue was ever published, and it was probably used merely to cut up and label specimens in the Zoological Galleries of the British Museum, of which Leach was at that time Keeper {cf. Salvin, ed. Leach's Catalogue, published by the Willoughby Society, 1882). Thomas Forster, moreover, in 1817 speaks of the ' Catalogue ' as " newly printed " by his friend Dr. Leach. 1817. CuviER, G. Eegne Animal. Vol. i. 8vo. Paris, 1817. Hirundo ludoviciana (p. 374, ex PI. Enl. 725. fig. 2)= Progne purpurea (L.). 1817. PoRSTER, T. Observations of the Natural History of Swallows ; watha collateral statement of facts relative to their Migration, and to their Brumal Torpidity : and a Table of reference to Authors. To which is added a General Catalogue of British Birds, etc. Sixth edition, enlarged. 8vo. London, 1817. Pp. 97. This is a little book which we purchased many years ago. It is not mentioned by Professor Elliott Coues among the many works on the Swallow by Thomas Forster, which he quotes in his admirable " Bibliography " (Bull. U. S. Geol. & Geogr. Survey of the Territories, vol. v. no. 4, pp. 522-528). It appears to be remarkable chiefly for the " synonyms " given by the author, who, in his Preface, says : — LITERATURE. xliii " I have also added wliat is known of the remaining species of the genus, both with a view to make this monograph as perfect as possible, etc." Thus we have the following synonyms : — For Hirundo rustica Hirundo caminicola (p. 3). For Hirundo urbica Hh-undo domestica, H. agrestis. and H. fenestrala. For Hirundo apus Aptis major, Hirundo Cypselus major, and Cypselus niger (p. QV For Hirundo riparia Hirundo arenaria (p. 11). For Hirundo tahitica Hirundo acrulea (p. 12). Hirundo philippenensis (p. 12) =11. panayana (quoted as a synonym). For Hirundo fasciata Hirundo ripicola, H.fluvialis (p. 13). For Hirundo ambrosiaca Hirundo cinerascens (p. 14), H. marina indigena. For Hirundo rupestris Hirundo rupicola (p. 14). For Hirundo tapcra Hirundo americana (p. 15) . Many of these synonyms are not quoted by us in the body of the work, but they deserve attention. Forster still keeps the Pratincole as a species of Hirundo (p. 16), and then follows an essay " On the winter retreat of the Swallow Tribe in general " (pp. 19-29), and another chapter entitled "Direct Evidence tending to establish the annual Submersion of Swallows" (pp. 29-32) ; still another on " Direct Evidence of the Migration of Swallows" (pp. 32-40), and finally "Opinions of Writers in different Ages " (pp. 40-50). Then follows a list of British Birds, with the species indicated which adorned the collection of " E. Forster, jun., of Clapton." 1817. PoRSTER, T. Synoptical Catalogue of British Birds, intended to identify tli(> species mentioned by different names in several catalogues already extant ; forming a book of reference to observations on British Ornitholo"T. 8vo. London, 1817. Pp. 61. [Plate of Strix scops, head and foot.] The occasion of this publication was the issue of Dr. Leaches ' Catalogue,' with much of which Forster did not agree, and he published his ' Synoptical Catalogue ' to make things easier for the student. " I do not pretend to knowlcMlge enough of Ornithology in general, to determine w liicli nl' the two arrangements is the best for Birds universally" (Preface, p. iv). Yet, after confessing his ignorance, he bestows names on the Swallows, for the rejection of which xinfortunatcly tlierc seems no rule at present. In the "Catalogue and Generic Division of British Birds " Q'- 13) he calls the British Swallows by the following names (p. 55) : — 128. Clii'liilon jirornc. Cliininey Swiillow. 129. Hirundo nrbicu. Common Martlet. 130. Clivicula europica. Sand ^lartin. 7-' xli7 LITEEATUEE. The definition of the genus Hirundo by SchaefPer, with the Chimney-Swallow as the type, has fortunately preserved the name of Hirundo instead of Chelidon for this large assemblage of Swallows. Thus Chelidon of Forster becomes a synonym of Hirundo, Schaeffer (ex Linn.). Hirundo of Forster= Chelidon, Boie [posteh, ]}. xlvi). With regard to Clivicola, this genus is now being generally adopted over Cotile of Boie, but Forster, in the same work (p. 17), calls the Sand-Martin Riparia europtsa. If a mere name is sufficient now-a-days to establish a genus, then, it seems to us, Riparia must take precedence of Clivicola and the name of the Sand-Martin become Riparia riparia. 1817. ViEiLLOT, L. P. Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle. Tome xiv. 8vo. Paris, 1817. Pp. 627. The genus " Hirondelle" is treated of on pages 501-537. Many names are here given which are in general use at the present day, but in some instances they are founded on the species of Levaillant's 'Oiseaux d''Afrique,' just as were those of Stephens. The names given by the latter naturalist have always been made to give way to those of Vieillot ; but, although they were published in the same year, it seems to us that, in all probability, the volume of Stephens's ' General Zoology" was issued before the fourteenth volume of the ' Dictionnaire.' Hirundo cyanoleuca (p. 509) (ex Azara, Golondrina timoneles negros) . \_ = Atiicora cyanoleuca (V.).] Hirundo versicolor (p. 509). \_ = Progne purpurea (L.).] Hirundo cyanopyrrha (p. 510), from French Guiana. \_ = H. erythroy aster, Bodd.] Hirundo fusca (p. 510) (ex Azara, Golondrina parda) . Hirundo paludicola (p. 511) (ex Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. pi. 245. fig. 2). This is ff. joa/MS. u. (p. IGl). \^ = Pviroclididon pyrrhonota (V.).] " I had supposed it to be a new species, and had named it the Artificer (Hirundo opifex). I have since, however, found it figured and accurately described under the name of Hirundo fiilva by M. Vieillot.'" 1824. Audubon, J. J. Ann. Lye. N. Y. i. i^p. 163-lCG. This is an appendix to the preceding paper, and Audubon states that he found the bird in 1815 and gave it the MSS. name of Hirundo republicana. 1825. AuDOUix, Victor. Explication sommaire des Planches d'Oiseaux de I'Egypte ct de la Syrie publics par Jules Cesar Savigny. Polio. Pp. 251-321. Hiruudo rioconri, sp. n. (p. 270). [^ — Hirundo savignii, Steph., anfco, p. xlv.] 1826. BoiE, P. Gcneraliibersicbt der ornitbologiscben Ordnungen, Paiiiilit'ii und Cat- tungen. I.sis, 1826, pp. 975-982. On p. 971, Boio includes in the Family Hirundiu/i/u- the rollowing genera: — Cypselus. — Type Hirundo li uvorrliou, Shaw [i.i\ Stephens, si//jrii, [). xlv, ucr V.]. Acanthyiis. — Type Hirundo spinicauda, Temm. [I'reoceuiiird by (liiclura, Stephens, (jeii. Zoo). xiii. pt. 2, p. 7G: cf. Ilartert, Cat. B. Brit. i\Ius. xvi. p. 170.] Chdidon. — Tyjie Hiruudo viridix. AVils. xlviii LITERATURE. Cotyle. — Type Hirundo fucata, Temm., with C. rupestris and C. riparia. Progne. — 'Yy^e P . purpurea (Gm.). Cecropjs. — Type H. capensis (Gm.). As in his previous paper, Boie gives no descriptions ; but the types being indicated, his genera Progne and Cecropis have been adopted and admitted. 1826. Lesson, E. P., and Gaenot, P. Voyage autour du Monde execute par Ordre du Roi sur la Corvette ' La CoquiUe ' pendant les annees 1822, 1823, 1824, et 1825. Zoologie. Vol. I. 1*^^^ partie. 4to. Paris, 1826. Pp. 743. Hirundo tailensis, sp. n., Otaiti. [=77. tahitica, Lath.] 1826. Stephens, J. P. General Zoology. Vol. xiii. pt. 2. London. 8vo. Pp. 290. This volume forms a Supplement to the "Birds" of Shaw's ' General Zoology.' At p. 77 he gives a list of the species of " Swallow." Hirundo filifera, described (p. 78) [ex Latham's "Wire-tailed Swallow"]. 1827. SwAiNSON, W. A Synopsis of the Birds discovered in Mexico by W. Bullock and Mr. William Bxillock, jun. Phil. Mag. new series, i. pp. 364-369. Hirundo thalassina, sp. n. (p. 366). From the "Table Land, Rio del Monte." Hirundo melanogaster, sp. u. (p. 366). " Inhabits the Table Land of Mexico." By some lapsus calami, Swainson, usually so accurate, describes this Swallow as H. melanogaster, but it has no black on the bell}', nor does he mention such a character in his diagnosis. In 1858 Sclater changed the name to Petrochelidon swainsoni. 1830. LiCHTENSTEiN, H. Preis-Verzeiclmiss mexicanischer Vogel etc. vom Jabre 1830. This is only known to ornithologists in this country from the reprint published by Dr. Cabanis in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie ' for 1863 (pp. 54-60) . Hirundo fumaria, sp. n., p. 2 (descr. nulla). \_ = Hirtindo erythrogaster, Bodd.] Hirundo prasina, sp. n., p. 2 (descr. nulla). [= Tachycineta bicolor.'] Hirundo coronata, sp. n., p. 3 (descr. nulla). \^ = Petrochelidon swainsoni, Scl.] Had this species been diagnosed by Lichtenstein, his name would have had priority. 1830. Maximilian, Prinz zu Wied. Beitrage zur Naturgescbicbte von Brasilien. Band iii. Abth. i. 8vo. Weimar, 1830. Pp. 636. The Hirundinidce occu^jy pp. 353-374. Hirundo pascuum, sp. u. (p. 360). [ — Progne iapera (L.).] 1830. QroY et Gaimard. Voyage de 1' Astrolabe, execute par ordre du lloi pendant les annees 1826-27-28-29 sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville. Zool. vol. i. 8vo. Paris, 1830. Atlas in folio. Hirundo frontalis, n. sp., Dorey (pi. 12. fig. 1). [ = Hirundo javanica, Sparrm.] Hirundo nigricans, figured (pi. 12. fig. 2). LITEEATUEE. xlix 1830-32. Gray, J. E. Illustrations of Indian Zoology, chiefly selected from the Collection of Major-General Hardwicke. Vol. i. Polio. London, 1830-32. Hirundo ekinensis is figured (pi, 35. fig. 3), but no description is given. This is not the same as the Hirundo sineiisis of Gmelin {vide supra, p. xl). 1831. Beehm, C. L. Handbuch der Naturgeschichte aller Vogel Deutschland's, etc. 8vo. Ilmenau, 1831. Pp. 1085. Taf. xlvi. Brehm adopts Boie's genus Cecropis for Hirundo rustica (p. 137), with a second form, Cecropis pagorum. This name has been adopted by recent -n-riters for the richly-coloured individuals of Hirundo rustica, which are often mistaken for Hirundo savignii. Brehm does not found his species on the rufous colour of the underparts, but upon the more flattened skull and longer toes of his C. pagorum ! Chelidon urbica is divided into three races, viz. : 1. C. urbica (p. 139), 2. C. fenestrarum (p. 140), 3. C.rupestris (p. 140). Cotyle riparia has two other forms, Cotyle jluviatilis (p. 142) and Chelidon (lapsu !) microrhijnchos. Cotyle rupestris has no subspecies or races attached to it. 1831. Lesson, R. P. Traite d'Ornithologie, ou Tableau Methodique des Ordres, Sous-Ordres, Pamilles, Tribus, Genres, Sous-Genres et Races d'Oiseaux. 8vo. Paris, 1831. Hirundo castanea (p. 268). [= Hirundo savignii, Steph.] Hirundo flaviventei- (p. 269). Bresil. \] = Stelgidopteryx ruficollis.'] Hirundo robini (p. 270). [^=Cypseloides ridihis (V.) : cf. Hartert, Cat. Birds, xvi. p. 493.] 1831. Prankxin, Major James. Catalogue of Birds (systematically arranged) which were collected on the Ganges between Calcutta and Benares, and in the Vindhyian hills between the latter place and Gurrah Mundcla, ou the Nerbudda. P. Z. S. 1831, pp. 114-125. Hirundo filicaudat a, sp. n. \_ = Hirundo sniithii. Leach.] 1832. SxKES, W. H. Catalogue of Birds of the Raptorial and Insessorial Orders (systematically arranged) observed in the Dukbun. P. Z. S. 1832, pp. 77-79. Hirundo jewan, sp. n. (p. 83). [ = Hirundo guituralis, Gm.j Hirundo erythropygia, sp. n. (p. 83) . Hirundo concolor, sp. n. (p. 83). [=Biblis concolor (Sykcs).] 1835. Temminck, C. J. Manuel d'Ornithologie, ou Tableau Systematique d(\s (Jiscaux qui se trouvent en Europe. Secoude Edition. Troisiemc Partie. 8vo. Pp. 305. Hirundo rnfula, sp. n. (p. 298). Tlic description leaves little doubt of tlic s)iecics intended by tlic pr()]i(iser, l)nt lie idiiilifics lli^ Hirundo riifula, which he apjiarently clcscril)c. 111). 1859. ScLATER, P. L. On a series of Birds collected in the vieinity of Jala])a in Southern Mexico. P. Z. S. 1859, pp. 3C2-3G9. Cofyle fulvipennis, sp. n. (p. 361). \^ = Stelgidopteryx serripennis, ]n\\\ VOL. I. h Iviii LITEEATURE. 1860. Hartlaub, G. Systematische Uebersiclit der Vogel Madagascars. J. f. O. 1860, pp. 81-112. Phedina madagascariensis, sp. n. (p. 83). 1861. BuRMEiSTER, H. Reise duroli die La Plata-Staatea. Band ii. Halle, 1861, Pp. vi, 538. Atticora hemipyga, sp. n. (p. 479), Mendoza. \_ = Atticora cyanoleuca (V.).] 1861. Heuglin, Dr. Th. von. Beitrage zur Ornitliologie Nord-Ost-Afrika's. J. f. O. 1861, pp. 417-431. Chelidon albigena, sp. n., Bogos Land. 1862. ScLATER, P. L. Catalogue of a Collection of American Birds belonging to P. L. S. 8vo. London, 1862. Pp. xvi, 338. Microchelidon, gen. n. (p. 39). — Type M. tibialis (Cass.). Neochelidon, nom. emend, (p. xvi), pro Microchelidon (Sol. ut supra, nee Reiclienb.). 1862. Hartlaub, G., in J. J. Monteiro's ' Notes on Birds collected in Angola in 1861.' Ibis, 1862, pp. 333-342. Hirundo monteiri, sp. n. (p. 340). Figured (pi. xi.). 1862. SwiNHOE, Robert. On some Tientsin Birds collected by Mr. Fleming, E-.A., in tbe possession of Mr. Whitely. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 320. Chelidon blakistoni, sp. n. (p. 320), Hakodadi. [=C. dasypus, Bp., 1850.] Chelidon whitelyi, sp. n. (p. 320), Pekin. [=C lagopus (Pall.).] 1862. Heuglin, Th. v. Beitrage zur Ornitliologie Nord-Ost-Afrika's. J. f. O. 1862, pp. 285-307. Atticora cypseloides, sp. n. (p. 297), Central Abyssinia. \;=Hirundo griseopyga, Sund.] 1863. Lawrence, G. N. Catalogue of a Collection of Birds, made in New Granada, by James McLeannan, Esq., of New York, with Notes and Descriptions of new Species. Part IV. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. pp. 1-13. Petrochelidon albilinea, sp. n. (p. 2). 1863. Lawrence, G. N. Descriptions of eight new Species of Birds from the Isthmus of Panama. Ibis, 1863, pp. 181-185. Stelgidopteryx uropygialis, sp. n. (p. 181) . IJTEEATURE. lix 1863. Salvin, O. Descriptions of thirteen new Species of Birds discovered in Central America bj^ Frederick Godman and Osbert Salvin. P. Z. S. 1863, pp. 186-192. Petrochelidon littorea, sp. n. (p. 189). \_=Tachycineta albUinea (Lawr.).] 1864. ScLATER, P. L. On tlie Birds collected by Capt. J. H. Speke during the East- African Expedition. P. Z. S. 1861, pp. 106-115, pi. xiv. Psalidoproate alhiceps, sp. n. (p. 108), from Usui, Central East Africa. 1864. Jerdon, T. C. Birds of India. Vol. iii. 8vo. Calcutta, 1861. Pp. viii, 876, xxxii. Hirundo ty fieri, sp. n. (p. 870), Dacca. 1865. Baird, S. F. Pteview of American Birds in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I. 8vo. Washington, 1861-72. Pp. vi, 478. This is one of the most important essays ever published on the Swallows, and has been the foundation of all subsequent classifications of the Family, the account of which occupies pp. 207-320. Progne elegans, sp. n. (p. 275), Buenos Ayres. Progne cryptoleuca, sp. u. (p. 277), Cuba. Progne f areata, sp. n. (p. 278), Chili. Phceoprogne, subgen. n. (p. 283). — Type P.fusca (V.). Callichelidon, subgen. n. (p. 303), ex Bryant, MSS. — Type C. cyaneoviridis, Bryant. Notioc/ielidou, subgen. n. (p. 306). — Type Aiticora pileata (Gould). Pygochelidon, subgen. n. (p. 308). — Type Atticora cyanoleuca (V.). Atticora ci/anoleuca, var. n. montana (p. 310), Costa llica. Stelgidopteryx fulvigula, sp. n., Costa Rica. \ = S. uropygialis, juv.] 1865. Gould, J. Handbook to the Birds of Australia. Vol. i. 8vo. London, 1S65. Pp. viii, 636. Hylochelidon, gen. n. (p. 110). — Type H. nigricans (V.). \^ = Petrochelidon, Cab.] Lagenoplastes, gen. n. (p. 112). — Type Z,. ariel (Gould). [=Petroc/ie(idon.] Hirundo fretensis, sp. n. (p. 110), Torres Straits. [=//. gutturalis. Scop.] 1866. Brehm, a. E. Verzeichniss der S am m lung C. L. Brehm's. Wc have never seen this book and quote it on Dressci-'s authority. It ai)pareutly contains a number of nominal species, to which trinomial names are given, all of which ought to liave bct'ii sup- pressed instead of published. Hirundo hoissoneuuti lutirostris and //. b. microrhynchus (p. 3) teste Dresser. 1866. Blytu, E. Ornithology of India — a Commentary on Dr. Jerdon's ' Birds of India.' Ibis, 1866, pp. 336-376. Lagenoplastes empasa, ,sp. u., India (ex Gould, WSS.). [= Petrochelidon Jlurirola.] h2 Ix LITEEATUEE. 1866. GuBNEY, John Henry, Jun. Letter from. Ibis, 1866, p. 423. Hirundo riocouri in Durliam. Afterwards recognized as H. rustica, ptil. jestiv. {id. Ibis, 1875, p. 519). 1866. Hartlatjb, G., in Dr. Dobrii's Synopsis of the Birds of Ilha do Principe, with some remarks on their habits, and descriptions of new Species. P. Z. S. 1866, pp. 324-332. Cotile eques, sp. n. (p. 325). [=C. cincta (Bodd.).] 1866. Bryant, H. A Hst of tlie Birds of St. Domingo, with descriptions of some new Species or Varieties. Proc. Bost. Soc. 1866, xi. pp. 89-98. Hirundo euchryscea, var. dominicensis (p. 95), St. Domingo. \_ = Hirimdo sclateri, Cory.] 1867. Beavan, R. C. The Avifauna of the Andaman Islands. Ibis, 1867, pp. 316-334. Hirundo andamanensis, Tytler, sp. n. (p. 316). \_ = H. giitturalis, Scop.] 1867. BocAGE, J. V. Barboza du. Aves das possessoes Portuguezas da Africa occi- dental que existem no Museum de Lisboa. Jorn. Lisb. i. pp. 129-153. Hirundo anchietce, sp. n. (p. 150). [ — Hirundo sinithii, Leach.] 1868. . The same. Terceira Lista. Jorn. Lisb. ii. pp. 38-50. Hirundo angolensis, sp. n. (p. 47), Huilla, Bcuguela. 1868. Gould, J. Birds of Asia. Part xx. Hypurolepis, gen. n.— Type H. domicola (Jerd.). \_=Petroclielidon.'\ 1868. Hartlaub, G., in J. H. Gurney's Notes on Mr. Layard's ' Birds of South Africa.' Ibis, 1868. pp. 134-164. Hirundo alfredi, sp. n. (p. 152, pi. 4), Trans%'aal. [ = Petrochdidon spilodera (Sund.).] 1869. Baldamus, E. Kaliologische und oologische Stadien. J. f. O. 1869, pp. 403- 409. The Swallows are classified according to the colour of their eggs and mode of nest-building. Hirundo alfredi is a Petrochelidon (p. 405) . Antrochelidon, gen. n.— Type A. nigricans (V.). 1869. Hetjglin, Th. von. Ornitbologie Nordost-Afrika's, der Nilquellen- und Ktlsten- Gebiete des rothen Meeres und des nordlichen Somal-Landes. Th. i. Abth. i. 8vo. Cassel, 1869. Pp. cxvi, 416. Tab. i.-xiv. Atticora griseopyga figured (tab. vii.) Hirundo fuscicapi I la, sp. n. [—H. smit/iii, ^uv.~\ This part of Heugliu's work is said to have been published on the 1st of November, 1869, and yet it contains a complete reference to Hirundo domicel/a of Finsch and Hartlanb, who must have shown proofs to Heuglin, as they did to us in 1870. LITEEATURE. Ixi 1869. Gkat, G. R. Hand-list of Genera and Species of Birds, distinguishing those contained in the British Museum. Part i. 8vo. London, 1809. Pp. xs, -401. The Hirundinidce (pp. 68-75) extend from nos. 786-896. The genera Hirundo, Atticora, Cotile, Chelidon, and Progne are admitted — Psalidoprooiehemg placed under Hirundo, and Stelgidopteryx under Cotile. Every valid species which was wanting to tlie collection of the British jNIuseum in 1871 has since been added. 1869. Sharps, R. B. Letter from. Ibis, 1869, p. 461. Waldenia, gen. n. — Tj'pe W. nigrita (Gray). 1870. FiNscH, O., and Hartlaub, G., in Baron Carl Glaus von der Decken's ' Eeisen in Ost-Afrika's. Band vi. Die Vogel Ost-Africa's.' 4to. Leipzig and Heidelberg, 1870. Pp. 898. Hirundo domicella, sp. n. (p. 143), Kasamanse. 1870. Sharpe, R. Boaydler, and Dresser, H. E. On some new or little-known points in the Economy of the Common Swallow. P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 211-249. These remarks on the winter moulting of the Swallow formed part of our general essay on the Ethiopian Region {infra). As we were at the time joint authors of the ' Birds of Europe/ that portion of our paper referring to the Chimney-Swallow of Europe was, at Mr. Dresser's request, published separately, and his name added as author. 1870. Sharpe, Pi.. Bowdler. On the Hirmulinidce of the Ethiopian Region. P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 286-326. The family Hirundinidce divided into Smooth- winged Swallows [Hirundinina:) and Rough-winged Swallows (^Psalidojirocnince). 38 species known from Africa and Madagascar in 1870, of which Cotile eques has since been united to C. cincta, leaving 37 species as valid. 1871. SwixHOE, R. A revised Catalogue of the Birds of China and its Islands, with descriptions of new Species, References to former Notes, and occasional Remarks. P. Z. S. 1871, pp. 337-423. Cecropis ardiritta, sp. n., p. 346. \_ — Hirundo nipalends, Hodgs.] 1873. IIujiE, A. O. Novelties. Stray P. i. p. 1. Ptionoprognc pallida, sp. n., Sindh. \_ — BibUs obsolcta.] 1875. . A First List of the Birds of Upper Pegu. Str. F. iii. p. 43. Cotile obscurior, sp. n., Thayctmyo. [Not distinct from C. sinensis.] 1876. Sharpe, R. Bowdler, and Bouvier, A. Etudes d'Ornithologie Africaine. — Catalogue d'une collection recueillio u Landana ct Chinchouxo (Conno) par M. Louis Petit pendant Ics mois de Janvier, Fcvrier, ct Mars, IS 76. liull. Soc. Zool. France, i. pp. 36-53. Psalidoprocne pelili, sp. u. ([>. 38), Laudaua. Figured ([)1. ii.). Ixii LITERATUEE. ' 1876. Walden, Viscol'NT. Notes on the late Colonel Tickell's Manuscript Work entitled ' Illustrations of Indian Ornithology.' Ibis, 1876, pp. 336-357. Krimnochelidon, Tickell, gen. ii. (p. 356). — Type K. concolor. [ = Biblis.] 1876. Cooper, J. G. Californian Garden Birds. American Naturalist, x. p. 91. Hirundo bicolor, var. vespertina, a name proposed for the Western White-bellied Swallow. [= Tachy- cineta bicolorJ] 1877. Hume, A. O. Remarks on some Species of the Subgenus Lillia. Str. T. v. pp. 254-267. Lillia intermedia, sp. n., (p. 263), Assam. \^ = Hirundo daurica, L.] Lillia subsiriolata, sp. n. (p. 264), Cacliar. [ = HiTundo daurica, L.] Cecropis archetes, sp. n. (p. 266), Malacca. [= Hirundo badia, Cass.] 1877. BocAGE, J. V. Barboza du. Especes nouvelles d'Angola. Part III. Jorn. Lisb. vi. pp. 158-161. Hirundo nigrorufa, sp. n. (p. 158), Caconda, Benguela. 1878. . The same. Part V. Jorn. Lisb. vi. pp. 254-280. Hirundo rufigula, sp. u., Benguela. \_ = Petrochelidon rufigula (Bocage).] 1878. CouES, E. Birds of the Colorado Valley, a repository of scientific and popular information concerning North-American Ornithology. — Part I. Passeres to Laniidoe. Bibliographical Appendix. 8vo. Washington, 1878. Pp. xvi, 807. Chapter xiv. (pp. 364-450) is devoted to the Swallows, and no better account of the Family has ever appeared. The classification, migration, and literature of the family are all treated of, with excellent synonymy and account of the habits of the American species. Iridoprocne, subgeu. n. (p. 412). — Type /. bicolor. 1880. CouES, E. Third Instalment of American Ornithological Bibliography. Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. v. pp. 521-528. 1880. Taczanowski, L. Liste des Oiseaux recueillis au nord du Perou par M. Stolz- mann pendant les derniers mois de 1878 et dans la premiere moitie de 1879. P. Z. S. 1880, pp. 189-215. Hirundo leucopygia, sp. n. (p. 192). \;=Tacliycineta albilinea (Lawr.).] 1881. Bocage, J. V. Barboza dtj. Ornithologie d'Angola. Roy. 8vo. Lisbonne, 1881. Pp. xxxii, 576. Pis. X. Hirundo ambigua, sp. n. (p. 186). [ = Hi7-undo albigularis, Strickl.] 1882. Sharpe, R. Bg^^dler. On a new Species of Sand-Martin (Coiile) from Mada- gascar. Journ. Linn. See, Zool. xvi. pp. 322, 323. Coiile coivani, sp. n., Betsileo. LITEEATUEE. Ixiii 1882. Stejneger, L. On some generic and specific appellations of North-American and European Birds. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. pp. 28-43. Ckelidon, Forster, is proposed (p. 32) to supersede Hirundo, Linn, (a composite genus^ for the Chimney-Swallows; Hirundo, Forster, to supersede Chelidon, Boie, for the House-Martins ; and Cliri- cola, Forster, for Cotyle, Boie, for the Sand-Martins. 1883. RiDGWAT, R. Descriptions of some Birds supposed to be undescribed from the Commander Islands and Petropaulovski, collected by Dr. Leonard Stejneger. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. pp. 90-96. Hirundo saturata, sp. n. (ex Stejneger, ]\ISS.), p. 95, Petropaulovski. [ = Hirundo tytleri, Jerd.] 1883. Dybowski, B. Remarques sur les Oiseaux du Kamtschatka et des ties Coman- dores. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, viii. pp. 351-370. HiT^ndo kamtschatica, sp. n., p. 356. \_= Hirundo gutturalis, Scop.] 1883. Seeboh^i, H. Notes on Hirundo rufula and its allies, with description of a supposed new Subspecies. Ibis, 1883, p. 167-169. Hirundo scullii, sp. n. [Is a small race of Hirundo rufula.'\ 1884. Cory, C. B. Descriptions of several new Birds from Santo Domingo. Auk, 1884, pp. 1-5. Hirundo sclateri, sp. n. (p. 2). 1884. Petit, L. Notice sur I'Hirondelle de Pouchet. Ball. Soc. Zool. France, ix. pp. 79, 80. Hirundo poucheti, sp. n., p. 79. [ = Hirundo griseopyga, Sund.] 1884. Fischer, G. A., und Beichenow, A. Neue Vogelarten aus dem Massailand (inneres Ostafrika). J. f. O. 1884, p. 53. Cotile rufigula, sp. n., Lake Naiwascha. 1884. Salvadori, T. Uccelli dcllo Scioa e dclla regione fra Zeila e lo Scioa. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) i. pp. 21-269. Psalidoprocne unlinorii, sp. n. (p. 123), Denz, Shoa. 1884. Dybowski, B., et Taczanowski, L. Liste des Oiseaux du Kamtschatka et des isles Comandores. Bull. Soc. ZooL France, ix. pp. 145-161. Hirundo rustica horenlis, subsp. n. (p. 152). [ = Hirundo gutturali.i, Scop.] Hirundo rustica baicalemis, subsp. n. (p. 152). [ = HirunJo tijtleri, .lerd.] Ixiv LITEEATUEE. 1885. Sharpe, R. Bowdler. Catalogue of the Passeriformes, or Perching Birds, in the Collection of the British Museum. Pringilliformes : Part I. Containing the Families Dicceidce, Hirundiniclce, Ampelidce, Mniotiltidoi, and MotacilUdhinirisis. 2 b'. ]Minor: ala 4 poll. : subtus alba, dilute fumoso-brun- neo lavata : cauda minus furcata 2. cashmiriensis , p. 19. b'" . Mentum et genaj ad basin nigrte : subtiis alba, funioso- brnnneo lavata : cauda miiiiis furcata 3. dasypus, p. 23. b". Supracaudales longiores albie, reliquse concolores : mentum minimi nigro maculatum : cauda paullo furcata .... 4. lagojms, p. 25. b'. Rectrix e.Ktima intus albo notata 5. albigena, p. 29. b. Subcaudales nigrfE 6. nipalensis, p. 31. No species of House-Martin is found in the New World, nor does any species, so far as we know, occur within the liiuits of the Australian Region. In the Palaearctic Region the House-Martins are universally distrihuted, breeding in the Eurasian Sub-Region even beyond the Arctic Circle. C. urbica is the western species and is replaced in the Central Siberian province and thence eastwards by C. lagojms, whilst still further to the eastwards C dast/jms takes its place in the Japanese Islands. Our information as to the House-Martins in Central Asia and their distribution seems to us to be still imperfect, but even the winter-ranges of C. wMca and C. lagopus appear to preserve the eastern and Avestern cliaracter of their breeding-habitats. In the case of the Common Martin, as has been noted with many other Swallows, there is a tendency to found breeding-colonies in outlying districts, as, for instance, in the Nilghiris. Of C. albigena we still know so little that we cannot speculate upon its distribution. C. cashmiriensis is a southern form of C. urbica and is characteristic of the mountainous fauna included in the Himalo-Chinese Sub-Region ; while C. nipalensis, the most aberrant member of the genus Chelidoii, is strictly an inhabitant of the northern Himalo-Malayan Sub- Region. CW.-W.dal CHELIDON UFLBICA., (J'ounx) J Mirxtexn. Bros . imp , aX ^©''■'i^ v^/ .r/l /^i^> J' 11 Av * ^^;i/-;:^ ^^'f%?4^„„.^^ w**lj^ 4.»4 •«?.= CHELIDON URBTCA Minterri Bros. imp. CHELIDON URBICA (L.). HOUSE-MARTIN. La petite Hirondelle ou le Martinet a ml Uanc, Briss. Om. ii. p. 490 (1760). Riruiido wbica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. Si-l (1766) ; Teuiin. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 12S (1S15) ; Fovster, Sya. Cat. Brit. B. p. 55 (1817) ; Nauin. Vog. Deutsclil. vi. p. 75. Taf. 145 (1823) ; Roux, Om. Pi-oveuc. pi. Ill (1825) ; Werner, Atlas, Chelidones, pis. 2, 3 (1827) ; Menetr. Cat. rais. Cauc. p. 15 (1832) ; Selby, Brit. B. p. 123. pi. xlii. fig. 2 (1833) ; Gould, B. Eur. ii. pi. 57 (1838) ; Sclil. & Susem. Vog. Eur. Taf. vi. I. fig. 1 (1839) ; Macgill. Brit. B. iii. p. 573 (1810) ; Nordm. in Demid. Voy. Buss. Merid. iii. p. 200 (1810) ; Hewits. Eggs Brit. B. i. p. 216, pi. Ivii. fig. 3 (1816) ; Thomps. B. Ireland, i. p. 389 (1819); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. • p. 198 (1819, pt.) ; KjjBrb. Orn. Dan. pi. xiv. fig. 5 (1852); Sclil. Vog. Xederi. pi. 58 (1851); Suudev. Sv. Pogl. pi. xvii. fig. 6 (1856-72); Linderni. Vog. Grieclienl. p. 117 (1860) ; Sclil. Dier. Nederi. Vogels, pi. 6. iigs. 5, 5 a (1861) ; Keulem. N. T. D. iii. p. 381 (1866) ; Borggr. Vogelf. Norddeutsclil. p. 100 (1869) ; E. Gray, B. W. Scotl. p. 207 (1871); Harting, Handb. Brit. B. p. 35 (1872); Godman, Ibis, 1872, p. 171 ; Keulem. Onze Vogels, ii. pi. 19 (1873) ; Saxby, B. Shetl. p. 116 (1871) ; Harting, Summer Migr. p. 181 (1875) ; Eallon, Ois. Belg. p. 121 (1875) ; Seebolim, Ibis, 1882, pp. 210, 371 ; id. Brit. B. iii. p. 178. pi. 17 (1883); Dixon, Ibis, 1882, p. 561; Homeyer & Tancre, 3Iitth. orn. Ver. Wien, May 1883, p. 83 ; Gadeau de Kerville, Eaun. Norm. p. 201 (1890) ; Olpbc-Galliarrl, Faun. Eur. Occ. fasc. xxii. pp. 67, 761; Eeiser, Vogels. Landesm. Sarajevo, p. 23 (1891) ; Gatke, Vogehv. Helgol. p. 138 (1891). Le petit Martinet, Daubent. PI. Enl. vii. pi. 542. Vnirondelle au croupion Uanc on, V Llirondelle de Fenetre, Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 611, pi. XXV. fig. 2 (1779). Martin, Latb. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 561. (1783). Uirimdo domestica, Leach, Syst. Cat. ]Mamm. etc. Brit. Mus. p. 19 (1816). Chclidnn urJjica, Boie, Isis, 1822, ]>. 550; Biipp. Neue AVirii. p. 106 (1S35); Keys. & Bias. AVirb. Eur. p. ixi (1810); Biipp. Syst. Uebcrs. ]). 22 (is 15) ; Gray. Gen. B. i. p. 60 (1815); id. Cat. Fissir. Brit. Mus. p. 31 (is is) ; p.p. Cousj). i. j). 3i:'. (1850); Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 51 (1850); Bolle, ,1. f. O. Is5|. p. ICO; lleu-l. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (1856) ; Jaub. et J'.artb.-Lai)()inin. Ki.'li. Oi-n. p. :', lO ( 1 ^"'i)) ; Salvin, Ibis, lS.5i), ]>. 302; Trislr. I.e. ]). 13 !■ : \\r\v^\. .I.T. <>• isCl. p. 119; Gould, B. Gt. Br. vol. ii. pi. 6 (1862-73) ; .lord. 1'.. Ind. i. i'. It'i'' (l^il-'i ; N-'\\I.)m in Baring-Gould's Iceland, p. 108 (1863) ; IJrehm, Keis. Ibilx'M-li, p. 272 (1S(;3); Filippi, Viagg. Pers. p. 346 (1865) ; Bettoni, Uce. nidif. Lomb. tav. 67 (1865-70) ; More, Ibis, 1865, p. 139 ; Baird, Ibis, 1867, p. 281 ; Degl. & Gerbe, Orn. Eur. i. p. 592 (1867); Loche, Expl. Sci. Alger., Ois. ii. p. 71 (1867); Tristr. Ibis, 1867, p. 364 ; Drake, t. c. p. 425 ; Saunders, Ibis, 1869, p. 174 ; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 168 (1869) ; Doderl. Avif. Sicil. p. 145 (1869) ; Droste, Vogelw. Bork. p. 87 (1869) ; Wyatt, Ibis, 1870, p. 12 ; Elwes & Buckl. t. c. p. 200 ; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 349 (1870); Sliarpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 202; Eritsch, Vog. Eur. tab. 23. fig. 5 (c. 1870) ; Salvad. Faun. Ital. Ucc. p. 51 (1871) ; Shelley, B. Egypt, p. 125 (1872) ; Alst. & Harvie-Brown, Ibis, 1873, p. 59 ; Brooke, t. c. p. 237 ; Hume, Str. E. 1873, p. 323 ; Brooks, Str. E. 1875, p. 231 ; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 495, pi. 162 (1875) ; Irby, B. Gibr. p. 102 (1875); "VVharton, Ibis, 1876, p. 19; Walden, t. c. p. 356 ; Blanf. East. Pers. ii. p. 216 (1876) ; Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, ii. p. 138 (1877) ; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 84 (1879) ; Bogdanoff, B. Caucas. p. 116 (1879) ; Newt. ed. Yarr. Brit. B. ii. p. 349 (1880) ; Butler, Cat. B. S. Bom- bay Pres. p. 15 (1880) ; CoUett, Norges Fugle, p. 286 (1881) ; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 428; Sbelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 259; Biddulph, t. c. p. 269; Stejn. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. V. p. 32 (1882) ; Severtz. Ibis, 1883, p. 70 ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 44 (1883) ; De Eocbebr. Faun. Seneg., Ois. p. 216 (1884) ; Tristr. Faun. & Flor. Palest, p. 62 (1884) ; Badde, Orn. Cauc. p. 36 (1884) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 839 (1884) ; Eagle Clarke, Ibis, 1884, p. 142 ; Saunders, t. c. p. 374 ; Zarudn. Ois. Transcasp. p. 32 (1885) ; Whitehead, Ibis, 1885, p. 27 ; Chapman, Ibis, 1885, p. 175 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 87 (1885) ; Giglioli, Avif. Ital. p. 186 (1886) ; Pleske, Uebers. Saug. uud Vog. Kola-Halbins. p. 92 (1886) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. pt. iii. (1886); Tait, Ibis, 1887, p. 191; Macpherson, t. c. p. 470; Salvad. Elench. Ucc. Ital. p. 81 (1887); Radde, Ornis, iii. p. 490 (1887); Guillemard, Ibis, 1888, p. 120 ; Lilford, t. c. p. 329 ; Beid, t. c. p. 433 ; Koenig, J. f. O. 1888, p. 166 ; Tristram, Cat. Coll. p. 203 (1889) ; Eagle Clarke, Ibis, 1889, p. 542 ; Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 157 (1889) ; Giglioli, Prim. Eesoc. p. 313 (1889) ; id. op. cit. pt. ii. p. 187 (1890) ; Gates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 269 (1890) ; id. ed. Hume's Nests & Eggs Ind. B. ii. p. 177 (1890) ; Brusina, Motr. etc. [Orn. Croat.] p. 58 (1890) ; id. Orn. Jahrb. ii. p. 17 (1891) ; Graham, Birds of lona & Mull, pp. 180-182, 228 (1891) ; Buckley & Harvie-Brown, Vertebr. Faun. Orkney Isl. p. 112 (1891) ; Frivaldsky, Av. Hung. p. 71 (1891) ; Evans, Ibis, 1891, p. 61 ; Sbarpe, Sci. Res. Second Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 105 (1891) ; Seeb. Ibis, 1892, p. 19 ; Meade-Waldo, Ibis, 1893, p. 192. Clielidon fenestrarmn, C. L. Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 140 (1831). Chelidou rupesMs, C. L. Brehm, t. c. p. 140 (1831). Hirunclo Candida, ) Sirundo varia, I Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. vi. p. 77 (1833). Ilirundo ixdlida, J The 3Iartin, Yarr. Brit. B. ii. p. 222 (1843). ^ A. E. Brelim, Verz. Samml. C. L. Erelim, p. 3 (1SG6, teste Dresser). Chelidon tectoriim, C. L. Brehm, Naum. 1855, p. 271. Chelidon iirhlcn vulgaris, Chelidon tirbica latirostris, Chelidon urbica fenestrctrnm, Chelidon iirhica tectorum, Chelidon urbica rupestris, Chelidon urbica septentrionalis,^ Chelidon cashmiriei/sis (nee Gould), Gigl. Avif. Ital. p. 187 (1886) ; id. & Manzella, Icon. Avif. Ital. fasc. xliii. (1888) ; Gigl. Avif. Ital. i. Eesoc. p. 316 (1889). Chelidonaria urbica, Heichen. J. f. O. 1889, p. 187 ; id. Syst. Uebers. Vog. Deutsclil. p. 25 (1889) ; Hartert, Kat. Vogelsamml. Senckenb. Mus. p. 98 (1891). C subcaudalibus albis : rectricibus immaculatis : supracaudalibus longioribus nigris, reliquis albis : mento albo, gastraeo concolore, nee fnmoso : cauda valde furcata. Hab. in regione Palsearetica oceidentali, usque ad Asiam centralem, in Africa et in peninsula Indica hibernans. Adult male in breedinrj-plumage. General colour above deep purplish blue, with slight indications of the white bases of the feathers showing on the hind neck and mantle ; wing-coverts blackish, the lesser series slightly glossed with purple, the median and greater coverts with a very faint steely gloss ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills also blackish, slightly glossed with steely green ; lower back and rump pure white, sometimes with narrow shaft-lines of dusky ; upper tail-coverts blue like the back ; tail-feathers blackish brown, with a slight steel-blue gloss on the centre ones ; crown of head like the back ; lores and feathers round the eye black, as well as the ear-coverts ; cheeks and lower ear-coverts as well as the entire under surface of the body pure wliitc ; sides of body and flanks washed with very pale smoky brown ; thighs white ; under tail-coverts white, sometimes with a sliglit wash of dingy brown, the shaft-stripes dusky and tolerably distinct, these streaks, however, often absent; under wing-coverts and axillaries smoky brown, the outer wing- coverts mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; quills dusky brown below, a little paler on the inner edge: bill black; feet black; iris dark brown. Total length 5-5 inches, cuhncn 0-35, wing -1"52, tail 2-5, tarsus ()• i;"). Adult fciiiak'. Similar to the male iu colour. Total length 5 inches, culmen Ooo, wing I'o, tail 2-5, tarsus 0' t."). Younff. Distinguished from tlic adults at a glance by the yellow gajie and white IVinges to the ends ol the secondaries. The colour of the upper surface is much dnllti-, being often of a dingy l)rown with a gloss of imrplish or greenish steel-l)lue; th(' throat is pale smoky lirown, well dclinrd (in the fore neck, and contrasting with the rest of the under surface, which is pure white. Hciore leaving England, the plumage becomes worn and dingy brown, but the new feathers are visible in examples killed late in Octolier. Sometimes the young have a pretty tinge of rnl'ous isabelline on the thmat and fore neck, and this same colour is often visible ou the adults in breeding-plumage, pervading also tlic runqi. 3 M 4 Hab. The whole of the western Palsearctic Region, extending into Central Asia and into the Indian Peninsula. Wintering in the latter locality and in Africa. The House-Martin is easily recognized from tlie otlier species of the genus Chelido7i by its strongly forked tail. Tlie only other species which has no black spot upon the chin, but has the long upper tail-coverts black, is C. cashmiriensis. The latter species, however, may be distinguished by its smaller size, less forked tail, and by the smoky- brown tinge which pervades the Avhite under surface. As a general rule the above- named characters are sufficient to distinguish the two species, Imt it must be confessed that the smoky-brown tint of the under surface in C. cashmiriensis is often to be found in examples of C. urhica. One specimen of a young bird, shot near Hove in Sussex, on the IJitli of October, would certainly be ascribed to C. cashmiriensis but for its deeply forked tail, which shows that it is C. urhica. As far as the British Islands are concerned, the Martin appears everywhere to be a summer visitant, being as common in Ireland as it is in England, and nesting as far north as Shetland and the Orkney Islands. It occurs also in all the islands of the Inner Hebrides, and, until lately, was supposed to be absent in the Outer Hebrides, but in 1887 the Rev. H. A. Macpherson recorded a specimen from St. Kilda, and Messrs. Harvie-Brown and Buckley give North E-onay as an additional locality. An excellent account of the distribution of the Martin in Northern Europe is given in Mr. Dresser's ' Birds of Europe,' to which there seems little to be added. In the Earoes, according to Mr. Benzon's note, the Martin not unfrequently appears in spring, but does not breed. In Iceland its occurrences are very rare, and no instances of its breeding in the island are on record, though Eaber states that in 1839 a few pairs began to nest in Husevig in Northern Iceland, but very soon left the locality. In Scandinavia the species is generally distributed over the central and southern districts, but becomes rarer than the Swallow in the extreme north. Mr. Collett's note is as follows : — " It breeds in colonies throughout the eastern j)arts of Norway, but is less numerous on the west coast, though not uncommon, and nests commonly in some places, as, for instance, at Bergen. On the fells it breeds in and above the birch-region, in colonies in the rocks on the Eillefjeld, Ilugakolleu in Valders, the Kvamenaaset in Oie, the Blaahoerne, and other places in the Dovre range." Mr. Dresser states that Pastor Sommerfelt found it breeding here and there in East Einmark as far north as Vardo, and, according to AVoUey, a colony bred in a cliff near the Bogfjord in South Varanger. It is common throughout Sweden, and visits Lapland, where Mr. A. C. Chapman found them arriving and commencing to breed on the 4th of June. Mr. Dresser noticed it everywhere in the parts of Einland that he visited, but von Wright says that it only goes as far north as Aavasaksa, a little above Tornea. Dr. Pleske, in his work on the Mammals and Birds of the Kola Peninsula, gives 5 the date of its arrival in Sadankyda, as the 18th of May, in Karesuando as the 17th to the 30th of May, in Utsjoki as the 1st and 4th of June, in Enare as the 13th of May, and in Muonio as the 14th of June. It is recorded as the commonest hreedins hird in the Kandalakscha district. In Kussia it is said to be generally distributed, and -was found by Mr. Meves at Archangel. Messrs. Alston and Harvie-Brown state that they noticed House- Martins at St. Petersburg, Wuitegra, and Archangel, in T^hich latter place they nested among the stone carvings of the Imperial Barracks. Mr. Seebohm and Mr. Harvie- Brown did not meet with it on the Petchora, but Mr. Sabanaeff states that it is found in the Ural Mountains, as high as 60°. Taczanowsky records the Martin as a summer visitant to Poland, but states that it has become mucli less plentiful during the last twenty years. Throughout all the other countries of Europe the Martin seems to nest, arriving and commencing to build in the south much earlier than it does in the north. Thus Mr. Benzon considers that it is at least five days later in its arrival in Denmark than it is in England ; wdiile still further to the south, Mr. Howard Saunders found the birds busy building their nests at Seville on the 19th of Eebruary. Mr. Tait says that in Portugal the average date for the arrival of the species at Coimbra is the 19th of Eebruary, and that for departure the 7th of October ; these dates are given by Senhor Carvalho as the result of twenty-three years' experience. Mr. Tait says that in 1S87 he noticed a Martin at Abrantes, on the Tagus, on the 2nd of Eebruary. Colonel Irby gives the 5th of Eebruary as the earliest date of arrival noticed by him at Gibraltar ; and the species is found all over Spain, except in the Basque Provinces, where, according to Mr. Howard Saunders, it is almost unknown, though it is plentiful a little further to the east. The Martin is also common in Italy in March and April, returning in September and October. Count Salvadori considers it unlikely that tlie sjiecies breeds in Italy, certainly not in tlie southern part, while Benoit's statement that it winters there is also stated to be erroneous. Doderlcin mentions that the species winters in Sicily, but there is no record of its wintering in Corsica or Sardinia, where, however, the species breeds abundantly. Mr. Godman's note upon the species in the Canary Islands is as follows : — " This species is not recorded as a resident by other observers, and pei'haps is only accidental ; but as I saw a pair that had a nest at St. Anna in Madeira, I include it. I did not meet with it in the Canaries or elsewhere. Bollc says he saw swarms of them at OHva. in Eucrteventura, in April 1S52. He remarks that they disappeared as (luickly as they came." Mr. Meade-Waldo, however, met with the Martin in the Canaries in tliousands, and lie considers it to be now a regular spring and autuii.n niigrniit. In Algeria it nests in tlie towns and A'illagcs, aceordiitg td Loelic. ^Ir. I)i\i>ii says that he met with Martins everywhere from the coast to Biskra. .Mr. SiiUiii nuiiccd several at Souza, and again at Tunis. Dr. Koenin' lias sciii the sjn-cics in ihr latter 3 M 2 country in January, and Canon Tristram says that a few pairs may be seen througliout the winter in Algeria. Lord Lilford writes : — " I observed but few of this species in Cyprus, but Guillemard found it breeding in great numbers on the walls of the monastery of Kikko towards the end of May 1887, and states that a few of these birds remain in Cyprus throughout the winter." In Palestine, according to Canon Tristram, the Martin " arrives in great numbers about the 5th of April, and baving no Avindows to be utilized, builds on the faces of cliffs in all the valleys and ravines." Mr. Wyatt says : — " I met with a few of these birds in Wady Wisset, in the Sinaitic Peninsula, on March 16th ; it was the only place where I saw them, with the exception of a single bird I shot in Wady Eeiran." Both Lindermayer and Mtihle record the Martin as a common visitor to Greece in summer; and the same may be said of Turkey, according to Messrs. Elwes and Buckley. Professor Brusina says that' it is very rare in Agram, but plentiful in Cattaro, and he also found the species at Cettinje and Bijeka along with Illrimdo rustica. In Southern Russia, according to Von Nordmann, it is everywhere abundant, nesting not only in the villages, but in isolated houses, such as posting-stations, and it is even found breeding on the stone or wooden bridges which are found in the middle of the stejipe. In Astrachan, according to the observations of Mr. Henke, the Martin is not so common as Cotile riparia, and is not seen on the steppes. In the Caucasus, Dr. Badde says, the species is somewhat local, occurring in colonies, and not frequenting the low-lying and hot jiortioDS of the country. In many places it is more common than niriDido rustica, and it is met with breeding up to 9000 feet. In Southern Dagestan, Dr. P^adde found it rarer than the Chimney-Swallow. There seems to have been some hesitation in the minds of several ornithologists as to the eastern range of the House-Martin, and neither Mr. Dresser nor Mr. Seebohm fully recognize the fact of its occurrence in India, where it has often, no doubt, been confused with C. cashmirlensis. Mr. Blanford procured a specimen at Karman, near Shiraz, and gives the following note in his ' Birds of Eastern Persia ' : — " Not rare on the Persian highlands about towns and villages, though it is scarcely so common as it is in many parts of Europe. The Persians encourage the House-Martin to build in houses by hanging up little stands for them to settle upon, their presence in a house being considered lucky. I usually found their nests in villages at a considerable elevation, 0000 or 7000 feet, but the birds breed in Shiraz and other towns below 5000 feet. They are, of course, only summer visitors on the Persian highlands." Mr. Zarudnoi met with it commonly on the mountains during his journey to Trans- caspia. At Akal-Teke it was rarer, nesting in the ruins of the fortresses. In August bands of Martins came from the north on migration. Dr. Severtzoff does not record the House-Martin from Turkestan, but includes C. clasypus as an inhabitant of that country ; lie states, Iiowever, that Mai'tins. which he determined to he C. urbica, were ohserved migrating in small parties through the Pamir in the latter part of August. In the British Museum are three specimens, received in exchange from the St. Petersburg Museum, which bear the following labels : — "Tchimkent, May 3; R. Kurkuran, Aug. IS ; and Uljauutai, X.W. Mongolia, May 11." Dr. Pleske kindh' informs us that Tchimkent is a small fortress, not far from Tashkend, while Uljauutai is in Mongolia, between Kobdo and Urga, on a well-known caravan- route. The species has likewise been recorded by Messrs. Homeyer and Tancre from the Altai Mountains, though it might have been expected that C. clasypus would have replaced C. urbica in this locality. During the Second Expedition to Yarkand in 1873-71, specimens were shot at Saspul and Snurla on the Indus at the latter end of August, at Leh on the 30th of the same mouth, and again at Sanju on the 29th of October; besides these specimens obtained by Dr. Stoliczka, Colonel Biddulph also secured a specimen at Kargil in Ladak ; the latter gentleman likewise states that it was observed by him in Gilgit in July, and Dr. Scully also says that it is a summer visitor to Gilgit, where it is very commoii in May and June. Mr. W. E. Brooks states that he saw flocks of this species at Masuri at the end of April, and obtained three specimens, now in the Hume Collection. When he returned in June they were all gone. Mr. Hume received some specimens from Thundiani in Iluzara, a little sauitariuiu nearly 9000 feet above the level of the sea, where the birds are plentiful during the summer. Other specimens of the Common Martin are in the Hume Collection from Kandeish, killed in November, and from Shemogah in Mysore, obtained in April. Jerdon recorded the Martin from the Xilghiris in ]March, but said nothing as to its breeding in this locality, though Mr. Hume has received from Coimbatore some young specimens from Mr. Pt. P. Carter. These were obtained in January, and were doubtless bred in the neighbourhood, as the following note shows that the Martin actually breeds in Southern India. In Mr. Oates's edition of Mr. Hume's ' Xests and Eggs of Indian Birds' we read : — " Major M. F. Coussmaker writes from Bangalore regarding this Martin : — ' I took the nest of this bird on May 1, in the Shemogah Districts, Mysore. The spot selected liy this colony was a large overhanging rock in the bed of the Biver Tuuga, about three miles from Shemogah ; they a]:)pear to have bred in the same place for many years, as the under surface of the rock was covered with old nests. Tlie nests I got were so broken that I could take no reliable nieasarcmeuts. The esTirs were mosllv lianl-si't, and \.\\v number varied from two to four in each nest. Tlicy were pinky white before being- blown, and measured wX'-') inch. I believe that this species has not l)een found breeding in India before. Had I known this at the time I wouhl have made greater exertions to get a perfect nest, but the rock is very dillicult to get at ou iiig to its shape and position.' " In Africa the Uousc-Martin is onlv known as a winter visitor, iiiiLiral ini; bv tlie 8 Nile Valley to the interior of South-eastern Africa. Captain Shelley observed the species in Egypt and jS"ubia in April and May, when it was aj^parently making its way northward, and he found no evidence of its breeding in those countries. Von Ileuglin records it as a bird of passage only in N.E. Africa and Arabia, going north in February and March, and returning southward from August to the beginning of October, passing either singly or in large flocks, sometimes in company with other Swallows. A specimen was obtained by Mr. Blanford at Koomayli on the 2nd of February. We cannot find any evidence of the capture of the species in Eastern Africa, and yet it appears to pass south by the East Coast route, for it was discovered by the late Mr. J. S. Jameson during his expedition to Mashona Land. It was met with on the Quae-quae River on October 23rd ; and Mr. Ayres says that " for two or three days, from about 9 to 10 A.M., considerable numbers of Martins were flying up the river in a south- easterlj'' direction at a great height, only now and then one coming Avithin range; they were apparently migrating." We have never seen a Senegambian specimen, but M. de Piochebrune says it is common there in winter, and gives a number of places where it has been observed. He states that it arrives there in October. Mr. Keulemans, who accompanied Dr. Dohrn on his expedition to West Africa, states that he shot a single specimen on Prince's Island, and he entertains no doubt as to the correctness of the identification. The specimen was too much injured to be preserved, and this is the only certified occurrence of the species in that part of West Africa. The House-Martin is a very familiar summer visitant to the British Islands, and it is quite a feature in the suburbs of London and other large cities. It arrives a few days later than the Common Swallow, towards the middle or end of April, leaving again in September and October. It often rears two, or even three, broods, and some of the later batched birds are found with us in October, and several young specimens captured in tliat month are in the British Museum. The latest date on which Martins have been seen by the authors in this country was the 22nd of November, when Sharpe saw a flock of about a dozen individuals passing over the park at Avington, in Hamjjshire. These birds were Avending south in the late evening, bat as they circled at a great height above the house for a few moments, several shots Avere fired at them by Captain Shelley and some others of the party, Avho had just returned from shooting, but the birds were out of range and not one specimen could be procured. Of the identity of the species, hoAvever, there was not the smallest doubt. Mr. Seebohm even records the occasional occurrence as late as December, and Mr. HoAvard Saunders possesses a specimen sliot at Ileigate in the same month. In Scotland and the north of England the Martins leave somewhat earlier than in the south, and mostly disappear in September, Avhereas in the latter part of the country they depart early in October. Their autumn flight is heralded by large numbers of the birds assembling together with SwalloAvs and Sand-Martins on the telegraph-wires, and often in the early autumnal mornings many hundreds of Swallows and Martins con- gregate on the slated roofs of houses Avhioh the sun has begun to warm ; here they sit, 9 busily preening their feathers, keeping up a constant twittering and bathing in the rain- water of the leaden gutters if there should cliance to be any water in them : such assemblages as the above take place annually at Holly Lodge, at Cookham, and generally last for about a fortnight, until, as if by common consent, the birds suddenly disappear and are not seen until the following spring. The nest of the Martin is usually placed under the overhanging eaves of houses, but in many parts of Europe it is still a frequenter of rocks, as is shown by the following interesting note in Mr. Henry Seebohm's ' History of British Birds.' He writes : — " There can be little doubt that the Martin pairs for life, and every season returns to its old nest and uses it again. This interesting fact has been proved by marking birds in various ways, and in some instances they have been found in tlieir old haunts the following year. There can be little doubt that the bird formerly used to breed exclu- sively on rocks, and that its habit of frequenting buildings is comparatively only a recent one. Thousands of Martins breed on the limestone rocks in Dovedale and in other parts of the Peak of Derbyshire, at Malm Cove near Settle in Yorkshire, and in many otlier places, especially on the cliffs of the sea-coast at Elamborough and other places in England and Scotland. It frequents alike tlie Avildest portions of the country and the highly cultivated districts, and very often breeds in considerable numbers even in our largest towns. There is a curious nesting-place of this species in the Peak. The stone railway- bridge that spans Monsal Dale is lined with Martins' nests, and the birds seem to be not at all inconvenienced by the passing trains. The nests are built outside the bridge, under the coping which projects over the walls. " In the Parnassus they breed both on rocks and on houses. At Castri (the ancient Delphi) the nests of this bird arc common under the eaves of the houses in the village ; and there is a large colony occupying the cliffs, in company with the llock-Sparrow {Passer petronia), in the picturesque gorge from which the famous spring flows. I have also seen other large colonies in the mountain-limestone cliffs at Agoriane and Belitza ; but by far the largest colony I have ever seen is in a romantic glen in the moiuitains over- looking Missolonghi. The rocks overhang very much, and when I was llicre hundreds of nests were to be seen under the overhanging part, whilst outside and in the valley the birds were flying in thousands, like a swarm of bees. In a cleft of the rock, in the midst of the Martins' nests, Avas a huge nest of the White-tailed Eagle, and many of the ]\[artius' nests were in the possession of the Common Ilousc-Sparrow." Colonel Irby also remarks that the Martins build on rucks near (iihrallar, like; Bihlis rupestris. Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, too, found them breeding on t he I'aees of the great cliffs on the mountain-sides at Aiuhjrra in the l-]astern Pyrenees, at Canillo on a clill' at 5300 feet. Again, in Palestine, Canon Tristram says that th(> spei-ies "reappears in small numbers about the 8th (if Ajiril, and breeds in colonies on th(> shellered clills in the valleys of Xorthern Galilee." Another method of incubation is that mentionetl by .M. Cadeau de Kerville. wlio says that in Normandy the nest is sometimes built in the cavity of a wall, I lie birds 10 blocking up the entrance. A similar curious variation in the nesting-habits of the Martin has also been noticed in this country, for our friend Mr. Howard Saunders informs us that in June, 1893, he watched a colony of these birds on the Pembrokeshire coast, which liad their nests inside the fissures of the rocks, and completely out of sight. He watched the birds for a coui^le of hours with the aid of a jjowerful binocular, and saw the sitting bird fed and afterwards " relieved guard," both birds coming out and one returning. The flying birds completely disappeared within the crevice, and the sitting bird never appeared at the entrance, so that the nest must have been some way inside. By landing in the bay below the crags, he was able to observe with certainty that there was not in that cliff a single external nest ; all were in fissures. This colony consisted of about twenty pairs, and there were others in almost every gully, but none so easily observed as tlie one mentioned, near Newport, Pembrokeshire. In English towns and villages the mud-built nest of the Martin is usually placed under the overhanging eaves of a house or cottage, and the little architects mdcj be seen in spring-time busily engaged at the puddles in tlie road or at the sides of ponds, collecting the nodules of mud Avith which they build tlieir nests. These are generally built in the shape of a half-cup with an aperture near the top, and the interior is lined with dry grass and a few feathers. About the latter the Martin seems to be very careful to have enough, as will be seen by the note given Ijelow. The greatest enemy to the peace of the harmless and useful little Martin is the mischievous Sparrow, who often enters into the labours of tlie hard-working little pair and appropriates the nest, though instances have been recorded in which the members of a colony of Martins have united too'cther and walled up the intruder within the nest which he had so ruthlessly appropriated. A most fervent protector of the Martin in tiiis country was the late Colonel PlUsscU, of Stubbers, near Rumford. One of the authors once paid a visit to this genial old naturalist and spent a couple of pleasant days in his society. Driving from the station to the Hall, a distance of a few miles, we passed several farms on the Colonel's estate, and his estimate of the intelligence of his tenants seemed to be in propor- tion to the extent in which each farmer backed up his efforts to protect the Martins and exterminate the House-Sparrows. We had not then heard of the Martin-loving enthusiasm of our host, but, sitting imder the shade of the house on that beautiful summer evening, we listened to his arguments in favour of the Martin, while our postprandial talk took place to the accompaniment of the crooning twitter of dozens of Martins in the nests a few feet above our heads. The next morning we accompanied our host in his round of visits to the various colonies which flourished under his protection, and he explained to us that as there was no proper clay for nest-building within a quarter of a mile of the house, he was obliged to fetch a supply which he deposited near the edge of a neigh- bouring pond ; and his first duty every morning was to moisten this clay with water, so that the birds should always have a supply of proper material for the building or repair of their nests. This proceeding on the part of tlie Colonel was thoroughly understood 11 by Lis little pets, a few of whom, undeterred by our presence, immediately descended and flew away with some morsels of clay. At the time of our visit, however, the nests were nearly all completed, and in fact many of them contained young birds ; but in case any of his favourites should require material for the warm lining of their nests, the Colonel led the way to a hay-loft, the window of which he opened; taking a large bag of duck's feathers in his hand he whistled to the birds, and blew a handful of tlie soft feathers into the air. There was an immediate descent upon them, many of the birds seizing the feathers within a yard of our faces and carrying them off to line their nests. Tliere was a large old-fashioned Dove-cot in the farmyard, whicli was simply hung with nests on all sides, row upon row, while all round the house were tiers of nests, not only situated under the eaves, but even placed at a moderate height above the ground. To ensure the building of the birds at this lower level, Colonel Russell adopted the method of placing a protecting ledge of wood, and he would often attach a few nodules of mud to encourage the birds to commence building. The very idea of a House-Sparrow daring to invade the sacred domain of a Martin was sufficient to arouse the Colonel to ire, and he believed that not one of the detested race was to be found within the precincts of the Martins' paradise. On our happening to mention casually that we had seen a cock Sparrow in the farmyard during the morning, tlie Colonel at once rose from the dinner-table and rushed out, oblivious of the fact that it was Sunday, seized a gun and hastily slijjped in a cartridge. A few seconds after, a shot was heard, and the Colonel returned in triumph, bearing the dead body of the intruder. Altogether the visit j^aid to tliis excellent naturalist of the old school is one of the pleasantest reminiscences in the life of the writer. In the ' St. James's Gazette' of September 17, 1888, occm's the following curious note on the nesting of the House-Martin : — " A correspondent writes from Chiswick : — 'With a boy's curiosity I once destroyed by means of a pole a House-Martin's nest which was built under the eaves of the stables. Pitv for the half-fled i^-ed nestlings thus brought to the ground moved me to obtain the aid of a groom, a ladder, and an old Tkrush's nest. The young birds were placed in tlie strange nest, and this was put upon a small shelf in the position of the original Martin's nest. The parent birds not only retarned to tend and rear their young, but they built a superstructure upon the top of the Thrush's nest, completely roofing it in, and thus producing a most interesting example of joint architecture.' " The eggs of the Martin are white and somewhat glossy ; they vary in uuiuIilt from four to six; they vary in length, according to Mr. Sceljohm, from O'S to ()-7 inch, nnd from 0-55 to 0-52 in breadth. Tlie descriptions are taken from specimens in the British ^[useum, and tlic figures of the adult and J'oung are from examples in the collection of .Mr. "Wyalt. Por the geographical distribution of the Housc-^lartin, chh' Infra, Tlate 7 [MapJ." 3x i ^ '^ '■" -ii^ > -,v' CWW del. CHELIDON CASHMIRIENSIS MmteiTrL Bros . CHELIDON CASHMIRIENSIS, GouJd. CASHMERE ]\IARTIN. Chelidon cashmeriensis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 356 ; Adams, t. c. p. 49i ; Jcrd. B. Ind. i. p. 167 (1862) ; Swiuli. Ibis, 1863, p. 90 ; Gray, Haiid-1. B. i. p. 74 no. S8i (1869) ; Jerd. Ibis, 1871, p. 353; Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. Si (1873) ; Swinh. Ibis, 187^, p. 152 ; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 498 (1875) ; Brooks, Str. F. 1875, p. 231 ; Prjev. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 163 (1877) ; David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 539 (1877) ; Hume, Str. P. 1879, p. 81 ; Eiddulpli, Ibis, 1881, p. 47, 1882, p. 269. Chelidon cashniriensis, Sliarpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 90 (1885) ; Gigl. x\vif. Ital. p. 187 (1886) ; Salvad. Elencli. Ucc. Ital. p. 81 (1887). Chelidon urbica (non L.), Ball, Str. P. 1878, vol. ii. p. 202 ; Butler, Str. P. 1880, p. 378. Sirundo cashniriensis, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 179 (1883). C. similis C. urbicce, sed miiioi-, subtus magis fuscescentior et cauda minus furcata disthigucnda. Hab. in montibus Himalavensibus nsque ad montcs Kansuenses. Adult male. General colour above deep blue-black, the hind neck and mantle varied with white bases ; rump white tinged with smoky brown, and with faint dusky shaft-lines ; wing-coverts brownish black, slightly washed with blue-black on the margins ; quills dusky blackish, the innermost secondaries narrowly tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts smoky white, with dusky sliaft -lines, the long ones dull blue-black ; tail-feathers blackish ; crown of head like tlie back ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts and cheeks white, the upper edge of the former dusky blackish ; under surface of the body dull whitish; throat, fore neck, and chest washed with smoky brown, a little darker on tlu- flanks ; thighs white ; under tail-coverts white, with pale smoky-brown bases and with dusky shaft-lines ; under wing-coverts and axillaries darker smoky brown, the outer small coverts edged with whitish; quills below dusky brown, inner edge of quills paler; iris brown. Total length ."> inches, culmen 0"3, wing \, tail 2'2, tarsus 0'5. Adult female. Like the male in colour. Total length 4-5 inches, wing 3-8."), tail 1-7"), tarsus 0:>. Oljs. Colonel Biddulph (Ibis, 1882, p. 2fi9) in writing of the dilTcrcnces between Vlulidon vrb'ira and the present species speaks of the former bird as being pure white below, whereas C. ca.s/imlricnsis is " dusky bencatli, with dusky mesial centres to tlie feathers of the abdomen, flanks, and nimp." The dusky coloration of tlie underparts cannot be regarded as a specilic character, .-is ;. Chelidui) ras/iii/iric/isi.s is extrcuiclv closely allic'd to C. dasij/ms, and po-itivcly only dilfers from the latter species in wanting tlie black on the base of the chin and fore part of the cheeks. The two birds are no doubt distinct, but at present the paucity of specimens of C. dasypus which we have been able to compare, and the bad preparation of most of the series of C. cashmiriensis in the Britisb Museum, have prevented our making such a thorough comparison of the two species as we should have liked to have done. Compared with C. urbica, the Cashmere Martin is distinguished by its smaller size and less strongly forked tail. It is also much browner below, and it is especially recognizable by its dark brown under wing-coverts and quill-lining. Young birds of C. urbica are also sometimes smokv brown below, but this colour is always confined to the throat and chest, leaving the breast and abdomen white. Nearly the whole of the underparts of C. cashmiriensis are smoky brown, a little lighter on the throat, while the centre of the lower breast and abdomen are white. Hab. Himalaya mountains from Cashmere eastwards as far as the mountains of Kansu. Wintering in the plains of India. The Caslimei-e Martin is a small dusky representative of tlie Common Martin of Europe. It was first discovered by the late Dr. Leitli Adams in Kashmir. He found it " common on the rocky banks of the rivers in Ladakh and Kasbinir during the summer," and he supposed that it occurred on migration during the winter in the Punjab and the plains of India. Mr. Brooks procured it near Dhurmsala in June. Dr. Jerdon, in his ' Supplementary Notes ' to his ' Birds of India,' writes : — " I found this Martin breeding on a rock near Mattiana and Nagkandah in the Sutlej Valley in June, and Stoliczka found it breeding near the same locality, perhaps at the very same spot. I also found it in tlie Sind valley in Kashmir, in small parties ; but, as a rule, I found it rare in Kashmir, uotwithstanding its name." Mr. Brooks met with it breeding in Kashmir, a little to this side of Ahabad Serai, and also a few miles below Posiana, in the cliffs of the " Chitterpanee " river. He also found it on the Sutlej, in the interior below Simla. At Gilgit, Colonel Biddulph states that it appears about the middle of April, and becomes very common in May. Mr. Hume gives the following note in his work on the nests and eggs of Indian birds : — " The Cashmere Martin breeds only in the interior of the Himalayas. It lays, as far as I Jawio, only in April and May, but is said to have a second brood during the rains. Sir E. C. Buck wrote to me that ' there is a large colony of these birds, about 1^ to 2 miles from Muttiana Dak Bungalow, on the old road to Narkunda ; their nests cover the roofs of hollows in the rock about 15 to 20 feet from the ground. Nest of mud, shallow, cup-shaped, with largish aperture, very close, one above the other in many instances. Young birds appeared fledged in June when I passed. Birds frequented breeding-places at dusk in great numbers. The hollows are almost overhanging the old road.' " In the Hume collection is a specimen obtained by Colonel Delme Badcliffe at Thundiana in Hazara, in April. Mr. Brooks found the species in Kumaon, and on his journey from Masuri to Gangaotri he obtained a specimen between Suki and Derail, where they were flying about in considerable numbers. In tlio Hume collpction is a specimen obtained in Gurwhal in December, and also one procured in native Sikhim in April by the late Mr. Mandelli's hunters. Dr. Jerdon has also stated that he procured one at Darjiling. The only naturalist who has as yet procured specimens in India awav from the Himalayas is Mr. W. T. Blanford, wlio met Avith the sj)ecies in the Bilaspur district in the Central Provinces. The following account of the species was given 1)y the late General Prjevalski in his memoir on the ' Birds of Mongolia ' : — " Was found in great numbers in the Ala-shan mountains and in Kan-su. In S.E. Mongolia they are rather scarce; they might possibly breed in Hara-narin-ul, but certainly do not occur in Muni-ul at any other time than during migration. It avoids the habitations of man, and keeps to the wild rocks of lofty mountains. In Kan-su, for instance, it breeds mostly in the alpine region, at heights from 10,000 to 12,000 feet above the sea ; it is very rare in the median zone, and descends to the low parts when in search of food. "The nests, several in a row, are stuck to overhanging rocks, and by their shape resemble those of Uirundo gutturalis. On the 25th of June I climbed up to two, and found in one of them two and in the other four vouns:, almost fledsred. " In Kan-su the first birds arrived on the 20tli of April, and left about the middle of August. We at this time observed tolerably large flocks flying southward." The single specimen obtained by General Prjevalski has been most kindly submitted to us by Dr. Pleske, and we find that it is in every way identical with Himalayan specimens. Tlie species has also been recorded from Italy by Professor Giglioli, a specimen having been obtained near Florence on the 13th of October, 1885, wliich the abovi^- nanied naturalist is inclined to refer to C. cashmiriensis. Count Salvador!, however, believes that the characters quoted indicate that the bird in question was only a small variety of the Common Martin. The descriptions are taken from specimens in the British Museum, and the figures are drawn from examples in the Hume collection. •1 V. - - Ar. s Y - -- \ ~3^~" •i. ,v:ririil»iiT^H*5VN>;^ .:C;S: -•■- C^VWdel C H .E Lil D O N D AS YPUS Mmterr\. Bros CHELIDON DASYPUS, Bp. BLAKISTOX'S MARTIN. Clielidon dasypus, Bp. Consp. i. p. 343 (1850, ex Teram. MS.); Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. i. p. 384 (1854) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 74, no. 883 (1SG9) ; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 498 (1875) ; Sliarpe, Cat. Birds iu Brit. Mus. x. p. 91 (1885). Chelidon hlaUstoui, Swinh. P. Z. S. 1802, p. 320; id. Ibis, 1863, p. 90; Whitcly, Ibis, 1867, p. 196 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 74, no. 882 (1869) ; Swiuh. Ibis, 1874, p. 152, pi. vii. fig. 1 ; id. Ibis, 1875, p. 448 ; Blaldst. & Fryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 231 ; iid. B. Japan, p. 139 (1882) ; Jouy, Pr. U.S. Xat. Mus. i. p. 290 (1882). DeUchou (?) dasiipus, Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 127 (1874). Hirundo dasijpus, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. 179 (1883). C^. subcaudalibus albis ; rectrice extimfi concolore; supracaudalibus longioribus iiigris, rcHquis albis • mcnto suramo et genis basabter nigris ; corpore siibtus fumoso lavato. Hab. in insula ' Eorneo ' dicta ct in insulis Japonicis. Adult male (type of species). General colour above dull purplish blue, witb white bases to the feathers ; wing-coverts and quills blackish with a slight blue gloss ; rump and upper tail-coverts pure white, with narrow dusky shaft-lines; the long upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers blackish with a faint blue gloss ; tail very slightly forked ; head like the back ; lores and feathers below the eye black ; ear-coverts dull purplish blue, as also the sides of the neck and sides of upper breast, the latter slightly mottled with white bases; fore part of cheeks and a spot at the base of the chin black; hinder part of cheeks and under surface of body creamy buff, washed with smoky brown on the breast and flanks, with a little purer white on the fore neck and abdomen ; under tail-covcrts smoky brown. Ijroadly edged with whitish, the long coverts blacker, with bi'oad whitish edgings ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark broivn, the small coverts near the edge of the wing edged with pale smoky brown ; quills dull ashy brown below: "bill black; iris black" [H. Tf'/i/tc/i/). Total length l-G inches, culmen 0-3, wing 1-1, tail 1-75, tarsus 0-5. (Mi/. nesting 1 1 1 In colonies 1 J Ethiopian Eegion. Indiau Region. Australian Region. terraneo-Aaiatic Sub-Regioa. o , 3 1 i .2 "to o c '5d CO To ;3 4 tb o , 'to ' "^ 1 (2 CO in 1" 'it 5 Tc Tf .9. "(a 1 o o "5b 60 9 o -2 a *r^ p ^ C p •72 1 .3 r^ 5 o CO X Ul X X X 'a r o S '/J iv: ^ ^ :^ 'J2 J h^ ^ s rr* i^ 2 t^ FR ~ - - H 1 ■^*^ ^*->. -<— t-i- -^*-». -=t-*-3" bid ; "1 ! -<-H:^»- 1 . . 1 "*-*->• • <-*->. 1 1 t 1 ^*— 1 -/-* Kj 1 L^ i i 1 ! LiJ ^■ /. ■5 V ■■■' " 5 ' ^ " CDD _..._J 'a. S ■SH ,^--5. x.'e^<^^r •t- If 1 aT ■^-f^^' j^)^ C 1 ^, f) [iDD 6 '-^S^ ■4^^i s o UJ B Genus II. COTILE. Type. CUvicola, T. Porster, Syn. Cat. Brit. B. p. 55 (1817) C. riparia. Cotile, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 550 C. riparia. Range. Breeding in the northern parts of both the Okl and New Workls. The migratory species wintering in South America, as well as in India and Africa, where there are also resident species. The differences in nesting-liabits and the colour of the eggs between the Sand-IMartins and the Bock-Martins, which we have included under the one heading of Cotile, appear to us, on further consideration, to deserve generic distinction. The Common Sand-Martin {Cotile riparia), with its allies C. diluta and C. shelleyi, has a little tuft of feathers at the base of the hinder tarsus, showing an affinity to the House- Martins {Chelidon). C. congica, on the other hand, has no tarsal tuft of feathers, but retains the band on the fore neck, which makes it an intermediate species between the section containing Cotile riparia and C. shelleyi, and the little C. sinensis and its African allies, which have no throat-band. To the genus Cotile we shall refer all the Bank-Martins, which tunnel holes for their nests and lay white eggs, while to the genus BiUis Avill be referred the Bock- Martins, which lay spotted eggs, like the Swallows, and have also the Swallow-like character of a spotted tail. Eor those ornithologists who adopt the name CUvicola the following species will have to be included : — CUcicola riimria, C. diluta, C. shelleyi, C. cincta, C. congica, C paludicola, C. minor, C. cowani, and C. sinensis. Clavis specierum. a. Fascicula jjlumosa ad finem tarsi postici posita : torques pcctoralis brunnca. a'. Major : ala 4-25-4.-35 poll. a". Torques pcctoralis obvia, saturate brunnea 1. njiana, y. I."> . b". Torques pcctoralis vix obvia, pallide brunnca ~. (Iihilii,y. (l.'i. b'. Minor ; ala 3'55 poll 3. shcllciji, p. C". . b. Fascicula plumosa ad finem tarsi postici nulla. c'. Tonjucs pcctoralis brunnca. a". Major: subalaribus all)is : ala TrO poll I- rhuia, p. «',7 . b". Minor : subalaribus brunncis ■">• ronnini. ]>. 7 I . (!. i/(iliii/iri/l(i , 11. 7'' . I , . iHiiKir, |>. II. d'. Tortiucs pcctoralis nulla ■, ,, . .,, ^ ' IS. rinrmii, ji. < ;* . \\). niiiiiisis, 11. Si . X ■~5C-*^ t\^-^ "'A .i,^-^--^ ">^^ \-i\-^^'--> :^ % '■?> CW.W.ikl CO TILE PJPARIA Miriterii Bros . imp. COTILE RIPARIA (Z.). SAND-MAETIN. Vmrondelle de rivage, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 506 (1760); Daubent. PI. Eiil. vii. pi. 5i3. fig. 2. Hinindo rlparia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 341 (1766); Pall. Zoogr. Ptosso-Asiat. i. p. 535 (1811) ; Wilson, Amer. Orn. v. p. 46, pi. 38. fig. 4 (1812) ; Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 429 (1815) ; Eonx, Orn. Provenc. pi. 143 (1825) ; Andub. B. Amer. pi. 385 (c. 1826) ; Werner, Atlas, Cbelidones, jil. 3 (1827) ; Swains. Faun. Bor.- Anier., Birds, p. 383 (1831) ; Menctr. Cat. rais. Cauc. p. 45 (1832) ; Naum. Yog. Deutscbl. vi. p. 100, Taf. 146. figs. 3, 4 (1833) ; Gould, B. Eur. ii. pi. 58 (c. 1837) : Andub. Orn. Biogr. iv. p. 584 (1838) ; id. B. Amer. 8vo, i. p. 187, pi. 7. fig. 3 (1840) ; Macgill. Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 595 (1840) ; Kordm. in Demid. Voy. Ptuss. Merid. iii. p. 400 (1840) ; Hewits. Eggs Brit. B. i. p. 218, pi. 57. fig. 3 (1846) ; Tbomps. Nat. Hist. Ireland, i. p. 400 (1849); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 199 (1849) ; Lembeye, Aves Cuba, p. 47, pi. 7. fig. 3 (1850) ; Midd. Sibir. Reis., Zool. p. 189 (1851) ; Kj^erb. Danm. Eugle, pi. 14. fig. 6 (1852) ; Scbl. Vog. Nederl. pi. 59 (1854) ; Sundev. Sv. Fogl. pi. 17. fig. 7 (1856-72) ; Scbrenck, Eeis. Amurl. p. 389 (1859) ; Linderm. Vog. Griecbenl. p. 118 (1860) ; Scbl. Dier. Nederl. Vogels, pi. 6. figs. 7, 7« (1861) ; Wrigbt, Ibis, 1864, p. 57 ; Stevens. B. Norf. i. p. 338 (1866) ; Borggr. Vogelf . Norddeutscbl. p. 100 (1869) ; Pt. Gray, B. W. Scotl. p. 209 (1871) ; Harting, Handb. Brit. B. p. 35 (1872) ; Maynard, B. East. N. Am. p. 75 (1874) ; Saxby, B. Sbetl. p. 147 (1874) ; Eallon, Ois. Belg. p. 125 (1875); Lawr. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mns. i. p. 450 (1878); Secbobm, Ibis, 1882, p. 372; id. Brit. B. iii. p. 184, pi. 17 (1883) ; Homeyer & Tancre, MT. orn. Vcr. Wien, 1883, p. 83 ; Gatke, Vogelw. Helgol. p. 439 (1891) ; Reiser, Vogels. Laudcsm. Sarajevo, p. 24 (1891). Sand-3Iarim, Latb. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 568 (1783). Uimndo cinerea, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 526 (1817). CUcicola europcea, T. Eorster, Syn. Cat. Brit. B. p. 58 (1817). Colile riparia, Boic, Isis, 1822, p. 550; Sclby, Brit. B. p. 1-5. i>l. li'. fig. 3 (1833) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 73, no. 864(1869); AVliavton, Il)is. 1^7'.). ]). 151; Coucs, Bull. Nuttall Club, 1880, p. 96 ; Hume, Sir. E. is^O. p. i^lC; A\ ivs. lliis. isso, p. 2(i0; A. & E. Newt. Handb. Jamaica, 1881, p. 1<»7; C. Suinli. lliis. 1^^2. p. 101; Secbobui, t. c. p. 210; Dixon, t. c. p. "'(n ; ('"ucs, Clirck-lisi, p. I;! (1882) ; Gates, B. Brit. Burm. i. p. 310 (iss;|) ; B.o. V. I-i.M liril. H. i'. I l-ils^:'.) ; Seebolim, Ibis, 1883, p. 22; Irby, t. c. p. S3; lUsLr. iauu. vV l:'Un: I'alcsl. p. 02 3 o 2 (1884) ; Blaldst. Amended List B. Japan, p. 39 (1884) ; Eagle Clarke, Ibis, 1884, p. 142 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 839 (1884) ; id. Cat. B. Brit. Mns. x. p. 96 (1885); Zarudn. Ois. Transcasp. p. 82 (1885) ; Whitehead, Ibis, 1885, p. 27; Salvia, t. c. p. 206; Drew, Auk, ii. p. 15 (1885); Murdoch, t. c. p. 63; Agersb. t. c. p. 279 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1886, p. 485 ; Eeichen. J. f. O. 1887, p. 62 ; Salvad. Elenc. Ucc. Ital. p. 84 (1887) ; Tait, Ibis, 1887, p. 191 ; Styan, t. c. p. 227; Scully, J. A. S. Beng. Ivi. p. 83 (1887); Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 257 ; Chapm. t. c. p. 444 ; Pleske, Mem. Acad. Imp. St. Petersb. (7) xxxvi. p. 41 (1888) ; St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 155 ; Lilford, t. c. p. 329 ; Eagle Clarke, t. c. p. 542 ; Tristr. Cat. Coll. p. 203 (1889) ; Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 159 (1889) ; Gates, Eaun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 272 (1890); Meade-Waldo, Ibis, 1890, p. 429; Saunders, Ibis, 1891, p. 169; Sharpe, Sci. Results Second Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 106 (1891); Evans, Ibis, 1891, p. 61 ; Buckley & Harvie-Brown, Vertebr. Eaun. Orkney Isl. p. 114 (1891) ; Seebolim, Ibis, 1892, p. 19 ; Frivaldsky, Av. Hung. p. 72 (1891) ; D'Urban & Mathew, B. Devon, p. 59 (1892). Cotyle riparia, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 971 ; Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 143 (1831) ; Bp. Comp. List B. Eur. & N. Amer. p. 9 (1838) ; Keys. u. Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. Ixi (1840) ; Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 22 (1845) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 60 (1845) ; id. Cat. Eissir. Brit. Mus. p. 29 (1848) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 342 (1850) ; Brewer, N.-Amer. Ool. p. 105, pi. 4. fig. 49 (1850) ; Scl. Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 124 ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. i. p. 95 (1854) ; Cassin, B. Calif, p. 247 (1850) ; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (1856) ; Jaub. et Barth.-Lapomm. Rich. Orn. p. 313 (1859) ; Salvin, Ibis, 1859, p. 302 ; Tristr. t. c. p. 434 ; Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 313 (1860) ; Gould, B. Gt. Brit. ii. pis. 7, 8 (1862-73) ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 163 (1862) ; Homeyer, J. f. O. 1862, p. 254; Gray, Cat. Brit. B. p. 34 (1863) ; March, Proc. Philad. Acad. 1863, p. 295 ; Newton ia Baring-Gould's Iceland, p.408 (1863); Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 319 (1864); More, Ibis, 1865, p. 139 ; Coues, t. c. p. 159 ; Dresser, t. c. pp. 313, 479 ; Filippi, Viagg. Pers. p. 346 (1865) ; Bettoni, Ucc. Nidif. Lomb. tav. 53 (1865-70) ; Baird, Ibis, 1867, pp. 275, 286, 289 ; Tristr. t. c. p. 363 ; Drake, t. c. p. 425 ; Degl. et Gerbe, Orn. Eur. i. p. 596 (1867) ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alger., Ois. ii. p. 70 (1867) ; Brown, Ibis, 1868, p. 427 ; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 165 (1869) ; Doderl. Avif. Sicil. p. 146 (1869) ; Droste, Vogelw. Bork. p. 88 (1869) ; Einsch & Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 145 (1870) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 296 ; Cooper, B. Calif, p. 110 (1870) ; Eritsch, Vog. Eur. pi. xxiv. tigs. 1, 2 (1870) ; Pclz. Orn. Bras. pp. 18, 402 (1871); Salvad. Eaun. Ital, Ucc. p. 54 (1871) ; Swinh. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 346; Saunders, Ibis, 1871, p. 205 ; Jerd. t. c. p. 353 ; Cones, Key N.-Amer. B. p. 114 (1872) ; Dybowski, J. f. O. 1872, p. 353, 1874, p. 334; Brooke, Ibis, 1873, p. 237 ; Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 67 (1873) ; Hume, Str. F. 1873, p. 164 ; Sclater & Salvin, JSTomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1873) ; Antin. & Salvad. Viagg. Bogos, p. 72 (1873) ; Coues, B. N.-West, p. 89 (1874) ; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Hist. N. Amer. B. p. 353, pi. 16. fig. 4 (1874) ; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 505, pi. 163 (1874) ; Harting, Summer Migr. p. 187 (1875) ; Butler, Str. E. 1875, p. 452 ; Hume, t. c. p. 452 ; Irby, B. Gibr. p. 104 (1875) ; Bkmf. East. Pers. ii. p. 21G (187G) ; C. B.^Vbartoii, Ibis, 1876, p. 19 ; Seebobm & Harvie-Browii, t. c. pp. 220, 356 ; Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 134 (1876) ; Prjev. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 162 (1877) ; David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 128 (1877) ; Finscb, Ibis, 1877, pp. 56, 62 ; Butler, Str. E. 1877, pp. 217, 227 ; Merrill, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 125 (1878) ; Coues, B. Color. Vail. p. 435 (1878) ; id. Bull. U. S. Geol. Surv. iv. p. 572 (1878) ; Eowley, Orn. Misc. iii. p. 81, pi. 94 (1878) ; Hume & Davison, Str. F. vi. pp. 44, 497 (1878) ; Danf. Ibis, 1878, p. 8; Seebobm, Ibis, 1879, pp. 17, 30; Ramsay, Ibis, 1879, p. 446 ; Einscb, Reis. West-Sibirien, p. 39 (1879) ; Hume, Str. E. 1S79, p. 84 ; Bingham, t. c. p. 192 ; Butler, Cat. B. Siud, etc. p. 13 (1879) ; Bogdanoff, B. Cauc. p. 117 (1879) ; Newton, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. ii. p. 355 (1880) ; Collett, Norges Fugle, p. 286 (1881) ; Blakist. & Pryer, B. Japan, p. 139 (ls82) ; Salvin & Godm. Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, p. 240 (1883) ; Radde, Orn. Cauc. p. 36 (1884) ; Murray, Vertebr. Faun. Sind, p. 103 (1884) ; Cory, List B. W. I. p. 10 (1885) ; Pleske, Uebers. Saugetb. und Vog. Kola-Halbinsel, p. 95 (1886) ; Reicben. J. f . O. 1887, p. 62 ; Olpb-Galliard, Faun. Eur. Occ. fasc. xxii. p. 77 (1887) ; Gigl. & Manz. Iconogr. Avif. Ital. pt. xvii. pi. Ixxi. (1SS8) ; Hume, Str. E. si. p. 28 (1888) ; Nikolski, He Sakbal. p. 194 (1889) ; Seebobm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 144 (1890) ; Koenig, J. f. O. 1890, p. 349 ; Styan, Ibis, 1891, pp. 323. 351; De la Toucbe, t. c. p. 425; Tacz. Orn. Siber. Orient., Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Petersb. (7) xxxix. p. 186 (1891) ; Gadeau de Kerville, Faun. Norm. p. 201 (1891); Madarasz, Erlaut. Ausst. Ungar. Vogelf. p. 83 (1891); Seebobm, Geogr. Distr. Brit. B. p. 21 (1893). CohjlefliimatiUs, Brebm, Yog. Deutscbl. p. 142 (1831). Cotyle microrhynclios, Brebm, t. c. p. 143 (1831). Clivicola riparia, Stejn. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 32 (1882) ; Dylx & Tacz. Bull Soc. Zool. France, ix.'p. 146 (1884) ; Turner, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 239 (1885) ; Stejn. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 29, p. 267 (1885) ; Cory, Auk, iii. p. 59 (1886) ; Everm. t. c. p. 183 ; Seton, t. c. p. 325 ; A. 0. U. Check-1. N. Am. B. p. 295 (1886) ; Turner, Contr. Niit. Hist. Alaska, p. 194 (1886) ; Nelson, Rep. Nat. Hist. Alaska, p. 119 (1887) ; Dwigbt, xVi;k, iv. p. 16 (1887) ; Lloyd, t. c. p. 291 ; Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. p. 463 (1887) ; Towns. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. x. ]>. 222 (1887) ; Beckb. t. c. pp. 612, 682; Warren, B. Pennsylv. p. 207 (isss) ; Bicbui. Auk, V. p. 23 (1888) ; Scott, t. c. p. 31 ; Faxon & Allen, t. c. p. 152 : Hrewst. t. c. p. 389; Cory, B. West Ind. ]). 73 (1889) ; Gigl. Avif. Eauu. Ital. I. Kosoc. ]). 317 (1889); Evcrm. Auk, vi. p. 26 (1889); Brittain & Cox, I.e. p. IIS; Jeffries, t. c. p. 120; Scott, t. c. p. 325; Treat, Auk, vii. p. 06 (18i)(M ; P.rldiug. Occ. Papers Cal. Acad. Sci. ii. p. 194 (18!)0) ; Brusina, Oin. Croat, p. 5s (ISDU) ; Tbomps. Proc. U. S. Nat. ^lus. xiii. p. (Ill (ISiKI); .Abidhrl. op. cil. xiv. \k \\:\ (1891) ; C. Hart :\Icrriam, N.Am. Eauu. no. 5, p. 10 1 (ls<)l) ; J'.ivwst. \ Ch.ipni. Auk, viii. pj). 132,138 (1S91) ; Scott, Auk. ix. ]>. 2i:'. (ls!)-_>); All w.-itcr. I.e. p. 340; Anthony, t. c. p. 367; J'leske, .Mel. J5iol SI. IMersh. xiii. ]>. -I'X) (lsl)2): 4 Cory, Cat. B. West Incl. p. 115 (1892) ; C. Hart Merriam, N. Amer. Paim. no. 7, p. 112 (1893). Clivicola riparia cinerea, Stejn. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 29, p. 268 (1885). Cotile riparia sinensis, Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1885, p. 466 ; id. Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. (7) xxxix. p. 188 (1891). C. minor: ala 4"25-4"35 poll. : fascicula parva ad finem tarsi posticam posita : torque pectorali brunnea. Hab. per rcgiones Palfearcticam et Neareticam fere totas SBstivans, in regionibus Indica, ^Ethiopica, et Neotropica liibcruans. Adult male. General colour above dark earthy brown, a little lighter on the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, the feathers of which have more or less distinctly indicated margins of paler brown ; wing-coverts darker brown than the back, with indistinct margins of lighter brown ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills very dark brown, the innermost secondaries paler and more like the back ; tail-feathers brown, with a narrow whitish edging towards the tip of the inner web of all but the centre feathers ; lores dusky blackish, with a slight hoary shade above them, remains of hoary edges to the feathers being seen on the basal frontal feathers ; feathers below the eye and ear-coverts brown ; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body pure white, the throat separated from the chest by a very broad and distinct collar of dark brown, this brown colour also extending down the sides of the body, and occupying the centre of the breast in the shape of a few feathers which have the inner webs dark brown ; thighs brown ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark brown, those near the edge of the wing broadly edged with whitish ; quills dusky brown below, lighter aloug the inner webs : " bill blackish brown ; legs dark brown ; iris dark hazel" [Dresser). Total length 4'8 inches, culmen 0'3, wing 4*25, tail 2'1, tarsus 0"45. Adult female. Similar in plumage to the male. Total length 5 inches, culmen 0"35, wing 4'2, tail 1-9, tarsus 0'4. Young. Lighter brown than the adult, and distinguished by the sandy-rufous or ashy- whitish edgings to the feathers of the back and wings ; the throat is also slightly tinged with pale rufous; the throat-band is strongly pronounced, but has pale edges to the feathers. These light margins to the feathers seem to disappear somewhat before the young birds leave this country, specimens killed in August having the pale edgings much broader and more strongly characterized than a young bird killed at the end of September. Like other Swallows, the Sand-Martin moults while in its winter-quarters. Mr. Gurney has presented to the British Museum a specimen shot by Mr. T. Ayres in the Transvaal on the 28th of February. The body-plumage seems to have been completely moulted, but some of the quills and tail-feathers are not entirely renewed. From this specimen it appears that in the fresh- moulted bird the inner secondaries are distinctly edged with white, and remains of these white edges are seen in all newly-arrived birds in Europe. Dr. Stejneger observes: — "The Kamtschatkan specimens collected by me agree very well with birds from Western Europe, although being a shade darker. They also agree with them in the extent of the furcation of the tail, the distance between the tips of the longest and shortest tail-feathers being as great as the length of the hind toe with claw. In all the American specimens examined by me (16), the same distance is hardly louger than the hind toe without claw, this being the case even in specimens from Alaska. It will, therefore, be well not to unite the two races, the American form being Clivicola riparia cinerea (Vieill.) ." In view of the above observations by tliis careful observer, we have gone over the series of Sand-Martins in the British Museum, and we find that there is considerable variation in the depth of colour and in the amount of furcation in the tail. These characters are not even constant in the American series, and the latter can be matched in every respect by examples from the Old World. We cannot, therefore, uphold the separation of the Palaearctic and Nearctic Sand-Martins, even as subspecies. Hab. Breeding in the northern parts of the Old and New Worlds, wintering in more southern localities in the Indian, Ethiopian, and Neotropical Regions. The Sancl-Martin, or Bank-Martin as it is sometimes called, from its habit of nesting in sandbanks, is a common species in nearly every part of Europe, becoming rarer in the northern parts of the continent. It has been found throughout the whole extent of the British Islands, and is a regular summer visitor all over Ireland, arriving at the end of March or early in April, and leaving in the early part of September. As with the House-Martin, later instances of its stay are frequently recorded, and jMr. Howard Saunders, in his ' Manual,' refers to an exceptional record of the bird's occurrence in county Limerick as late as the 30th of November in 1859. Mr. Eobert Gray writes:— "The Sand-Martin is widely distributed throughout Scotland, extending to all the remoter islands. It is a regular summer visitant to Lewis, Harris, and North List, breeding in sandbanks on the western sides of these islands. It also inhabits South List and Barra, but I have not seen it on Benbecula, which probably does not furnish suitable banks for a bird of its mining habits." In the Orkney Islands, according to Messrs. Buckley and Harvie-Browu, it was formerly a common summer resident, and bred in large numbers, but is now much less numerous, so that it can only be considered an irregular visitant, being more plentiful in some years than in others. It has been recorded by Mr. H. A. Evans as breeding near Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. So far as is at present known, the Sand-Martin has never been noticed either in the Tvevoe Islands or in Iceland. Mr. Dresser, in his ' Birds of Europe,' gives a full account of its distribution in Northern Europe, and publishes the following notes from Prof. Ilobcrt Collett, of Christiania, and other observers, Avritiug as follows :— " ' It breeds from Southern Norway up to the Prussian frontier, north of tlic Polar Circle, and along the west coast it is one of the commonest species. It breeds up in the birch-region in the fells both on the Dovre and in Ptouderne.' In a further note Prol'. Collett tells me that it aiTives in Norway about the middle of May, and leaves again early in September. In the Gudbrandsdal and Osterdal he found them breeding in the roofs of liouses, which are there frequently made of turf, into which the Martins had burrowed, though many other more suitable localities for the purpose of nidification were close at linnd. Pastoi- Sommerfelt says that it is 'not common on the A'aranger iioid, l)ut breeds in several localities, as, for instance, at Seida, on the Tana river at Nuorgan, at Polniak, and at Oxevandct ; ' and he tliinks that of latter years it has increased in numbers. Nilsson says that it is numerous throughout Sweden up into the Polar Circle, arriving rather later 6 than the Common Shallow, about the end of April, and leaving in August or early in September. In Finland it occurs in most parts of the country, being met with most frequently on the banks of the larger rivers ; but I seldom observed it in the southern portions of the country." Dr. Pleske, in his work on the Kola Peninsula, says that in Russian Lapland the Sand-Martin has been found by Bothlink and Yon Middendorff near Kola, and Mela noticed it near Ponoj. Dr. Pleske himself saw a breeding-colony at one place on the Kola river, and he gives a long list of places where the bird has been observed in Finnish and Swedish Lapland. The Sand-Martin appears to be found throughout Russia, and is a very common summer visitor to Ai'changel ; and Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie-Brown, in their account of the birds of the Lower Petchora, write: — ""We first saw the Sand-Martin on the day we left TJst Zylma (10th June) between that place and Habariki. Afterwards we met with the species in small numbers at Gorodok and at Kuya, and obtained specimens. Nowhere on the Petchora did we find the Sand-Martins so abundant as they are in summer on the islands of the Dvina at Archangel, where nearly every suitable bank holds a large colony." Mr. Dresser adds a note : — " Meves met with it at Schliisselburg, Novaja Ladoga, Onega, Archangel, &c., everywhere common ; and Sabanaefl' informs me that it is generally distributed throughout Central Russia in suitable localities, and, along the Ural range, it is foimd at least up to 58° N. lat., and even higher on the Kama ; but on the south-eastern slopes it is rarer. In Poland, the Baltic Provinces, and Germany it is common, but, according to Borggreve, it is not found high up in the mountains." Throughout Central Europe and France the Sand-Martin is found in its own peculiar habitats. MM. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye record it as a spring and autumn migrant in France, a small number breeding every year in the banks of the Rhone and Durance. It is common at Santander, as noticed by Colonel Irby, and breeds there, and it was observed on the Upper Ariege by Mr. Eagle Clarke at the end of May. Mr. Howard Saunders found the species nesting on the banks of the Guadalquivir at the end of May, and Colonel Irby gives the following account of the Sand-Martin at Gibraltar : — " I have found them at Ras Doura in small numbers, and have no doubt they were nesting in the vicinity • they nest in the neighbourhood of Seville, but near Gibraltar are only met with on passage. The first seen by me was on the 24th March, 1870, 22nd March, 1871, 24th Feb., 1872, 28th Feb., 1874 ; they were seen passing as late as the 24th of April. On the 13th May I saw, in tlie evening, over some marshes near Vejer, a flight of Sand- Martins numbering many hundreds, I might say thousands. I noticed them on the 14th of October on their southward journey." The species would also appear to winter in Spain to a certain extent, as Mr. Chapman mentions in his paper called " Winter " notes : — " On December 28th I observed a few Sand-Martins hawking in the sun at Vejer-de-la-Frontera." Mr. Tait observes : — " Is not so common as the House-Martin and SwalloTr, and is oftener found iu the north than in the south of Portugal. I have met with it in various places in the province of Minho, and on the river of that name it is very abundant, burrowing in the sandy banks of the islands worn away by the current. A colony is established at the roadside near the favourite shrine of Bom Jesus do Monte, near Braga, and I have seen another at Magdalena, near Oporto. Some were seen by me April 5th, 1884, between Beja and Mertola, in the Alemtejo, on the banks of the river Torges, and I saw the holes in the bank where they nested." Major Alexander von Homey er met with the species iu the Balearic Isles, and found about twenty pairs breeding near Alcudie. In Morocco the Sand-Martin is migratory, according to M. Favier, and the least abundant of the Swallows about Tangier, arriving to cross the Straits in March and April, retiu-ning in October to disajipear for the winter. In Algeria it breeds near Cherif, according to Loche, but is not common. Mr. Dixon, in his paper on the Birds of the Province of Constantino, writes : — " We observed the Sand-Martin both at PhilippeviUe and Constantine, and also near the sandy banks of the Oued Kantara some few miles before it reaches the oasis bearing that name." Canon Tristram's Algerian note is as follows : — " A few at El Aghouat iu November. They did not apjaear to winter in the Sahara, and can only, I imao'ine, be stragglers there at any time, as the Weds and oases afford them but few conveniences for nidiiication." Mr. Salvin obserA'ed the species on one or two occasions in the Eastern Atlas, and he noticed it on the road between Tunis and Kef during the third week in March, but never saw others subsequently. In Tunis Dr. Koenig considers the Sand-Martin to be an irregular migrant. Mr. Godmau procured specimens near Orotava iu Teneriffe on the 21st of April, and Mr. Meade-Waldo says that the species was very numerous in that island when he visited the Canaries. To return to Europe, the Sand-Martin appears to be found throughout Southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin in suitable localities. Thus Mr. Howard Saunders, in his paper on the birds of Switzerland, says that he noticed them about April 12th breeding in banks near Bienne and elsewhere in the Hat country, but it was rare at Vevey. In Southern Austria Yon Tschusi says that it breeds in suitable places, being most common on the banks of tlic Danube below Presburg. In Hungary Professor Privaldsky states that it arrives a little later than the House-Martin, and l)re(>ds in suitable localities, leaving in September. Professor Giglioli sends us the I'ollowiug note : — " Culilc /■'qniria lirccds in hirgc colonies in all suitable localities in all Kortheru Italy (Piedmont, Lonibardy, A'eneto), also in Tuscany (j)rovinee of (irosseto in lliu Marcniiiia). Il appears tn lie less frcciui'iil, probably from tlie want of suitable localities, luillii'r sdulii in ihc Italian I'cuiiisuia ; l)u( there are large breeding-colonies in Sicily (Lentina, Callani;~scU:i, and Palrrnin). and 8 also in Sardinia. On account of its special mode of nesting, the Sand-Martin is always very localized." In Italy it is a summer visitor, as also in Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily. In Sicily it has been said by Benoit to winter near Catania, but neither Count Salvadori nor Dr. Giglioli credit this statement, and Prof. Doderlein denies it altogether ; though the latter believes that some individuals winter in the island of Pantellaria, which statement Dr. Giglioli considers to require coniirmation. In Italy it breeds twice a year. In Corsica Mr. C. Bygrave Wharton found the species fairly numerous after the end of March ; and Mr. John Whitehead writes as follows : — " In 1883 first seen on the 11th of April, in 188-1 on the 8th of April. Never seen in numbers. Though the river-banks, in places, were suitable, I never saw any sign of a nest, or of a bird after the passage was over." Mr. Basil Brooke says that in Sardinia it arrives early in March and is common. Mr. C. Wright states that in Malta it is common in spring and autumn. In Grreece, according to Mllhle and Lindermayer, it is a summer resident, and the latter says that colonies of the Sand-Martin breed in the banks of the Alpheus and Eurotas, migrating south very early in the autumn, before ClieUclon urhica. Lord Lilford says that it was nncommon in Epirus. Dr. Kriiper informed Mr. Dresser that he had found the Sand-Martin breediug in Macedonia in the banks of a brook below Mount Olympus. Professor Brusina states that he has not yet found the Sand-Martin in the interior of Croatia, but he has received a specimen from Port Mamula in the Bay of Cattaro, shot on the 28tli of June. He has examples also from Montenegro. Mr. Otto Beiser has met with the species near Sarajevo. In Asia Minor, Mr. Danford observes, it was not seen in the mountains, but was found by him abundantly near Kaisariyeh. Lord Lilford writes : — " I do not find a specimen of this bird from Cyprus in my collections, but have a note of it as observed both by Guillemard and myself, and it is included in linger and Kotschy's list. It was certainly not common in any part of Cyprus visited by me in April and May." Canon Tristram, in his ' Pauna and Plora of Palestine,' writes as follows : — " Does not return to the Holy Land till the end of March, and then in small colonies, there being very few localities suited to its habits." Von Nordmann says that in Southern Russia the Sand-Martin is widely distributed and breeds in vast numbers in the Steppes of Bessarabia. According to Mr. Henke, it is a very common summer visitor to Astrakan; and in the Caucasus, Dr. Badde informs us, it inhabits the lowlands, breeding up to 6300 feet, and arriving aljout the 6th of March. Dr. Pinsch states that it was the most common bird at Samarova on the Irtish river ; and Mr. Seebohm, in his paper on the Birds of Siberia, writes as follows : — " Arrived on the Arctic Circle on the 9th June. Both on the Ob and the Yen-e-say, large colonies of these birds were frequent. I did not see any further north than lat. 67°." According to Dr. Severtzoff, the Sand-Martin seldom visits the north-eastern portions of Turkestan, and was not often seen by him in the south-eastern districts, but elsewhere it Avas common and bred. The late Mr. Ilussow found it breeding at Tschinas. Dr. Sto- iiczka obtained a specimen at Panja, in Eastern Turkestan, on the I7th of April, 1874. 9 Dr. W. T. Blanford gives the following note : — " Bank-Martins are rare in Soutliern Persia, and the only specimen obtained was one shot by 3Iajor St. John on his road from Tehran to Bushire. De Pilippi, however, found them abundant at Miana in Northern Persia, between Tabriz and Kazvin." Mr. W. D. Gumming has met with the species at Pao in the Persian Gulf, and says that excepting in December and January the species has been seen during the whole course of the year. Colonel Swinhoe notes its arrival at Candahar at the latter part of March, but not in large numbers. Sir Oliver St. John states that it is rare in Kelat. In India it appears to be a very rare winter visitant. Jerdon observes : — " I have found the Sand-Martin somewhat rare in India. I got specimens at Jaulna and saw it occa- sionally at Mhow and Saugor, and also in two or three localities on the Ganges, but very few, generally one or two together, in company with the Common Swallow, and always near water." The Hume Collection contains a specimen from Sindh, procured on the 14th of January, 1877 ; and Dr. Blanford writes : — " I have obtained three specimens in Sindh, two shot by myself on the Manchhar Lake, the third near Bohri." In Gujerat Colonel Butler speaks of it as only a rare visitant in the cold weather. In Cachar Mr. Inglis states that it is extremely common, and he shot a specimen at Dilkusha as late as the 15th of April. Mr. Hume, in his list of the birds of Manipur, writes : — " I first met with this species at the Logtak Lake, where, on the 19th of March, I noticed a huge mixed flock of this and Cotile sinensis hawking over a meadow, and shot a few of each to make sure. Again, on the evening of the 8th of May, a large flock of the present species only appeared on the Machi ridge where I was encamped, and hawked about until dusk, flying extremely fast and high, so that I procured a couple with great diflO-Culty. This Machi ridge is about 5300 feet high where the Martins were most abundant, and except for a small pond (which they did not in any way affect or notice) there was no water for miles. Once more I saw a few more hawking at eventide, late in May, about the huge broad moat which surrounds the Eaja's Palace at Manipur Town. While, therefore, it is scarcely rare, it is, on the other hand, by no means one of the common birds you meet with every day. I have this species from N.E. Cachar, from Sadiya, and from DoUah, which is near the last-named place. It occurs, but probably as a seasonal visitant only, in many parts of Pegu and the plains portions of Tenasscrim, north of Moulmein." Mr. Oatcs writes :■ — " A somewhat rare winter visitor to Pegu and Tenasscrim, and it proliably also occurs in Arrakan. I observed it in the Pegu river on several occasions." Messrs. Hume and Davison, in their list of the birds of Tenasscrim, observe : — " Confined apparently as a seasonal visitant to the tracts between tlie Sahveen and Sittang rivers. It was common late in January and early in Pebruary over the whole of the level country lying in the Thatone sub-district ; but Mr. Davison has not as yet seen it elsewhere in Tenasscrim. A few of tliis s|)eeies were also observed close to the town of Moulmein at the latter end of j\Iay." Dr. Taczauowski, in his work on the birds of the Eastern Pahcarctic Ilcgion, suni- 3p 10 marizes the work of the Russian naturalists in that quarter of the globe, and says that the Sand-Martin is widely spread in Eastern Siberia. Mr. Godlewski noticed it every- where in small numbers, but in Dauria there are many localities where it is very abundant and breeds. Dr. MiddendorfF observed the species in the neighbourhood of Oudskoi- Ostrog, but not in such numbers as the Chimney-Swallow. According to Von Schrenck it is very common on the Amur, nesting on the steep sandy banks of the river and its islands, the banks being generally by no means high and washed by the waters of the stream : the birds were nesting in small companies and never in such numbers as in Europe. Some of the nests were placed so near to the level of the water as to threaten their destruction on the least flood. Przewalski did not find the species on the Ussuri or in the basin of Lake Hanka. Steller and Dr. Dybowski have met with the species in Kamtsehatka. On the 1st of September Przewalski saw an enormous company of Sand-Martins going south in the valley of the Chuan-he. In the island of Sakhalin Mr. Nikolski observed the species in restricted numbers in the neighbourhood of Alexandrowka and in the Korsakoff Post. Poljakoff has noticed a number of these Martins in the lower course of the river Tym. Dr. Taczanowski also included Gotile sinensis as occurring in Eastern Siberia ; and he based this conclusion on five examples procured by Mr. Janskowski on the Sidemi Paver, close to the frontier bet^veen Ussuri Land and China, not far from Vladiowstock. Mr. Stolzmann has very kindly submitted some of these specimens to us for examina- tion, and we find that they are absolutely G. riparia, and not even the pale form of it, which really does somewhat resemble C. sinensis in appearance. General Przewalski's note on the species is as follows : — " Tolerably common in S.E. Mongolia, but is rather scarce about Ordos and Ala-shan, and does not occur at all in Kan-su. It breeds in the former localities in small companies of from three to five pairs, on the sides of rivulets, and sometimes in the liills of the stepj)e at great distances from the water. On the 6th of June I took a nest with six perfectly fresh eggs, and on the 18th of the same month we found some very young birds. They arrive in spring in S.E. Mongolia at the end of April and leave at the end of August ; on the 20th of this month we observed, in the Hoang-ho valley, an enormous flock migrating south." In Kamtsehatka, Dr. Stejneger says, " the Sand-Martin occurs in the vicinity of Petropaulowski, but is not, as it would seem, very common. It has been said to visit the island of Bering occasionally, but I have doubts as to the correctness of the statement, as no sj)ecimeus seem to have been obtained. It is certain that it was not seen there during my sojourn." Three sets of eggs were obtained in Kamtsehatka, the measure- ments of which are given. " All the eggs were very evenly speckled with minute black dots. These could be w^ashed away completely from the fresh eggs, while a year after- wards they are diflicult to remove, if it can be done at all." Mr. Seebohm says that the Sand-Martin is a summer visitant to Japan, but is nowhere very abundant, according to Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer. His collection contains four examples sent by Captain Blakiston from Yezzo, and two specimens from Yokohama collected by the late Mr. H. Pryer. In China Swinhoe noticed the species near Pekin in summer, and Mr. E. W. Styan 11 records it as a summer visitant to the basin of the Lower Yangtze. He says that it is not very common, and he has not yet discovered its breeding-hauuts, but he has noticed the birds on the Yangtze in May, June, and July. At Foocliow, according to the same observer, it is seen in spring, and five specimens were shot in November. According to David and Oustalet it is very common in the north of China for the greater part of the year, nesting in colonies. Abbe David likewise states that he met with it in Mongolia. The following note is by the late Consul Swinhoe : — " This pretty little Swallow was very common about the marshes at Takoo, often perching on the ground, apparently to take rest and preen itself. In the plain before Tientsin thousands of this species, in company wdth large parties of Hirimdo rustica and daiirica, swarmed the air during the warm days of September, engaged in catching the numerous flies that haunted tlie camp. We were delighted to see these active little fly-destroyers occupied so busily in the work of destruction, as we were literally inflicted with a plague of flies, for every tent was blackened towards the top with these small pests." In Kokonoor Mm. Grum-Grzimailo met with the species plentifully. It must be remarked that the eastern range of the Sand-^Iartin is by no means clearly understood, and that some of the remarks above quoted may ultimately be found to refer to the pale eastern form which we have called Cotile diluta. In Africa also considerable uncertainty exists as to the winter habitat of the Sand- Martin. Many references to the occurrence of the species in North-eastern Africa doubtless refer to Cotile slielleijl, and probably not a few to Cotile minor. Thus Canon Tristram says that he has found the Sand-Martin breeding in Egypt in February, and suggests that the species may be double-brooded. Without doubt the species referred to must be Cotile shelleyi. From Suez we have received an undoubted example of the true C. riparia, and its winter residence in South Africa is certified by three specimens sent by Mr. Ayres from Potchefstroom and now in the British Museum. Dr. Reichouow also informs us that the specimens in the Berlin Museum from Eastern Africa are tlie true C. riparia. Mr. Ayres writes : — " One morning, very early, I went down to the river with my rod to fish, and sitting quietly near an extensive bed of reeds and rushes, I saw mauy Imndreds of these little Martins leave their roosts among the rushes, all together, just as the sun rose ; about a quarter of an hour later many hundreds of C. pjaludicola left the same patch of reeds, or others close by, all together, or nearly so ; at this time the two species were not mixed, but at other times of the day they are nearly always together, coursing for insects." AYe have only seen one example from any part of AYest Africa, and this is a specimen in the Tweeddale Collection, collected by M. Lnglaize near St. Louis in Senegambia. Mr. Ilartert, during his expedition to the Bcniie Iliyer, saw a Sand- Martin in the far interior, which was probably the present species. Considering, however, the myriads of this common little bird wliic-li must l)o hatched in northern latitudes every year, it is marvellous tliat so few specimens arc dlilaincd in its winter-quarters, while tlie routes which they follow are practically unni.irki'd. Xci doubt one line of flight is along the Nile Yalley, as Dr. Reichenow records an cxani])le 3 p 2 12 from Bukoba on the Victoria Nyanza, where Emin Pasha met with it on the 12th of January. The late Dr. Fischer also procured a specimen at Kagehi on the 2nd of January. The specimens from the Transvaal are the true C. riparia ; but it is by no means clear that the large flocks noticed by Heuglin on their way south were all C. ripai'ia, though he gives this species as a migrant in N.E. Africa and Arabia, passing south at the end of August and returning in February. He also says that he obtained it in Bogos Land in September. In North America the Sand-Martin is as abundant and widely distributed as in the Old World, ranging far north. Sir John Richardson, in the ' Fauna Boreali-Americana,' has the following note: — " The Sand-Martin is remarkable for the extent of its breeding- stations, which embrace the whole continent of N. America. It arrives in Pennsylvania earlier than the other Swallows, or about the third week in March, begins to breed in April, and has commonly two broods in a season. Mr. Hutchins states that it breeds later than any other bird which frequents Severn Biver, sometimes not laying its eggs until near the end of July ; but he observes that it disappears, together with the rest of the Swallow tribe, in the middle of August. Hearne remarks that the Martins, though common in the southern parts of Hudson's Bay, seldom go so far north as Churchill. The whole history of the migratory birds proves that the main object of their wanderings is the obtaining a supply of proper food for themselves and their young. All quarters of the fur-countries abound in the winged insects that Swallows delight to feed upon ; but owing to the large bodies of ice which hang upon the shores of Hudson's Bay until the beginning of August, every breeze from the sea which sweeps the neighbouring country, pi'oduces a depression of temperature sufficient to chill the insects and drive them to shelter; the supply of food to the Swallow tribe, consequently, in that district is so precarious as to render the rearing of their young difficult and uncertain. In the interior of the country, however, the case is different. When the snow is gone, the earth speedily becomes heated; and while the summer lasts, the temperature of the atmosphere continues higher than the hottest w^eather that is ever experienced in the insular climate of Britain, fostering incredible multitudes of mosquitoes. We observed thousands of these Sand-Martins fluttering at the entrance of their burrows near the mouth of the Mackenzie, in the 68tli parallel, on the 4th July, and it is probable, from the state of the weather, that they had arrived at least a fortnight prior to that date. They are equally numerous in every district of the fur-countries wherein banks suitable for burrowing exist, but it is not likely that they ever rear more than one brood anywhere north of Lake Superior." The species is said by Audubon to be plentiful on the south shore of Labrador, rarely beo'inniug to breed before June, and laying but once. In the north-west of America it is very much more numerous, and Mr. Nelson gives the following note : — " Along the Arctic sea-coast, as well as the coast of Bering Sea, this is an extremely rare visitant, occurring merely as a straggler during its migration. On the river-courses of the interior, however, it is one of the most abundant, if not the most abundant, species of Swallow. Dall found it nesting in great numbers on the Yukon, and counted over seven hundred Swallows in a saud-bluff near Nuklukhayct ; he found from two to six eggs in 13 the nests which he examined. These eggs Avere laid upon scanty beds of fine twites Avithout straw or other lining. Richardson found colonies, numbering thousands, of these birds about the mouth of the Mackenzie Eiver, in lat. 69°, and it is common all along the rivers of Arctic America. A single bird taken by the Point Barrow party, and a few others seen there the last of July and 1st of August, show that this species exteads its range to the extreme northern point of the mainland. It arrives at the Yukon mouth from the 20th to the 25th of May, and leaves that region the last of August. There is no record of the Bank-Swallow's presence on the south-east coast of the Territory, though it is to be expected there owing to its wide distribution. It is unknown on the islands of Bering Sea." Dr. Murdoch observes that the Sand-Martin was first seen on migration at Point Barrow on July 29th, and the last on August 10th. Mr. Macfarlane, in his paper on the birds of Arctic America, writes as follows : — " This species is to be met with in considerable numbers during the season of nidificatiou. It builds its nests in lioles in sandy clayey banks on Anderson River. Several birds and eggs were taken, l)ut, not being in much request, their collection was discouraged." Mr, Ernest Thompson gives the following note on the species in Manitoba :— " Some- what common summer resident ; local in distribution. Pembina : breeding in colonies and along the line to the Rockies (Coues) ; Winnipeg, summer resident, abundant (Sine) ; Portage la Prairie, tolerably common resident, arrive about the 22nd of May, depart about August 23 (Nash) ; abundant in the north-west (Jlacoioi) ; Portage la Prairie, Assiniboine, near Souris' moutli ; Yellowquills Ferry [Thompson); Shell River, 1885, first seen on April 30, afterwards seen every day, is common all summer, and breeds here {Ccdcutt) ; Qu'Appelle, summer resident, breeds, arrives about May 10 {Guernsey). " Sash y loin e -pesheu (Martin). — It resorts hither in the beginning of June, harbours about the steep banks of rivers, where it breeds in holes, making a slight nest of straw and feathers, and lays five white eggs. It is the latest breeder of the Hudson's Bay feathered tribes. I have repeatedly found new-laid eggs in the latter end of July, and by the middle of August not one of the Swallow species is to be seen. A few days before their disappearance they collect in numbers to particular ponds nigh Severn Settlement, and fly about along the surface of the water. " These birds do not breed in colonies here, but excavate their holes in the bank of the Assiniboine River, singly, and some distance apart. They are late in nesting. On the 21st of July I took out a nest. It was quite ucav, but contained no eggs. I saw the old birds going in and out of the hole the day before, and just previous to my examining it. {Nash.MSSy Mr. Thompson lias also very kindly communicated to us tlie accompanying notes on the range of the Sand-Martin throughout Canada : — " Distribution in. Ontario : " Ijondon and vicinifi/. -Vbuudant aloni;- water, ^sot ncarh so (.'ti'nnion as t'dnini'lv near the city, on account of the constant pcrsccutiuu of boys. Uu Erie coast, 14 soutli of here, they breed in vast numbers in the clay-cliff overlooking the lake (W. E. Saunders). '■'■Jlyde Park. Summer resident {John A. Morden). " Listoioel. Have seen many nesting-places at Port Dover {W. L. Kelts). " Samilton. A common summer resident, breeding abvindantly in suitable places all over the country. ... Near Hamilton this species is very abundant (T. Mcll- wraitli in ' Birds of Ontario '). " Toronto. This species is abundant throughout the vicinity of Toronto, nesting in all the steep banks of the rivers, creeks, and lake-shores near. I have the following notes for this region : — May 11th, 1885. Bank-Swallow arrived; May 10th, 1888. Bank-Swallow arrived. " JEllora. Summer visitant, rare {Son. Cliartes Clarke). "Bruce Co., central region. Summer resident, common {W. A. Schoenan). " Millbrook. Summer resident, abundant ; noted first arrival 15th April, 1885 {George Sootheran). '• Coboconk. Noted by myself as common there in June 1885. " Fetertjord' . Common {Rev. V. Clementi). "Yorker. Summer resident, rare {John G. Etcart). "Kingston. Very abundant {Dr. C. K. Clarke). " Distribution in Province of Quebec : ^ Ilontreal. Summer resident, abundant {JV. W. Dunlop). " Co. Quebec and N. to Lake St. John. Summer resident, abundant {J. Neilson). " Lake llistassini. Common; breeds here: May 10th (Jbs. Jf. J/acoziw). " Distribution in Manitoba and North-ioest : " Carberrif. Very rare tibout Carberry, on account of absence of nesting facilities, but noted along the Assiniboine River, 18 miles south, as common. "Winni])eg and vicinity. Summer resident, tolerably common {B. H. Hunter)!' Professor Elliott Coues procured specimens at Pembina, in Dakota, in June, and observes that the species is one of those of general distribution along the line in summer, breeding in colonies anywhere where the cut banks of the rivers afford suitable sites for the digging of the holes in which the nests are constructed. In South-eastern Dakota it is common, according to Mr. Agersborg, and breeds. Mr. Belding summarizes the records from California as follows :— " San Bernardino, rare migrant through the valley {Stephens) ; Santa Cruz, common summer resident {J. Skirm) ; not uncommon throughout California {Newberry) ; abundant at Sacramento city {Heermann) ; Contra Costa and Alameda counties, rare summer resident {Bryant) ; Nicasio, March {Allen); Malhem Lake, breeding in large numbers on one of the islands {Eenshaw) ; Truckee Reservation in May {Bidgway)." Dr. Hart Merriam says that, during the Death- Valley Expedition, " Bank-Swallows were seen in two places only by members of the expedition. Mr. Nelson saw a few in company with rough-winged Swallows at the bend of the Colorado, in Nevada, about Marcli 10. Mr. Stevens found it common 15 at Alvord, in Owens Valley, where they were breeding in the banks along the sloughs, June 26-28." The species does not appear in Mr. Frank Chapman's list, and no specimen Avas obtained by Mr. J. K. Lord in British Columbia ; but Mr. John Fannin states that it is a summer resident east of the Cascades, but is rare to the west of that ransre. It is recorded by Mr. Lawrence from Gray's Harbour, in Washington County, and in California it is found in suitable places. Mr. Townsend did not find it in any of the localities in Northern California visited by him, but in Ventura County, according to Mr. Evermann, it is a summer resident, locally abundant. Returning to the northern habitat of the Sand-Martin, Mr. Bishop saj^s that it was tolerably common on the Magdalen Islands, breeding on Grindstone. According to Mr. Dwight it is a summer resident on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia ; and Messrs. Brittain and Cox record it from the Ptestigouche Valley, in New Brunswick ; they also saw a small colony at the mouth of the Kedgwick Biver. In New England Mr. Maynard says that it is the last of the Swallows to appear, arriving about the middle of May. Mr. Stearns, in his work on 'New England Bird Life,' observes: — " These very plainly coloured Swallows, the least in size of all our species, are abundant summer residents, wherever the requirements of their breeding instinct are fulfilled. Unlike all the rest, the Bank-Swallows have never yielded to modernizing influences, and still persist in excavating holes for themselves in the ground, as they have always done." In Berkshii-e County, Massachusetts, Mr. Faxon says it is plentiful, breeding in the banks of the Housatonic river. Mr. W. Brewster also states that the Sand-]\Iartin is a common bird near Winchenden, in Massachusetts, and breeds there ; and Messrs. Faxon and Allen remark that it is common in the White Mountain region, in New- Hampshire, from June to August. It also breeds very frequently in the district of Columbia, according to Mr. Bichmond. Mr. Butcher, in his paper on the birds of Little Gull Island, New York, observes : — "Although no birds of this species were seen, Mr. C. B. Field said that they had bred abundantly on Great Gull Island earlier in the season, a statement tiiat was well verified Ijy the large number of holes in the sand-banks that overhxjked tlic sliores of the island. Mr. Field also said that about as soon the Swallows had dug out their homes, some folks, who should have been better employed, came over I'rom Cuniu'cluiit and amused themselves by digging out the holes that the Swallows had made, iluis compelling the birds to excavate new ones." In the Hcnshaw collection arc specimens from llu- Inllowing loralilics :— Sin- Sing, N.Y., August (yi. K. Fisher); Oysler Bay, Long Island, .Inlv 1^1 [^llouserrhll ] \ New Haven, Connecticut, May 20 {('. Jl. Mcrr'nim); W'asliiuglnn, D.C .May to August ^Jl. W. Eenshmo); Mount Carmel, Illinois, .luly 27 (A'. ". .Srls,,,!); Whiting, Indiana. July Ji (JZ. IF. Ileiishaw) ; and Cohhain, Indiana, ^lay 11 [U. II'. JhiLshair). In Carroll County, Indiana, Mr. I'^vermaun stales thatit is an abundant summer resident. Messrs. W. A. and J. A. ,)cllVies noticed the liinl alumdanlly in ,May in North CaroHna. In Fulton County, Kentucky, according to ]\Lr. I'indar, it is a common 16 summer resident. Professor Elliott Cones in liis ' Birds of the North-West,' writes : — " Ascending the Missouri in the spring of 1864, I saw thousands of these birds along the banks, which were, in suitable places, riddled with their holes. Again, in the fall of 1872, higher up the river, I observed multitudes of their deserted nests, often in the soft ground capping the bluifs, where, a little below, the bottle-shaped nests of the Cliff- Swallows were fastened in great masses." Mr. Hoffmann, in his paper on the birds of Nevada, has the following remark : — " Noted by Mr. Ridgway as rather abundant at Truckee Heservation in May. Found at Provo, Utah, by Mr. Henshaw. This species appears to associate with the Rough-winged Swallow {Stelgidopteryx serripennis), its habits being similar, though it is found less abundantly." Mr. Scott writes from Arizona : — " Breeds about Port Lowell [S. Brown). 1 have no record of its occurrence except at this point, where I saw it in May and June." Mr. Drew states that in Colorado the Sand-Martin breeds from the plains up to 6000 feet. Mr. Anthony states that he saw a single bird at Apache, in south-western New Mexico, on the 26th of July. In his paper on the birds of Texas, Mr. Dresser speaks of the Sand-Martin as " common throughout the whole country," and he noticed the first at Eagle Pass on the 20th of Pebruary. This statement is at variance with the statements of all recent observers. Near San Antonio, according to Mr. Attwater, it is only a " rare migrant." In Concho Co., "Western Texas, Mr. Lloyd says it is a rare fall migrant. The same is the case in the south-western portion of the State, where Mr. Beckham records that several flocks were seen at Corpus Christi. Specimens are in the Salvin- Godman Collection from the last-named place, procured by Mr. Armstrong on the 8th of October, and the same collector met with the species at Brownsville in April and May. In Plorida the Sand-Martin is only known as a migrant. Mr. Scott records it from the Gulf coast of Plorida, and states that it was " observed as an uncommon migrant in the vicinity of Tarpon Springs. Mr. Atkins has not met with the species at either of the points on the Gulf coast where he has collected." Mr. Scott has also noticed it in the Caloosahatchie region ; and Messrs. Brewster and Chapman noticed it migrating on the Suwanee Piver. Mr. Jones, in his list of the birds of the Bermudas, says that two specimens were killed by Captain Lye in September, and a few were seen near Hamilton on the 8th of August. In Mexico the Sand-Martin had only been seen by Sumichrast near Tehuantepec until a few years ago, when Mr. W. B. Pichardson procured some specimens at Xico- tencal, in Tamaulipas, in May. Mr. Gaumer procured a single female ia Cozumel Island on tlie 16th of May, and Messrs. Salvin and Godinan got specimens near Dueiias in Guatemala and on the shores of the Lake Yzabal. Very few notices have been published on the distribution in its winter home in South America. The Salvin-Godman Collection contains a single example from Bartica Grove in British Guiana, where it was procured by the late Heary Whitely on the 16th of April. In the same month Mr. Edward BarLlett met with the speci* s at Nauta, on the Peruvian Amazons ; and Natterer likewise procured it at Cai9ara, in Brazil, in April, and noticed it near Maribatanas in flocks, consorting with Eiruudo erytlirogastra. 17 . • Mr. Cory, in his latest work on the ' Birds of the West Indies,' gives the Sand- Martin as occurring only in Jamaica, Cuba, and Porto Rico. The lite-history of the Sand-Martin is well known and has often been described. We have selected the description of the habits of the bird given by Mr. Henry Seebohm, as one of the best whicli has been written : — ■ " The habits of the Sand-Martin differ in several points from those of the House- Martin and the Swallow. The comparative rarity of suitable breeding-places makes it a much more local bird, and causes it also to appear much more gregarious ; and the fact that it rarely breeds except in perpendicular earth-cliffs, which are seldom found except on the banks of rivers or lakes, makes it appear to be more partial to the neigh- bourhood of water than is really the case, though in this country the increasing number of railway-cuttings provides the Sand-Martins with other breeding-places, of which they are ready enough, to avail themselves. In some localities the Sand-Martin is said to be the first Swallow to arrive in this country ; but in most places where migratory birds are observed on passage it is recorded as being somewhat later than our other two species. The arrival of all the Swallows in spring is somewhat irregular : they seem to cross the water in small parties, and to fly very low, frequently even following the sweep of the waves. Kriiper gave the end of March as the earliest ajopearance of the Sand- Martin in Asia Minor ; but Irby frequently saw them at Gibraltar before the end of February. Wright says that they pass through Malta a little later than the other Swallows ; and Naumann asserts that they seldom arrive at their breeding-quarters in Germany until early in May. In England they are frequently seen early in April. There seems to be little doubt that the Sand-]\Iartins are the earliest Swallows to leave this country in autumn. During August their numbers rapidly decrease, and by the middle of September very few remain, though I have seen them on the Sussex coast as late as the middle of October. " Immediately after its arrival in this country the Sand-lMartin repairs to its breeding-place, and the old holes are used as sleeping-places at night. These holes are made in perjiendicular earth-cliffs on the banks of rivers or lakes, on the sea-shore, or in railway-cuttings, sand-pits, gravel-quarries, or wherever a steep enough bank of suita1)le soil can be found. Sandy ground is usually chosen because it is easiest to exeavate; but it must not bo too loose, otherwise the sand would fall and bury tlie binl or lier eggs. Sometimes very curious sites arc chosen. I have seen Sand-Marlius llyin'j; in and out of their holes which they had excavated in some enormous heai)s of liair-rolten sawdust IviuiT near the Brandon station of the Great Eastern llailwav. In Norwav, between Lillehammer and tlic Dovrcfjeld, many of the peasants' h.ouses are rooi'cd wilh turf, and some of these thick roof's of dry sandy peat are l)urro\vt'd wilh nests n\' the Sand-Martin. "In all cases the bird excavates its own abode, and generally returns to it s(-vei-al years in succession; but I notieed on tlie banks of tlie Danube many desert(>d colonies close to others Avhere the birds were swarming. J5ot]i nial(- and fcnuilc assist in (1h> process of excavation, wliich usually occupies only the eaily hours of the day, the rest being devoted to coursing through the air in search of food. The little creatures begin :5 <2 18 1)y forming- a small hole with their bills as they cling to the surface of the bank, some- times with heads downwards. As this hole increases in size, they stand in the excavation, and throw out all the loose sand or chalk with their feet, boring away at times as much as four feet into the solid bank, but at others only two or three feet. In some cases a single pair of birds make two or three holes before they are suited. Occasionally a large boulder stops the way ; or perhaps the sand is too hard or too soft ; whilst many holes are abandoned at a depth of a few inches for no apparent cause whatever. The birds seem well aware of the principles of drainage, and provide for it by making their holes slant slightly upwards. The holes vary considerably in size and shape ; some will run almost straight, others turn to the right or left, not in acute angles, but seemingly by accident, or to avoid obstructions in their way. Sometimes the holes are perfectly round, at others they will be rectangular, and often oval, and are usually two or three inches in diameter. The end of the hole is widened and hollowed into a kind of chamber, about sis inches in diameter ; and here the nest is formed. It is usually very slight — a mere bed of dry grass, coarse twitch, a few straws, and lined with one or two large feathers. The eggs of the Sand-Martin are from four to six in number. They are scarcely so polished as the eggs of the House-Martin, but are as pure a white, and vary in length from '76 to '62 inch, and in breadth from -51 to '46 inch. " Early in June or late in May, in favourable seasons, is the time to collect fresh eggs of this bird ; but many Sand-Martins have a second brood, which are rarely on the wing before the middle of August. Some of the colonies of these birds consist of enormous numbers, and on the front of the cliffs where they breed they have all the appearance of bees in the process of swarming. On the banks of the Danube, the Volga, and the great Siberian rivers, the numbers are sometimes almost incredible. One of these colonics is a most animating sight ; the air is full of birds coming and going, and in front of the nests the crowd is so great that it is difficult to understand how each bird can thread the labyrinth. The Sand-Martin is almost as nimble on the wing as the Swallow, perhaps more so than the House-Martin ; and, like both these birds, it often dips for a moment in the water as it skims over the surface to drink or to bathe. Now and then the birds cling to the face of the cliff, and the nearly fledged young often sit at the mouth of the hole to be fed by their parents. Sand-Martins are bold in defending their colony from intruders ; and I have seen them leave the bank in a body to drive away a Merlin, which they pursued with great pertinacity." In America some excellent accounts of the Sand-Martin's habits have also been published, but they agree almost entirely witli those of European naturalists. Mr. Maynard writes as follows : — " These are the last of all the Swallows to make their appearance in New England, arriving about the middle of May. They then quickly repair to fome sandy bank and begin to dig burrows in which to place their nests. They excavate the lioles with their feet, aided by their bills, and although these members are seemingly weak the birds manage to get on quite rapidly, often penetrating a bank to the depth of three or four feet in a few days. These birds are highly gregarious, and from five hundred to a thousand pairs may be found breeding in a favourable locality. They are quite numerous in the interior, but seem to have a predilection for the coast, 19 and will even inhabit islands ; in fact, I found a small colony nesting on a lonely islet, one of the Magdalene group, called Shagg Rock, -which stands in the uiidst of tiie Gulf of St. Lawrence, more than a hundred miles from the mainland. The rock rose abruptly from the water to the height of 90 feet, but the top was covered with soil, portions of which overhung the water, affording the Swallows a fine opportunity to build. Tlie rocky face of the cliff was inhabited by Cormorants ; hundreds of Terns, that were breeding on the upper surface, hovered confusedly about, and filled the air v^ith. their harsh, continuous cries, but amidst all this discord the soft twitter of the Bank-Swallows could be heard as they flew quietly about their strangely chosen homes. " Either these bii-ds do not mate until they begin to construct their nests, or else they are polygamous, for it is quite common to see two or three males in pursuit of a single female ; but I think the former hypothesis more j)robable, as both sexes incubate. The Bank-Swallows bring out their young early in July, and by the latter part of that month they accompany their parents in their aerial flight in search of insects ; later, in August, they all disapjiear, being the first of all the S^^allows to depart for the South." Mr. Stearns, in his ' New England Bird Life,' has the following note : — " Their nesting-habits are very interesting. Given an embankment of earth soft enough to be worked — a natural exposure in the bed of a stream, a site left in running a raUroad, a gravel pit — straight the busy birds come flocking to colonize. Soon the face of the escarpment will be seen studded ^Aitb little round holes, before which the light wings dash in airy circles. The places are not unlike those the Kingfisher selects, and the larger entrance of the sturdy rattler's hole may sometimes be seen in the midst of the lesser openings. It is astonishing how far the weak birds, with their slight bills and claws, will manage to penetrate the ground ; sometimes to the extent of two feet, though the burrows are not ordinarily so extensive as this. They also display much tact in selecting the most suitable soil to work iii, neither too hard to be penetrated with ease, nor so soft as to cave in or be unsafe from the falling of loosened pebbles. Any one may be satisfied of this by examining a bank where different sti-ata are exposed, and noting hoAV the Swallows confine themselves to such belts of soil as suit them best. At the farther end of the passage-way the nest is placed — a slight affair of dried grasses lined witli feathers. The eggs are from three to six in number. I have repeatedly found the latter number. There seems to be some irregularity in the time they are laid. I liavc fdiiiul perfectly fresh eggs in the same nest with others containinii' woll-lorined embryos, and a friend informs me that he has seen in one nest fresh eggs and newly-hatched young. Is it possible, in such cases, that more than one bird has made use of the same nest r The eggs are pure white without markings, and measiirc 0"GS to 0'T6 hy almui U'.JU. They are first laid the latter part of May, with a second set later in the sumnun-." In the Natural History Museum at South Kensington is a grou]) of mounicd liirds, illustrating the nesting of the Sand-^Iartin, and presented to tlie nation by Lonl"\\al- singham, to whose liberality so many of the most important of the groups of British Birds, which are one of the principal attractions of the Museum in the present day, are due. The sandhank in which the Martins nested has not only been faithfully repro- duced, but the actual dimensions of the tunnels, nine in number, have been preserved. 3(^2 20 The nests were placed in the bank of a disused pit, and the soil consisted of clay, mixed with sand and small pebbles. Tunnel no. 1 was 2 feet long. Tunnels nos. 2 and 3 ran into a common passage 2 feet 8 inches long. Nos. 4 and 6 were each 2 feet 4 inches lono-. No. 5 was abandoned, the presence of a large stone preventing the bird from completing it. No. 8 was 2 feet 7 inches long, and nos. 7 and 9 were 3 feet 3 inches in length. In the ' Birds of North America,' by Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, occurs the following note : — " Mr. Augustus Powler mentions a remarkable instance of sagacity and provident forethought in these birds, not easily separable from reason. In the town of Beverly, in a stratum of sandy loam, he observed each season a colony of some tw^enty or thirty pairs of these birds. In this place these birds never burrowed more than two or three feet. "Within a mile of this place another colony excavated a bank in which the layer of loam was mixed with small stones. In this bank they excavated to the depth of five, seven, and even nine feet. Why was there this extraordinary difference in the length of burrows made by the same species, in situations not more than a mile apart ? The reason for this difference, upon examination, became very obvious. We give the expla- nation in Mr. Powler's own words : — ' In one bank, where the earth was of a fine sandy loam, easily perforated, from the entrance to the extremity the burrows did not exceed three feet in length ; while in the other bank, with harder loam to work in, one burrow was found nine feet in length. After examining sis holes of nearly equal length, it appeared that these little birds had sufficient reason for extending their labours so far into the earth. In every instance where they met with a sj)ot free from stones they finished their burrows ; thus showing great care for the welfare of their eggs or young, by avoiding, in the stony soil, a catastrophe so great as would befall their treasures if by accident one of these stones should fall upon them.' " As noticed by Dr. Taczanowski above, the situation of the Sand-Martin's nest in the low banks of rivers sometimes exposes the bird to the risk of destruction by floods ; but an unexplained cause of the death of some of these little birds is given by Mr. Treat in the 'Auk,' for 1890 (p. 9G) :— " I made a trip to a place where hundreds of these birds breed every year. I saw no birds about the holes, and at once concluded that the birds had not bred there that year, but as the holes seemed to have been excavated recently, I examined them, and found dead birds in nearly every hole I dug into. Some of the birds were quite fresh, while others had the appearance of having been dead a long time. These birds were not in very good condition, but were far from being poor and emaciated. Almost all the holes contained nests, but very few had eggs in them, and two were the most I found in any one nest. As to the cause of their destruction I am w'holly perplexed." The Plate represents an adult and an immature bird from specimens in Mr. Wyatt's collection, and the descriptions are reproduced from tlie British Museum ' Catalogue of Birds.' Eor the range of the present species, vide infra, Plate 30 [Map]. COTILE DILUTA, sp. n. PALE SAND-MAETIX. Cotile riparia, pt, auot. ex Asia central!. C. similis C. riparim, sed ubique dilutior et torque praepectorali vix obvio. Hab. in Asia centrali. Adult male. Similar to C. i-iparia, but very much paler brown above, and the tliroat-band also verv light brown and overshaded with ashy, so that the collar is not distinct. Total length 48 inches, culmen 0"4, wing 3'85, tail 1"8, tarsus 0"-i. Adult female. Similar to the male. Total length 4"6 inches, culmen 0'4, wing 4"0o, tail r95, tarsus O'i. Hab. The neighbourhood of Tashkend in Central Asia. The late Dr. Taczanowski, in his ' Faune Ornithologique de la Siberia Orientale,' states that Mr. Jansko^vski, the well-known explorer of Russian Mantchuria, procured five examples of a Sand-Martin on the Sideuii River, close to the frontier between Ussuri Laud acd China, and not far from Vladiowstock : they were obtained by him towards the end of May. In the description of the species, whicli he refers to C. saie/isis, Dr. Taczanowski distinctly speaks of a pectoral band, which, he says, is less j^ronounccd iu the Ussuri bird than in C. riparia. As is seen in our ' Key ' to the species of Cotile, C. riparia and C. sinensis belong to two different sections of the genus, and as Ave entertained great doubt as to Dr. Taczanowski's identification, we wrote to our Irieml Mr. Stolzmauu, who very kindly sent over the specimens in question. We hud them to be absolutely typical C. riparia, not even C. diluta (as we expected), and they certainlv have nothimi- to do with C. chinensis. Of the pale race of C. riparia, which we propose to call C. diluta, \\c have seen two specimens collected by the late Dr. Severtzotf, and sent to the Natural History Museum by Dr. I'leske. These birds were collected by Dr. Severtzolf on the Kadam River, near the fortress of Tchemkent. They have much the appearance of ('. sinfnsi.'<, as the throat-band is very indistinct and is shaded with silvery grey; but the liand is absolutely represented, and in order to avoid all doubt as to flu' r.'lalidiis ol' the sp(\-ics, we may add that the development of the tarsal tuft proves that it is a lorni of ('. riimria and does not belong to the C. sinensis group. Of the winter range of this species we have little or no knowledge. Tlic W'w specimens in the British Museum which seem to belong to the Tale Saud-^Marliu are iu had condition; bat we think that two birds collected by Griffith near Pushut in Afghanistan are referable to C. diluta, and a skin from Madras [Jerdon] may also belong to it, as well as a specimen collected by Mr. Pratt near Ichang in Central China. Now that attention has been drawn to this pale form of Common Sand-Martin, we shall doubtless receive more information respecting it, as a larger series than we possess in England is necessary for the correct determination of its range. Eor the geographical distribution of this species, mde ivfra, Plate 30 [Map]. COTILE SHELLEY I, Sharpe. EGYPTIAN SAND-MARTIN. Cotijle mtoralis, Hempr. & Ehr. MSS. ; Licht. Nomeiicl. Mas, Berol. p. 01 (1854: clescr. nulla). Cotyle riparia (nee L.), Swinh. Ibis, 1864, p. 414; E. C. Taylor, Ibis, 1867, p. 57 ; Shelley, B. Egypt, p. 124 (1872). Cof'de shelleiji, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. ]\Ius. x. p. 100 (1885). C. similis C. riparice, et subalaribus brunneis, sed valde minor. Alii 4-35 poll. Hub. in Africa septentrionali-orientali. Adult male. Similar to C. riparia, but paler and much smaller. Total length 4"1 inches^ culincu 0'3, wing 3".jj, tail I'Go, tarsus 0"35. Hah. North-eastern Africa : Upper Egypt to the Red Sea coast. The Egyptian Sand-Martin seems to constitute a permanently small race of the Coininon Sand-Martin. It is a much smaller bird, somewhat lighter than the generality of tlic specimens of C. riparia, and with a narrower band on the chest. Dr. Sharpe named tlir species Cotile shelleyi, in honour of Captain G. E. Shelley, Avho has written the standard work on Egyptian Ornithology ; but Dr. Eeichenow has pointed out that the Egyptian Sand-Martin is really Cotile Uf f oralis of Hemp rich and Ehrenberg from the Argo Islands. of which no description was ever published. The name has generally been referred to Cotile minor of Cabanis, l)ut the typical specimens in the Berlin Museum sliow that it belongs properly to the form described by Sharpe as C. shelleiji. Captain Shelley says : — "This bird arrives in Egypt \\\ great abundance in ]\Larch, and towards the end of April commences breeding in colonies in the banks of the river side. It is extremely partial to the neighbourhood of water, and may I)l- t'lmslanlly seen skimming over the surface in its graceful flight, at times just touehim;- llie suifacc sufficiently to raise; a slight ripple or dashing rapidly after its mate in ilic cxnlicranci' df its spirits." Dr. Jolui Anderson, during a recent visit to Egy[)t, very kindly inlereslml liimscif in the matter of the Saml-Martins, and induced some of liis friends to colleel specinicns, so that the British Museum has lalelv received from (.'idonel Edt-vir Larkim;' scvi'ral examples from Upper Egypt ; and Mr. J. C. Besly has also forwarded an example from Suez, but the latter proved to be the true C. riparia. The exact range of the species is at present not defined. We believe, in fact, that many of the records attributed to Cotile minor really belong to C. shelleyi, as, for instance, when Baron von Heuglin states that the former species "breeds in Egypt," and is '•■ common in Central Egypt along the whole of the Nile," we fancy tliat he has confused the two species together. We have endeavoured to show the ranges of both, as at present ascertained, in the maps of geographical distribution. The description is taken from the type specimen in tlie Shelley Collection. No Plate has been attempted, as the colours of the species are so similar to those of C. riparia as to render a figure unnecessary. Eor the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 30 [Map]. A '*%, .^ \- w> V "^ '-^1 **-, CWW dd. COTILE CIMCTA, Mintem Bros . imp. COTILE CINCTA (Bodd). BEOWN-COLLAKED SAXD-MAETIN. Hirondeile bnuie a collier dio Cap de Bonne Bsperance, Daubent. PI. Enl. vii. pi. 723. Hirundo cincta, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 1-5 (1783, ex DauLeut.). Broicn-collared Sicallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 577 (17S3). Hirundo lorquala, Gvn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 577 (178S); Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 570 (1790) ; Keulem. Nederl. Tijdschr. iii. p. 384 (180G). Cotijle torqiiata,~R\\\)]). Syst. Uebers. p. 22 (1815); Bp. Cousp. i. p. 3t2 (1S50) ; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (185G); id. Ibis, 1859, p. 339. Cotijle cincta, Gray, Geu. B. i. p. 60 (1815) ; id. Cat. Eissir. Brit, :^[us. p. 30 (IS IS) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. i. p. 97 (1851) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. |). 5S (18G7); Gurney, Ibis, 18GS, p. 13; Heugl. Orn. X.O.-Afr. i. p. IGI- (1SG9) ; Eiusch & Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. Ill (1870); Blanf. Gcol. & Zool. Abyss, p. .".19 (1870) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S, 1870, p. 297 ; id. Ibis, 1870, p. IJO ; id. Cat. Afr. B. ]). 15 (1871); Ayrcs, Ibis, 1873, p. 281, 1871, p. lOG ; U>sher, Ibis, 1871, p. t;2: Buckley, t. c. p. 375 ; Sbarpe & Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. Erance, i. ]). 3S (1876); Ayres, Il)is, 1876, p. 121, 1878, p. 286; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. ISb (1877-81); Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 259; Butler, Eeilden, & Bcid, Zool. 18^2, p. 250 ; Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1882, p. 22 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 358. 839 (1883); Salvad. Ann. 3[us. Civic. Genov. (2) i. p. 121 (1881); Seebolini. Ibis, 1887, p. 313. Cotyle eques, Hartl. P. Z. S. ISOG, p. 325 ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 297. Coiile cincta, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 73, no. 875 (18G9) ; Sbarpe, Cat. Birds in J?ril. Mus. X. p. 101 (1885) ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) vi. p. 232 (1SS8J ; Shelley, P. Z. S. 1888, p. 40. Cotlle eques. Gray, t. c. p. 71, no. 879 (18G9), C. major : cauda hand albo maculata : subcaiulabbus albis : torque jira^iicctorali bniimca. llah. in rogionc ^'Etliiopica fere tota. Adult male. General eolour above Ijrowii, ratlirr bglitcr on llic rump and upper tail-eoverts, tlie lie.-id somcwliat darker; ■\viiig-eovcrt.s Jikc^ tlic back, some ol' llie outer oiu-s near tlie liend of llie win;: witli paler edges ; bastard-w inj;, primary-coverts, and cpiilN dai'lc l]rnu n, a liitlr li^litir onilic edges of the fcathens ; taii-i'eatlur.s (hirk bi-o\vn ; h)res blackish, as Mcll as llic fcalliers round the eye; above tlie lores a broad streak of creamy white ; eai--eovcrts dark brown ; sides of neck brown like the back; checks and cutirc throat uhite, separated from the breast by a very broad ;; \ 2 band of chocolate-brown ; rest of the bofly white, the flanks slightly shaded with smoky brown ; in the centre of the breast a streak of dark brown in continuation of the brown pectoral band, several of the feathers being dark brown on their inner webs ; thighs and adjacent feathers on the sides of the rump brown; axillaries and under wing-coverts "white, slightly shaded with smoky brown; quills dusky brown below; "bill and legs black; iris dai'k hazel" [T. E. Buckley). Total length 6'1 inches, culmen 0"-1j, wing 5, tail 2'^, tarsus 0'5. Adult female. Similar in plumage to the male. Total length G"2 inches, culmen 0'4, wing 5, tail 2"-l, tarsus 0'4'5. Yoioiff. Differs from the adult in being somewhat darker, and in having rusty edges to the feathers of the ujiper parts as well as of the pectoral collar. Total length 6 inches, wing 4*7, tail 2. The amount of brown in the centre of the breast varies with individuals, being sometimes scarcely per- ceptible, whereas in other examples it extends in a broad streak nearly to the abdomen. It seems to be most strongly developed in the birds of North-eastern Africa, which are also slightly darker, but it is impossible to separate specimens from the various parts of the continent. Tlie white spot on the tail-feather, which induced Dr. 11 artlaub to separate C. eques fi-om C cincta, appears to be merely an accidental cluiraeter, for tlie West-African specimens in the Uritish IMuseum do not possess it ; though, on the other hand, Mr. Seebohm has one from the Transvaal which shows it, but several specimens from the latter locality which we have examined do not exhibit a trace of such a spot. As Count Salvador! has already pointed out, the males appear to exceed the females slightly in length of wing, the latter measuring from 4"9 to 5'15 inches, whereas the males have the wing 5'3 to 5'4 inches. Hal). Nearly the whole of the Ethiopian Region. The present species is easily recoguized by the broad l)and of brown across the chest. Its range is set forth in detail beloAV, and it would appear that it is found nearly everywhere in tropical Africa, but is more plentiful in the soutiiern part of the Ethiopian Region. The following is Mr. E. L. Layard's account of the species in South Africa: — " The first specimens of this Bank-Swallow reached me from Capt. Bulger, of H.M. loth PLCgiment (2nd Batt.), who procured it at Windvogelberg, on the frontier. I sul)sequently, in October 18G5, discovered it about 14 miles from Cape Town, hawking about a small stream; it was there in some abundance. I again recognized a pair sitting on the telegraph wires near Somerset West ; and on arriving at Mr. Vigne's farm found a pair breeding in the bank of the river Zonder End. The nest was about three yards deep, in a low bank. We did not obtain the eggs. The parent birds never seemed to lly far from the spot, but skimmed up and down the river. On our poiating them out, the Messrs. Vigne, who have paid some attention to the birds found in their neighbour- hood, pronounced them strangers to them ; and we do not think they have been in the vicinity of Cape Town till the year 1865. During the wliole of 1866, Mr. L. C. Layard found them abundant near Cape ToT\n, and after tliat date until we left the Cape this Swallow could always be met with in that vicinity during the summer months. We fancy that previously to this the species could not have been very plentiful at the western cud of the Colony, althougli Mr. F. E. Surtees, wlio has made a special study of these birds, tells us that he procured it iu 1862. About the Berg lliver we found it not un- common in September 1869, breeding- in the river-banks and tbe sides of the ditches along the road to Malniesbury. It tunnels a hole about three feet long, of the size of a man's arm, inclining upwards, and the eggs (four or five) are pure white and rather sharp at the thin end. Axis, 10'" ; diam. 6"'." Mr. Ayres gives the following note respecting the bird in Xatal : — ' These birds I only found inland. Their flight much resembles that of the Hollers, and they utter a loud chattering note whilst flying. The specimen sent I shot in Tebruary near Pietermaritzl3urg ; it is a heavy, large-siz;ed Swallow, solitary and scarce. The stomach contained good-sized beetles, somewhat broken up.' Mr. T. E. Buckley obtained a male bird in the Drakensberg Mountains during his journey to the Matabili country. He observes : — ' A summer migrant apparently, as I only saw them on our return journey ; they were not particularly abundant, a few pairs only being seen together in this one spot.' " It is to be noted, however, that Mr. Seebohm considers that the present species is a resident in iS'atal, and remains there during the winter months. Colonels Butler and Feilden and Captain Savile Held, in their joint paper on the ornithology of Natal, observe : — - " First noticed in the Newcastle district early in October, after which it was fairly abundant, frequenting rivei'-bauks and 'vleys.' It has a very noticeable flight, less jerky and more vigorous than that of its congeners. Eeid shot a fine female specimen when duck-shooting at ' Spoonbill ' Vley, near the Buffalo. They appeared to be going to breed in November, in holes in the river-banks, but we did not meet witli any occupied nests." In the Transvaal, Mr. Ayres has recorded the species as a summer visitant to thi' neighbourhood of Potchefstroom, and he also found it tolerably common during thi' summer months about Lydenburg, where it was evidently breeding along the l)anks ol' tlie river. He also observed it in the immediate gold-fields, l)ut not so ])lcntifull\ . During the late Mr. J. S. Jameson's expedition to Mashona Land, the species was aho met with, but we arc not aware that its occurrence has been noticed in any portion of Eastern Africa to the north of the Zamljesi. In South-western Africa it has been procured by Senor Ancliiela at Caconda in Bcnguela, and the British Museum has a specimen procured l)y IMr. Alfred Heatli at Kinsembo in Angola. Messrs. Lucan and Petit met with the speeii's al Chiiiehonxo on the Lower Congo in April, and in tln^ British ]\[useuni is a s[)eeinien frun: Cahoon, ol)tained l)y one of the collectors of the Maison Verreaux. It was met with on one occasion by Mr. K(Milenians when on Priiiee'> inland with Dr. Dohrn. His note is as follows : — " I observed this species for several days in Prince's Island. 'I'lie lli'sl time was in •luiie, when I round a pair living aloiii;- the shores of the li:iy whieh is near the town of tile island. Thev were verv tame, and were continunllv restinir on tlie twiu^s nf a small tree or bush. This species did not seem to be very strong on the wing, for after flying np and down for a few moments, both birds repeatedly rested for some time. I shot one, which proved to be the female, but judging from what I saw of the living birds, the male did not appear to diifer in colour. I unfortunately did not secure the latter ; for, immediately on the fall of his mate, he flew up high in the air and disappeared. In September I saw another individual sitting in exactly the same place where I had already killed the previous one, but I was obliged to abstain from shooting it, for fear of hitting some nigger boys who were in the neighbourhood. The call-note of this bird is like that of Hlrnuclo rustica, but I did not hear any song. The present species is known to the inhabitants as an occasional visitor, and is called by some of them Pascnsha, by others Undnrinha. They also assert that it is found all through the year in the high mountains in the interior of the island, and comes sometimes to the shore." The late Governor Ussher observed the present species during his expedition up the River Volta, and thus records the circumstance : — " I never met with this Martin but once, up the Volta, where I shot it on a bough overhanging the water ; but as great numbers of Swallows appeared skimming the surface of the w^ater, I do not doubt that C. cincta was among them. The specimen then collected was one of a pair." In North-eastern Africa we know more of the present species. Dr, von Heuglin writes : — " This Swallow is a migratory bird iu K.E. Africa. Eiippell met with it in the province of Barakit, and I found it near Adowa, at Mareb, and along the brooks of the provinces Dembea and Emfag, Avhich feed the Tana Lake, from the beginning of May throughout the rainy season ; and lastly in October, above a marsh between Tejura and Ghubet-harab, on the Adail coast ; here, perhaps, in the act of migrating. It lives only in pairs, and breeds at the end of jMay on the high banks of torrents, in horizontal burrows dug by itself. I was never able to reach the nest itself, owing to its position. It is generally not much above the surface of the water, and just above deep places which could only be reached by swimming." Mr. W. T. Blanford states that, during the Abyssinian Expedition he twice met with this Martin, " first on tlie shores of Lake Ashangi in April, and again about a fort- night later on the banks of a stream near Antalo." Sir W. C. Harris procured a specimen at Angollala in Shoa, and it was also found by the late Marquis Antinori at Daimbi, in the Adda Galla country, in May, and again at Mahal- Uouz and the ' Kolla' of Mantek in August. He says that it was plentiful on Lake Cialalaka, which is in the Adda Galla district. Dr. Ragazzi met wdth it at Ula in May, at Hora in June, and at Daimbi iu June. In the collection presented by Emiu Pasha to the British Museum were two female specimens obtained by him at Wadelai in Eebruary and October. The descriptions are taken from the British Museum ' Catalogue/ and the bird figured is in Captain Shelley's collection. COTILE CONGICA, Reichenoic. COXGO SAND-MARTIN. Cotile congica, Eeichenow, J. f. 0. 1887, p. 300. C. fascicula plumosa ad finem tarsi absente : torque pectorali pallide brimneu : margine carpali nigro, albo fasciato. Hab. in flumine Congico, Africie occidentalis. Female (not quite adult). General colour above mouse-browuj with wliitish edges to the feathers of tlic back (remains of immature plumage), the inner secondaries being also edged with Trhite at the ends ; wing-coverts and quills blackish brown ; upper tail-coverts lighter and more ruddy brown than the back ; tail nearly square, dark brown, with lighter brown edges ; crown of head decidedly darker and more dusky brown than the back ; the ear-coverts and lores also very dark brown ; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body white, with a distinct band of pale brown across the lower throat ; sides of the body light brown, as also the under wing-coverts and asillaries; the coverts round the bend of the wing blackish, with white tiiJS, as if barred with white: "iris blackish brown" {F. Bohndorff). Total length 4 inches, culmen 0-3, wing 3'75, tail 1'6, tarsus 0'4. Hab. River Congo, West Africa. This is a very curious little Sand-Martin, and holds an intermediate position between the two sections of the genits Cotile. Thus it has a brown band on the loAver throat like C. riparia, but in its small size it resembles C. minor and its allies ; and like tlu' latter group of Sand-Martins, C. congica has no tuft of feathers at the back of the tarsus, while it differs from all the other members of the genus Cotile in having tlu' lower margin of the bend of the wing barred with black and white. The original specimens were obtained by Mr. F. BohndorlT at ]\lanyanga, on the Lower Congo, between Vivi and Stanley Pool. . One of them having kindly been sent in exchange bv the Berlin Museum to the British Museum, we have been able to give a description of the bird. For the geographical distribution of this species, cidc iiifra, Plate 31 [Maji]. 3 k "UlirLterzv Bros i«ip- C W W.dEl COTILE PALUDlCOl^ COTILE PALUDICOLA [Tieiu.]. SOUTH-AFRICAN SAND-MAUTIN. Hirondelle des Ilarais ou la Brunette, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. v. p. 158, pi. 21G. fig. 2 (1806). E-irundo paludicola, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Xat. xiv. p. 511 (1817) ; [Gueriii in Eerr. et Gal. Voy. Abyss, iii. p. 242 ; Des Murs in Lefcbvre Voy. Abyss, p. 7'J (1847) ;] Grill, Zool. Anteekii. pp. 10, 36 (1858). nintiido 2K(lasl)'ls, Stepb. Gea. Zool. x. p. 101 (1817). (Jotyle imhullhida, lliipp. Neue Wirb. p. 106 (1835) ; id. Syst. Uebcrs. p. 22 (1845) ; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 (1856). Cotyle palustris, Cab. Mus. Hciu. Tb. i. p. 49 (1850) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 34 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Himnd. Mus. Pbilad. Acad. p. 11 (1853); Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 58 (1867); Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 464; Ayres, Ibis, 1876, p. 421. Cotyle cdbivcntris, Liclit. Nomencl. Av. p. 61 (1854). Cotyle p(du,dicola, Sundev. Krit. Eramst., Levaill. p. 52 (1857) ; Ileugi. Ibis, lb59, p. 339 (pt.); Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 326; Gurney, t. c. p. 347; Heugd. Orn. N.O.- Afr. i. p. 167 (1869, pt.); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 302 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 45 (1871); Ayres, Ibis, 1874, p. 102; Buekley, t. c. p. 375; Slielley, Ibis, 1875, p. 68 ; Butler, Feilden, & Ileid, Zool. 1882, p. 251 ; Sbarpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 361, 840 (1883) ; Scebobm, Ibis, 1887, p. 3 13. Cotile indudlcola. Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 74, no. 877 (1869) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1880, p. 260 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 102 (1885). C. miuor : cauda hand albo maculata : subcaudalibus albis : torque prrepcctorali nulla: gutturc ct (icc- tore brunncis, coucoloribus. Halt, in Africa, mcridionali. Adult. General colour above uniform brown ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and ^\n\\\> daik brown, the inner secondaries edged with lighter brown ; tail-feathers dark brown ; lores dusky brnwn ; cheeks, throat, and breast brown, with a slight hoary shade on tlic throat ; sides of tin- body brown like the breast; centre of abdomen, lower flanks, and uiulir tail-eoverts white; thiglis brown; axillaries and nnder wing-covcrts brown, the coverts near the edge of tlie wing edged with whitish ; quills dusky below : "bill and feet black; iris dark hazel" [^K. liiickUij). To'.al length 4-8 inches, eulmen 0-3, wing tl."), tail ~'-'5, tai-sus ()• I,";. In Capt. Shelley's collection is a spceimeii killed b_\ hiniMJf in the Cape Colony wliii'h lias the \\\m\c under surface brown, ineluding the under tad-eoverts. A like speeiuien, but rather darker on the lower parts, was obtained by Colonel Butler near Newcastle in June, and Canon Tristram lias a similar bird from the Transvaal. We have been nnable to account for these variations in plumage, and are uncertain whether they are simply the signs of the very old birds, or con- stitute a melaniatic variety. The Natal birds have more white on the abdomen than those from the Cape ; and one from the Zambesi has the white on the lower parts still more extended, approaching C. minor of North-eastern Africa. ]Mr. Thomas Ayres says : — " Specimens with the underparts dark, and entirely whole-coloured, arc to be seen in company with the white-bellied birds, but are not nearly so common." Colonel Butler believes that the dark-coloured individuals are immature birds, but we cannot see any evidence of this in his specimens. Young. Differs from the adult in having sandy-rufous edges to the feathers of the upper parts, and in having the under surface likewise washed with rufous. Hub. South Africa, from the Cape Colony to the Zambesi. As far as the evidence at our disposal goes, we liave little hesitation in considering the present species to he strictly confined to South Africa, and we anticipate that all refer- ences to tlie hirds' occurrence in North-eastern Africa will ultimately be found to have been intended for Cot'de minor. Tlie foJlowing account of the species in the Cape Colony is taken from Sharpe's edition of Layard's ' Birds of South Africa ' : — " The Cape Bank-Swallow is the earliest comer of all our migratory Swallows and Swifts. It is rarely seen far from water, and breeds in the banks of rivers or artificial dams, over which it continually hawks for flies. It lays three or four white eggs, of the same size and shape as those of our European C, riparia, and the nest is often run to the depth of two or three feet into the soil, wdien it is loose and friable. " Mr. Cairncross, of Swellendam, informs us that, if the winter is mild, it remains about that part of the country during the whole year. Mr. Jackson has sent it from Net's Poort. lie also states that it stays with him all the year round. We saw this little species hawking about over a river in the Strand Veldt near Mr. J. Van der Byl's residence at mid-winter (end of June 1868). AVe found it breeding at the Berg River in the banks in the month of September. We also found it breeding at the ' Clay pits ' near Graham's Town. Captain Shelley writes : — ' At Ceres, in Cape Colony, I found this species very abundant, reminding me strongly of C. riparia, from which its dull-coloured breast most readily distinguishes it.' The late Dr. Bradshaw informed us that he found it to be a common species on the Orange Ptiver, where it is an early arrival and stays late. Mr. T. E. Buckley obtained one specimen out of a flock at Pieteiinaritzburg. Mr. Thomas Aj-rcs gives the following note on the species in Natal : — ' These Martins I haA^e neA'er seen on the coast. I found many of them during the winter months about the streams near Pietermaritzburg ; they occasionally alighted to rest on the overhanging reeds, where, I have no doubt, they roost at night, as I have frequently found them thus perched before the sun rose. Sometimes they liunted singly, sometimes in companies ; and their fiiglit being very eccentric, I found them difficult to shoot.' " Colonels Butler and Feilden and Captain Reid write: — "A permanent and most abundant resident in the neighbourhood of Newcastle. It probably breeds twice, for Feilden found a nest containing three incubated eggs in the bank of the Buffalo River, on the 6th of August, and it was undoulitedly breeding in the clay banks of the rivers and streams near Newcastle in October and November." Mr. Ayres writes : — " This Martin is as common in the Transvaal in June and July as it is in the upper districts of Natal. They are fond of following in the course of a river, skimming along with ratlier eccentric flight within a few feet of the surface of the water." In the Transvaal it is found all the year round, according to Mr. Ayres, and was noticed by him in the Lydenburg district. A specimen is in the British Museum from Shupanga on the Zambesi, where it was procured by Sir John Kirk as it was flying round the ship in the Elephant Marsh. The descriptions are taken from the British Museum ' Catalogue of Birds,' and the figures in the Plate are drawn from specimens in Captain Shelley's collection. 3 b ^^,4^ ^- .^§^ \1 5., 1 ■\ . '^\ ^^, >' C WW del COTILE MINOR. Mii\terr\ Bros ■ >inp- COTILE MINOR, Cah. SOUDAN SAND-MAETIN. Cotyle minor, Cab. Miis. Hein. Th. i. p. 49 (1850) ; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. IGG (1869) ; Blauf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 350 (1870) ; SUavpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 303 ; Shelley, B. Egypt, p. 124 (1872). Cotyle Uttoralis, Hempr. & Elir. MSS. ; Liclit. Nomencl. p. 61 (1854). Cotile minor, Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 74, no. 878 (1869) ; Sliarpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. X. p. 108 (1885). ? Cotyle palustris (pt.), Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 167 (1869). C. similis C. paludicola, sed minor. Hab. in Africa septentrionali-orientali. Adult. Similar to C. paludicola, but smaller, and having a shade of silvery grey down the centre ; remainder of abdomen and under tail-coverts white. Total length 4'5 inches, culmen 0\25, wing 3"9, tail V7, tarsus 0'3. Young (one of the types of C. Uttoralis, H. & E.). Very pale brown, washed with sandy rufous, the feathers broadly edged with this colour, the rump and upper tail-covcrts nearly uniform rufous; wing-coverts and quills darker brown, edged with sandy rufous ; car-coverts and sides of face pale brown, the lores and feathers of the head washed with rufous ; throat and chest white, washed with pale rufous ; sides of breast brown ; centre of breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white : flanks brown washed with sandy rufous. [Mus. G. E. Shelley.) A specimen collected by Sir W. C. Harris at AngoUala in Shoa has the wing 3-85 inches. Hab. North-eastern Africa from Central Egypt to Abyssinia, Somali-land and Equatorial Africa, iiro- bably migrating southwards, but the northern and southern limits of the species have yet to be defined. This small Sand-Martin is so closely allied to the South- African C. paluirtcola that it is scarcely deserving of separation, and it is not surprising that it has been considered to be identical with that species ])y many naturalists. In fact little is known about it ; and notwithstanding tlie universal testimony of naturalists to tlic wonderful profusion of the species in North-eastern Africa, in collections it is one of the rarest of tlic Swallows. Thus it is quite possible that an absolute connection with C. i>aliiiHcol<( will one day l).- established. At present wc have only seen two specimens of C. minor, and the only diirerence between them and C. palifdicola amsi^ts in tlie silvery grey sliade mi the tlmtat and fore neck whieli is perceptilde in the first-named l)ird. The extent of the brown colour R over the fore neck and breast seems to vary so much in C. paludicola that the distinctions we drew in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' between the two forms, resting on this character, appear to ixs now to be undeserving of much credit. The grey on the throat may also prove to be due to seasonal changes, and in that case there will be nothing but the smaller size by which C. minor can be recognized. The late Baron von Heuglin gave the following account of this species in his ' Orni- thologie Nordost Afrika's ' : — " This little Bank-Swallow is common from central Egypt along the whole of the Nile, as Avell as in Abyssinia. It breeds in Egypt and Nubia in small and large flocks, between the months of Pebruary and May, and. also at the time when the water is lowest. The nest-holes resemble those of C. rqyaria, but are generally not so deep, and, according to Brehm, are often very near together, and always in the perpendicular alluvium walls of the banks. " As early as June or July the old and young birds assemble in large flocks, flying backwards and forwards along the water, and often settling on the shore or on sand- banks. In September these little birds migrate southwards, swarming more especially in the evening, and passing in a dense cloud across the Blue and White Niles at Khar- toum, falling in countless multitudes on the fields of Sorgho, where they often pass the night in company with Sand-Martins, Chimney-Swallows, and Wagtails. Some of the Europeans keep a sharp look-out for them at this time, and each year hundreds of these harmless little birds are taken with the hand, to be utilized for kitchen requirements. I have also observed the species in September and October on the Danakil and Somali coasts. " As late as December 18G2, we found a nest of the present species in a burrow, about one or two feet in depth, in the high bank of the Asam at Adowa. It consisted of dry grasses, and contained three eggs, nearly ready to hatch." Mr. W. T. Blanford states that he saw this Sand-Martiu in countless swarms on Lake Ashangi in April. They kept much in flocks, roosting among the reeds at night. Sir W. C. Harris met with the species at AngoUala in Shoa. The description is taken from Mr. Blanford's specimen in the British Museum, and the figure is also drawn from the same bird. -* ~o CWWdal COTILE COWANK COTILE COWANI, Sharpe. DEANS COWAN'S SAND-MAETIN. Cotile coioani, Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xvi. p. 322 (1882) ; id. Cat. Birds iu Brit. Mus. X. p. 104 (1885). Cotyle paliidicola, var. cowani, Milne-Edwards et Grandid. Hist. Nat. IMadag. xii. Ois. p. 398 (1883). C. similis C. jialudicolce ex Africa meridionali, sed ubique saturatior : subtus brunnesceusj abdomine paullo albicante, et gutture avgentesceuti-albo distinguenda. Hab. in insula ' jMadagascar ' dicta. Adult female . General colour above dark sooty brown^ slightly paler on the lower back and rump ; wing- coverts like the back, the inner greater coverts and inner secondaries rather lighter and with slightly paler margins ; primary-coverts and quills very dark brown ; tail-feathers very dark bi-own, with narrow paler edgings, the outermost feathers very narrowly fringed with white ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts and sides of face dark sooty brown, the cheeks and throat ashy brown ; remainder of under surface of body dark ashy brown, including the thighs ; lower abdomen whitish ; under tail-coverts pure white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark ashy brown like the breast, the edge of the wing with paler ashy margins to the feathers ; quills dark brown below, rather more ashy along the inner web. Total length 4'8 inches, culmen 0'25, wing 3'65, tail 1-9, tarsus 0'4. Adult male. Similar to the female in colour. The male measures — total length 4' 7 inches, wing 3'6.'), tail 1-9, tarsus 0-4. Young. Diflers from the adult in having rufous margins to the feathers of the upper surface, wing-coverts, and secondaries, while the throat and breast arc also sufl'used with rufous. On comparing this species with the South-African C. paludicola, it will be found that the difference consists in the darker colour of the Madagascar bird, which is brown uudenieatli, with a well- marked silvery shine on the throat and fore neck. Hah. Betsileo country, Madagascar. EoH the discovery of this new species of Sand-Martin we ai-e iiiiIcl)tiMl to ihe llev. Di'ans Cowan, an energetic rois.sionary in Madagascar, who occiij)i(Hl his scanty IciMire lime in collecting ohjects of natural liistory in tiiat wonderful island. !Mr. Cowan met witli it in the forest of Ankal'ana, in the western jxirt of the province of iM'isileo. The species was discovered too late for it to he figured in the siilendid work on tin- natural history of Madagascar, published hy M. Gnindidier, but it i.-> niciilioncd in Prof. Milne-Edwards and M. Grandidier in the volume devoted to the ornithology of the island. These gentlemen regard Cotile cowani as a variety or suhspecies of the African C. paludicola, and this is the view advanced in the ' Catalogue of Birds.' They admit the differences of colour exhihited by the Madagascar form, hut they consider that these " cannot be regarded as of specific worth, especially if one remembers that in Madagascar animals of the same species exhibit, in the eastern side of the island, a coat or a plumage of a darker tint than in the west." The differences between this species and C paludicola are, however, extremely well marked and constant, and we have no hesitation in recognizing it as a distinct form. (Jur friend the Uev. Deans CoM^an has given us the following note on this species : — "This bird, with its eggs, was on several occasions brought to me at Ankafana, a small forest about four miles west of the Great Porest in Betsileo. I gathered that these had been taken in holes in some bank, of which there were not a few about the place. The birds were taken at the same time as the eggs. There were a number of Swallows flying about the open glades of the forest, at about 50 to 60 feet from the ground. These I took to be Cotile cowani; but I never shot any of them, so that I am not positively sure that they were so. " A small Swallow, perhaps Cotile, was very commonly to be seen at certain seasons skimming almost every large pool of water or river." The descriptions are copied from the ' Catalogue of Birds ' and the figures in tlie Plate represent an adult and a young bird from Captain Shelley's collection. According to Mr. Deans Cowan the native name is ' Piriringa,' the same as that of the Fhedina of Madagascar. ^.ASitfa^^^^ .*-M:;;j-a^o.rf^''<®«te-/ ■*»*'• ■•-k-^' j:,;^-»«At.J' "V ^ i WhiU^ lJintBm}iroB.iriq>. c/rr.dei. COTILE SINENSIS, COTILE SINENSIS [J.E.Gmy). IXDIAX SAND-MARTIN. Sirundo cUnensis, J. E. Gray in Hardw. Illustr. Ind. Zool. i. pi. 35. fig. 3 (1830- 32). Rirundo brevkcmdata, McClell. P. Z. S. 1839, p. 156 ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 58 (1845). Sirurido sinensis, Jerd. Madr. Journ. xi. p. 238 (1S40) ; Blytb, J. A. S. Beug. xvi. p. 119 (1817); id. Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 199 (1849). Cotyle brevicaudata, Boie, Isis, 1841, p. 170. Sirundo miniita, Hodgs. Icon. iued. in Brit. Mus., Passeres, pi. 9. fig. 2 (no. 333) ; id. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1844). Sirundo suhsoccata, Hodgs. Icon. ined. in Brit. Mus., Passeres, pi. 9. tig. 1 (no. 332) ; id. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1844). Cotyle sinensis, Gray, Cat. Piss. Brit. Mus. p. 30 (1848) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 342 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Philad. Mus. p. 12 (1853) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E. I. Co. Mus. i. p. 96 (1854) ; Jerd. B. lud. i. p. 164 (1862) ; Swinli. Ibis, 1863, p. 257, 1866, p. 134 ; Blyth, t. c. p. 338 ; Beavan, Ibis, 1869, p. 404 ; Godwin- Austen, J. A. S. Bang. xxxix. p. 266 (1870) ; Swinh. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 347 ; Adam, Str. P. 1873, p. 370 ; Hume, Str. F. 1874, p. 469, 1875, p. 452; Blyth & Wald. B. Burm. p. 127 (1875) ; Eairb. Str. F. 1876, p. 254 ; Butler, Str. E. 1877, p. 227 ; David & Oust. Ois. Cliine, p. 128 (1877) ; Anders. Rep. Zool. Exped. Yunnan, Birds, p. 651 (1878) ; Hume & Davison, Str. E. 1878, p. 45 ; Davids. & Wend. Str. E. 1878, vol. ii. p. 76 ; Ball, t. c. p. 202 ; Cripps, t. c. p. 257 ; Hume, Str. E. 1879, p. 84 ; Scully, t. c. p. 234; Doig, t. c. p. 370 ; Butler, Cat. B. Sind &c. p. 13 (1879) ; id. Cat. B. S. Bomb. Pres. p. 14 (1880) ; Murray, Vertebr. Eaun. Sind, p. 103 (1884) ; Reid. Cat. LucknoAv Mus. p. 18 (1886) ; id. Str. E. 1887, p. 18 ; Davidson, t. c. p. 293 ; Hume, Str. E. xi. p. 29 (1888). Cotijle suhsoccata, Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 495, 1859, p. 176 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 163 (1862) ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 338 ; Jerd. Ibis, 1871, p. 353. Cotile sinensis. Gray, IIand-1. B. i. p. 73, no. 865 (1869) ; Hume, Nests it Eggs Ind. B. p. 82 ; id. Str. E. 1873, p. 164 ; Dates, B. Brit. Burm. i. p. 309 (1SS3) ; Shari)c, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 104 (1885) ; Swinh. & Barnes, Ibis, 1885, p. GO. Cotile suhsoccata, Hume, Nests & Eggs Ind. B. jo. 82 (1873). Cotile ohscurior, Hume, Str. E. 1875, p. 43. ? Cotyle ohsoleia, Lcggc, B. Ceylon, p. 599 (1879). C. similis ('. jial/(dicolie, scd multo iiiiiior ct uropyj^icj jiaulld alljifanti-irrisc'D l:iv:ito. ■2 N Hab. in regione Indica et in snb-regione Indo-Sinensi. Adidt male. General colour above glossy bi-own, rather paler towards the rump and upper tail-coverts; wings a little darker brown than the back, with edgings of slightly paler brown, as well as on the inner secondaries ; bastard- wing, f)rimary-coverts, and quills dark brown ; tail-feathers dark brown ; lores, feathers round the eye, and ear-coverts brown ; throat and breast ashy brown ; lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; flanks slightly washed with brown ; thighs brown; axillaries and under wing-eoverts brown like the breast but a little darker; quills dusky below, rather browner along the inner webs : " bill black ; gape pale fleshy ; iris dark brown ; feet dusky brownish, claws dusky" {Scully). Total length 3"9 inches, culmen 0*25, wing 3"45, tail 1-6, tarsus 0" 1. Adult female. Like the male in plumage. Total length 4 inches, culmen 0'25, wing 3'3, tail TSo, tarsus 0'35. Young. Much lighter brown than the adults, and shaded with sandy rufous, all the feathers broadly edged with the latter colour, producing a nearly uniform rufous appearance on the lower back and rump ; underneath, the portions of the throat and breast which are brown in the adult are pale sandy rufous. Hab. Southern China and Formosa, Cochin China and the Burmese countries to Northern Tenasserim, Northern India from Assam to Sind, and south to the Central Provinces and the Southern Bombay Presidency. This pretty little Sand-Martin is widely spread over India, but becomes rarer towards the south of the Peninsula, and is entirely rtnrecorded from many districts. Mr. Hume says that it is abundant on all the great Punjab rivers and on the Indus, and his collection contains specimens from the banks of the latter and the Chenab River, obtained during his expedition to Sind in the month of December, at Mooltan, Sukkur, and Kusmore. Mr. Murray says that it is a permanent resident in Sind, and breeds at Kuggatora and upwards, towards, and beyond Seliwan, in holes in the river-banks about January. Mr. Hume states that he has taken eggs in May on the Jhelum, and Mr. Scrope Doig found it nesting in the Eastern Narra in February. Colonel Butler, whose specimens from Deesa, procured in January, are in the Hume collection, considers it to be a permanent resident throughout Sind, Cutch, Kathiawar, and Gujariit, Avhere, he says, it is common, but is, as a rule, confined to the banks of rivers. In a later-publislied note Colonel Butler gives the date of arrival as the 25th of June in 1876, and the date of departure as the 20th of April. He thinks that a few birds may remain all the year round, but the majority disapj)ear in hot weather. He believes that it breeds on Mount Aboo. Mr. Hume adds a note that though it occurs in suitable localities iu Sind, Cutch, Kathiawar, and Jodhpur, it is comparatively rare in the three latter. Dr. Leitli Adams found the species abundant on the Chimouraree Lake in Ladak, and during the cold montlis on lakes and pools among the salt-ranges of the Punjab. Mr. Pl. M. Adam records it as very common near Sambhur, and has taken the nest on the 15th of April. Colonel G. E. L. Marshall has found the present species breeding near Saharanpur in April, and Mr. Hume states that he has taken eggs on the Jumna in the Etawah district in February and April. The Hume collection also contains specimens procured near Delhi in October and Decemljer. The late Captain Beavan observed it in some abundance on the 1st of April, 1866, when on the march from Umbala to Kalka, and within some ten or twelve miles of the latter place. In the Ku.naon Bhabur, Dr. King j^rocured specimens in Janiiary and Marcli. Mr. E.. M. Adam found it breeding in Oudh on the 23rd of Ajiril. Mr. George Eeid says that in the Lucknow Division it is abundant along the banks of all the rivers, and frequents Hyder All's canal in vast numbers, breeding from February to May. Dr. Scully found the species " fairly common in the valley of Xepal, and it resides there throughout the year ; in winter it is very noticeable, aS the SwaJlows and Swifts are then absent. It was met with in fair numbers in winter in the Na^vakot district and Markhu Valley. The bird is usually found over wet fields and marshy ground, and along the course of streams. It has its holes and breeds in the banks of rivers and in the sides of the alluvial cliffs so common in the valley of Nepal." Specimens collected bv him in February and ^Mav are in the Hume collection, which also contains an immature bird procured by Mr. Mandelli in Native Sikhim in May, and both old and young birds obtained by the same naturalist in the Bhotan Dooars. In his ' List of the Birds of Manipur, Assam, Sylhet, and Cachar,' Mr. Hume writes : — " Occasionally seen about the larger streams in the Western and near thr Southern Hills. Common tliroughout the basin, esj)ecially about the capital and the Logtak Lake ; only very rarely met with in the Eastern Hills. I found this species occasionally in moderate-sized communities all along the rivers in Sylhet and Cachar. From the Valley of Assam I do not find it recorded, and I have as yet received no speci- mens thence, but it almost certainly occurs there." Mr. Davison procured a specimen at Seraigung on the Brahmaputra Biver in December. Mr. Cripps states that it is decidedly common in the Dibrugurh district, along the larger rivers, where the banks are preciintous. During the rains tliey migrate. Colonel Godwin-Austen, in his second list of the birds of the Khasia Hills, records it as breeding in January at Shirshang, in the banks of the Lumessary Biver. Some mistake has occurred in tlie dimensions of the specimens, as pointed out by IMr. llnmc, the lengtli l)cing given as \2,\ inches, and the wing as Sj inclies. The Indian Sand-Martin is found near Calcutta, and Mr. Blytli has L'oinul it l)rccding in the banks of the Hugli during the cold season, l^ueliauan Hamilton states tliat the species is migratory near Calcutta, coming in October and heaving in .M.nch ; Imt .Icrdmi states that he has seen them frequently in May, and diirinu' the i-ains also, Iput they were more scattered at the time. The same observer states that llic species is rare in ilic south of India, where there are few rivers witli liigli alluvial lianks, Iml is Idunil in cvi'iy large river from the Godavery northwards, and swarming on the (laiiLics. Near Faridpur, in Eastern Bengal, Mr. J. B. Cripps states that it is very eonnuon 2n2 4 during the cold weather, and their nesting-holes are to be seen in all the high banks. It breeds in February and March, and by the end of April all have left the district. The Hume collection contains specimens from E.aipur and the Sumbulpur district in the Central Provinces, and Prof. Valentine Ball obtained specimens of the species in the latter locality. Colonel Swinhoe and Lieut. Barnes, writing on the birds of the Mhow district, observe : — " The Indian Sand-Martin is very common, and is a permanent resident, breeding in January and February in holes excavated by the birds themselves in the sandy banks of the river. The holes are from 18 to 2i inches in depth." Mr. J. Davidson, in his rough list of the birds of Western Khandeish, writes as follows : — " Common in Taloda, Shada, and Nandurbar in the cold weather. I think it left the district in the hot weather, but find nothing about it in my notes and cannot remember. It bred abundantly along the Tapti in November and December." Messrs. Davidson and Wenden, in their notes on the Avifauna of the Deccan, state that it is tolerably common in that part of India. At Sangola it breeds singly, in river-banks, in December. On the banks of the Bhima, Mr. Davidson got a single nest with three fresh eggs in March. Colonel Butler includes it as a permanent resident in the Bombay Presidency. He says it is " common, as a rule, in suitable localities throughout the region, but not as yet recorded from Eatnagiri. It probably avoids the forest tracts." Mr. Fairbank, in his list of birds from the vicinity of Khandala, records the species from near Satara, and the Hume collection contains a specimen from Rahuri in the Ahmednuggur district, procured on the 23rd of March. In Colonel Legge's ' Birds of Ceylon,' mention is made of the occurrence of a Sand- Martin in that island, which had been observed by Mr. Bligh on several occasions during the north-east monsoon. Colonel Legge suggests that the species may have been Cotile ohsoleta, but it is .just as likely to have belonged to the present species. In Burmah, Mr. Blyth states that it is common along the rivers, where it holds the place of C. riparia of Europe. Captain Wardlaw Bamsay found it near Tonghoo. Mr. Gates says that it is comxnon in Aracan and Pegu in the neighbourhood of all the large rivers. Mr. Davison procured two specimens at Pahpoon, in Northern Tenasserim, in January, but says that it is rare in the province. He writes : — " I never saw it in the Gyne, Hongthraw, Attaran, or any of the more southern streams ; in fact, I only observed it at Pahpoon, where they occurred in moderate numbers. When I was leaving Pahpoon, about the end of February, these birds were just commencing to excavate their nest-holes in the banks of the Younzaleen." Dr. Anderson shot a couple of specimens on a little sandy promontory in the second defile of the Irawady. According to Dr. Tiraud it is common in Cochin China, and Abbe David states that it is spread over Southern China, and that he met with it in the south of Chensi, immediately after the melting of the snow, so that he supposes that it must winter in the hotter portions of tlie Celestial Empire. The late Consul Swinhoe has given the following account of the species in the island of Formosa : — " Is a summer visitant to all suitable localities in the south of China, and is also found in all parts of Formosa, frequenting the steep sandy banks of rivers, into Avhich it bores long galleries, constructing at the end of these its cup-shaped nest, and depositing therein three white eggs. Its winter migrations extend to the plains of Hindostan, where, curiously enough, it is reported by observers to nest again in the heart of winter. This is, I believe, the only well-authenticated fact recorded of this long-suspected habit in migratory birds. It visits Formosa in April, and leaves again in October. " Some fifteen miles up the Tamsuy Iliver, in a long sand-bank, I found several roAvs of perforations made by this bird. The birds were flying in and out of them in great numbers, so we stopped to examine them. Most of the holes were out of arm's reach ; and as the bank was very steep, and composed of loose mud, we had great difficulty in establishing a footing. We managed, however, after much trouble, to insert our arms into several of them. The holes were in all stages of progress, some only just begun, others scarcely a foot deep ; in some the eggs were hard-set, in others quite freshly laid. The holes ran into the bank with only a slight inclination from the horizontal. In all instances they turned a little to the right, extending in depth to about two feet, — their diameter being from two to three inches, which is enlarged to a cavity about six or eight inches broad at the bottom. In its cuji-shaped base was placed the nest, composed of light straw and dried grasses and lined with feathers. One nest, however, had no feathers ; but as it had no eggs, I concluded it was unfinished. The eggs in every case were only three in number, of a pinkish white, without spot or stain. On our disturbing the birds they rushed in consternation from their nesting-site, and after flying about low in the air at some distance in great agitation, they would meet together for some seconds as if in consultation. They Avould then again huny off in different directions, and again meet. Finding we were in no hurry to leave their ground, they began to scatter and soar away to a considerable height. As soon, however, as we withdrew for a space, they returned, many diving at once into their burrows, others rushing liack- wards and forwards close past tlie holes, as if bewildered and afraid to enter. They wimv so numerous, and looked so small in the bright quivering liglit of a hot Formosau (hiy, that they seemed to me at times more like Dragon-flies than bii-ds."' Again lu' writes : — "August lltli was a fine day, but very hot. I took a ten-mile ride into the countiy t the banks of a river near the foot of the first range of low hills. In the steep clay-banks occurred round holes bored by tlic Sand-I\Iartin, but tlie little fellows liad finislKMl with tJiem for the year." Mr. Ilume was inclined at one time to consider that C. sxhsocrahi was distinct from C. siuciish, and that both species bred in India. He has since united lliem, and gives the f'ollowinL;' notes in his ' Nests and i^n^s of Indian liinls ' : — "On the 11th January, lyiiT, I came across a colony of Saiul-Mart ins, l)i'eediML,r i,, the high sandy banks of the Jumna, l)elow Shci-ei;in-Ii, verv near, in fact, to tin' joiui o 6 boundary of Etawah and Cawnpore. I shot two of tlie birds and got some eggs. I revisited the spot on the 12th of March, and again shot a pair of the birds and obtained more eggs. " They build in communities in sandy banks overhanging rivers. They bore a small hole, about 3 inches in diameter, from 1^ to 3 feet deep, into the bank, usually sloping a little upwards, at the end of which they scoop out a sort of chamber, say 6 inches in diameter ; there they make a nest of very fine twigs and grass lined with a few soft feathers of the Wild Goose, Brahminy, and such like water-fowl; they lay from two to three eors's. " The nesting-time is from November to February in some parts of the country, and during Api'il and May in others, and again at both periods in others. " Mr. BIytli remarks (J. A. S. xvi. p. 119) : — ' I have found both newly-laid eggs and young ready to fly in the beginning of December (at Calcutta), and also at the end of February. The nest-holes vary in depth from 1-| feet to considerably more, according as the banks are more or less hard, and the nest itself is composed of dry grass, with occasionally a few feathers in the lining ; the eggs are pure white, like those of C riparla.' " Colonel G. P. L. Marshall, writing from Saharanpur, says that this species ' builds in the first half of April, in a hole about 4 feet into a bank, lining the end of the hole with grass and a few feathers, and lays four pure white eggs.' I myself have taken the eggs in May on the Jhelum, and on the Ju.mna, in the Etawah district, in February and April, but I have never found more than four eggs." " From the Sambhur Lake, Mr. B. M. Adam tells us : — ' The little Bank-Martin is very common about this. I obtained a nest on the 15th of Ajoril with two very hard- set eggs. The nest was found in a hole in a bank, and was a compactly built cup- shaped structure, outer diameter 4 inches ; egg-receptacle a little over two inches. The nest was made of grass and fibres well rounded together ; the outer portion of the nest was of a coarser quality than the lining, but made of the same material ; depth of egg- cavity f inch.' In Oudli I took a nest of this bird on the 23rdv April. The nest was composed of coarse grass loosely put together, and having a lining of biggish feathers. Its diameter measured 3^ inches. " The eggs are white and glossless, closely resembling those of C. riparla, from which it would be difficult to separate them. Nominally they are a pointed oval, but somewhat cylindrical varieties occur. They vary a good deal in size, as do those of all the allied species. The eggs I took varied from 0'63 to 075 inch in length, and from 0-48 to C 65 inch in breadth, and they averaged 0-68 by 0-5 inch." Near Lucknow, writes Mr. Ileid, " it breeds from February to May, making its nest invariably in holes in river-banks, &c., while its daily vocation appears to consist of an incessant whirling to and fro, relieved by frequent visits to its subterranean quarters. During May last I took many eggs from nests in the banks of the Goomti, of which 070 bv 0"48 inch is the average measurement of ten." Mr. Gates gives the following account in his 'Handbook to the Birds of British Burniah ' : — " This little Sand-Martin is a very common bird at all seasons of the year. It is mostly found on and near large rivers where the banks are steep, but not unfrequenth- it may be observed far inland, hawking after insects like ordinary Swallows. It lavs its eggs in a hole in a river-bank, the tunnel leading to the nest varying from one to four feet in length. The entrance to the tunnel and the passage itself is very small, but the egg-chamber is a roomy hollow. The eggs, which are four or five in number, are laid upon a pad of grass and are white. The excavation of the nest-holes is commenced in Burmah about November. The birds usually breed in large colonies, a firm and ncarlv perpendicular bank being selected for the purpose." The evidence given above tends to prove that the Indian Sand-Martin nests in most parts of India, and is a resident, though no specimens in the British Museum bear a later date than May. The migrations in China, of which Consul Swinhoe and Abbe David speak, refer in all probability to the disappearance of the species in the cold weather to more southern latitudes; but it is questionable whether any great influx of individuals takes place at that season into the Indian region from China. The descriptions are taken from specimens in the British Museum, and the figures in the Plate are drawn from some birds in tlie Ilume collection. APPENDIX TO THE GENUS COTILE. COTILE CINCTA [antea, ^. GI]. Add:— Cotyle cincta, Oust. Bibl. Ecole Hautes-Etudes, xxxi. Art. s. p. .j (188G). Clivicola cincfa, Pteichen. J. f. O. 1892, p. 31. Found by Emin Pasha at Bukoba iu November, aud by Dr. Stuhlmann in the same month at Kanssene, ou the Victoria Nyanza. M. Revoil met with the species in Somali Land. Por the geographical distribution of this species, vide wfra, Plate 31 [Map]. COTILE MINOR Mm, p. 771. Add :— Cotile minor, Salvad. Ann. Mas. Gen. (2) i. p. 122 (ISSl) ; id. op. cit. iv. p. 233 (1888) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1892, p. 305. Clivicola minor, Eeichen. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 32. As mentioned under the heading of Cotile shelleyi, the MS. synonym of Cotyle littoralis of Hemprich and Ehrenberg belongs to that species, and not to Cotile minor, to which we had referred it. The late Barou von Heugliu records C. minor as being common from Central Egypt along the whole of the Nile. "VVe particularly requested our friend Dr. John Anderson to look out for it iu Central and Upper Egypt, but up to the present time In- has only succeeded in procuring Cotile shelleyi on the Kile. The late Marquis Antinori met with this species on Lake Cialalakd in tlie Add.i Galla country in ^lay, while Dr. llagazzi also obtained it at Toramcsch in Shoa ou the 11th of Octol)er. Dr. lleichcnow likewise refers to this species a specimen obtained by Emin Pasha at Bukoba, on the Victoria Nyanza, on the 12th of January. He states thai the last specimen differed slightly from typical examples in the Heilin Musciini. ^Ir. F. J. Jackson met with this species, in small numliers, l)y tlic Naiwa'-clia Lak( in September. The single specimen obtaiiicd l)y him did not entirely {vj^vw wiih iln' oihci •) ., •> specimens of C. minor in the Britisli Museum, not having the silvery-grey throat characteristic of the latter species. For the geographical distribution of this species and of C. j^ftiudicola, vide infra, Plate 32 [Map]. COTILE COWANI \antea,ix79l Add :— Cotile cowani, Sibree, Ibis, 1891, p. 441. For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 32 [Map]. COTILE SINENSIS [««^m, p. si]. Add:— Cotile sinensis, Oates, ed. Hume's Nests & Eggs Ind. B. ii. p. 178 (1890) ; id. Paun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 273 (1890). The late Dr. Taczanowski states that he received from Mr. Janskowski five specimens of this Martin from the Sidemi Biver, in the vicinity of Wladiowstock, near the frontier between the Southern Ussuri country and China. As he mentioned that the measure- ments were larger than those given by David and Oustalet, and spoke of a pectoral band, which is exactly the character which distinguishes C. rijjaria from C. sinensis, it seemed probable that his specimens were after all nothing but the former species ; and this has since proved to be the case from an examination of the specimens in question, which were kindly submitted to us by Dr. Stolzmann. The range of C. sinensis must also be extended to the Philippine Islands, a specimen being in the Cuming collection in the British Museum. The following additional' notes on the nesting of the species occur in Mr. Oates's edition of Mr. Hume's ' Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds' : — " Major C. T. Bingham writes : — ' At Allahabad and at Delhi I have found nests of this little Sand-Martin in eight months out of the twelve, viz. in January, February, March, April, and May (one nest at Allahabad on the 3rd May, containing two very hard-set eggs and two young birds), and again in October, November, and December. They lay in holes excavated by themselves in the sandy banks of rivers and nullahs, these being from 1 to 3 feet deep and 2 inches in diameter, ending in a nest-chamber slightly larger than the tunnel, lined with straw or grass-roots, with a layer of soft feathers, on which the eggs, ordinarily four or five in number, lie.' " The late Captain Cock sent me the following note many years ago : — ' I first foimd this Martin breeding in colonies in high sandbanks at Nowshera during the month of February ; the place selected Avas the bank of the river Cabul, and the nests were often placed so close together that by enlarging one hole I could work laterally to the nesN chambers of other nests, for the nests were from two feet to three feet deep in the bank. The nest-chamber was always lined with dry grass, stalks, and a few feathers, and the eggs were usually four in number, pure white. In digging out these eggs and similar ones I use a narrow heavy trowel, and am invariably provided with a looking-glass to flash in the light to see what is in the hole before putting in my hand, as I once touched Bungarus fasciatus, and shall not forget it.' " Mr. Doig took numerous nests in the Eastern Narra, in Sind, on the 17th Pebruary. He himself writes : — ' Found numbers of the nests of these little birds in holes in the steep sandy banks along the Narra on the 21st February ; of some 30 nests the greatest number of eggs in any one nest was four. The holes were from 2 to 3 feet in the bank, and the nest consisted of grass, lined with a few feathers.' " Colonel Butler remarks : — ' The Indian Sand-Martin breeds in the neighbourhood of Deesa in the cold weather. I found seven nests in the bank of a river near Deesa on tin- 23rd January, 1876, and dug them all out with the following results : No. 1, 1^ feet from entrance of the hole, contained three eggs slightly incubated. No. 2, 2 feet from entrance, contained four fresh eggs. Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 contained young ones nearly ready to leave the nest; others, young ones only just hatched. Most of the nests were within 2 feet of the entrance, but one was about 3 feet. The numbers of young birds varied from 3 to 4, The nests, as a rule, were thick pads of dry grass, fibrous roots, &c., thickly lined with good-sized soft feathers, loosely placed at the bottom of the nest. Some nests were thick and solid, others slight, small, and loosely put together. One nest was empty. I found another nest on the 2nd February in the same bank, containing one fresh e^s. I took another nest in a river-bank on the 15th March, containing three fresh eggs ; it was composed exteriorly of coarse, dry, rushy grass, and lined with fine dark-coloured fibrous roots, with one large solitary KuUum's feather at the bottom for the eggs to rest upon.' " For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 32 [Map]. 'M GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIB Migratory. Bird of passage. Eemaius locallj- during the winter. Transplanted. Winter resident. A ^"^ Q^ Pen CI) Cha ^■s,.^ Visi Nearctic Region. Neotropical Region. Pa Arctic Sub-Eegion. Cold Temperate Sub-Eegion. Warm Temperate Sub-Eegion. o '§> ' 1X1 <1 Central American Sub-Region, CO .2 o "5d 'to m ri be Eurasian Sub-Eegion. a5 _g o :.< p <1 8 c i Ph a o u v p CO 1 s o3 1 P Humid ProTiuce. Arid Province. V p 1— 1 a5 o V o o" c 11 g Appalachian Sub-Province. .11 < S <2^ o ^ goo 02 1. riparia .... -/- -/- 1- r § a f ± ^ XI -/-* ^/-* — /-► -/- *-/- ^/^ *-/-* □ -r - -1 i ftJ 2. diluta •• • • •• •• •• 3. shellcyi .... • • • ■ ■• 4. cincta .... • •• •• ■• •• •• 5. congica .... •• •• •• 6. paludicola . . • • •• 7. minor .... •■ •• ! •• 8. cowani . . . •• •• •• •• •• 1 •• 9. sinensis •• •• ■• •• •• THE GENUS COTILE. y Guest. -)- Wanderer. Rarelv D [— N Generally ;>nesting. rrn In colonies J Ethiopian Region. Indian Region. Australian Region. c £ Oh ^» 3 c o QJ a o U2 m '5b o Pi 1^ Sonth-Afrioan Sub-Eegion. o "bb 5 S s d 1 t-3 Indian Peninsular Sub-Eogion. To a 6 to Pi cJ _5 'ti: K -i o o 5 O Is o ■a a O 3 c 'o ':C 'lb '7. =0 ! 1 S i S i 9 O ? p O O > p pH o o ■*—/-*- •«-»-» "*"/ "*" <*-*^- ■• .«-#->■ ? ■<-it->- 1 ! ! I " ?o ?o — . - G 1 1 O o o o ~1 1 . •- Genus III. BIBLIS. Type. Bihlis, Lesson, Compl. Buff. viii. p. 495 (1837) B. rupestris. Ptyonoprogne, Reiclienb. Syst. Av. pi. Ixxxvii. fig. 6 (1850) ... 5. riqjestrln. Ki'imnochelidon, Tickell, teste Walden, Ibis, 1876, p. 376 . . . . B. concolor. Range. From North-eastern and Equatorial Africa^ through Palestine and Persia to Central Asia, the Indian Peninsula, and the Burmese countries. Clavis specie7'um. a. Guttur et prsepectus pallide isabellina aut arenarea in colorem abdominis vix saturatiorem mergentes. a'. Major: saturatior : ala 4'9 poll. : mentum minute brunneo maculatum . 1. ritjjestns, yi. {)[). b'. Minor: pallidior : ala minime 6'0 poll. : mentum baud maculatum . . 2. obsoleta, p. 111. b. Guttur et prsepectus rufescentes : abdomine fumoso. I 3. fidiyula, p. 1 15. c'. Majores : guttur rut'esoens, unicolor ^ 4. anderssoni, p. li!». [ 5. rufigula, p. I'Jl. (f. Minor: guttur sordide rufescens, brunneo striolatum G. convolor, \).\'l'^. c W-.W dd . 1/^ ^^% ^ V'TSi^JsSMs'*^ COTILE RUPESTRIS Mintem Bros . inrp. . i COTILE RUPESTRIS (Scop). ROCK-MAETIN. Hirundo riipesfris, Scop. Ann. i. p. 167 (1709) ; Temni. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 431 (1815) ; Werner, Atlas, Chelidones, pi. 4 (1S27) ; Menetr. Cat. rais. Cauc. p. 45 (1832) ; Naum. Vog. Deutsclil. vi. p. 91, pi. 146. figs. 1 & 2 (1833) ; Gould, B. Eur. ii. pi. 56 (1837); Kordm. in D6mid. Voy. E,uss. Merid. iii. p. 199 (1810); Blytli. J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 119 (1847) ; id. Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 198 (1849) ; Liuderra. Vog. Griecheul. p. 118 (1860) ; Dubois, Ois. d'Eur. pi. 33 (c. 1862) ; Moggridge, Ibis, 1803, p. 233 ; Bree, B. Eur. ii. pi. 184 (1864) ; Wrigbt, Ibis, 1864, p. 57 ; Borggr. Vogelf. Norddeutsclil. p. 100 (1869) ; Homeyer & Tancrr, MT. orn. Ver. Wien, 1883, p. 83 ; Bonomi, Orn. Jabrb. ii. p. 248 (1891). Hirondelle grise des rockers, Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 641 (1779). Hock- Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syu. ii. pt. 2, p. 569 (1783). Crarj-Swalloir, Lath. torn. cit. p. 570 (1783). Him lido montcma, Gm. Syst. Kat. i. p. 1020 (1788) ; Ptoux, Oru. Prov. pi. 142 (1825). Chelidon nqjestris, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 550. Cotyle riqyestris, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 971 ; Keys. u. Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. Ixi (1840) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 60 (1845) ; id. Cat. Mamm. etc. Nepal pres. Hodg. p. 55 (1846) ; id. Cat. Eissir. Brit. Mus. p. 29 (1848) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 341 (1850) ; Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 50 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hiruud. Mus. Pliilad. Acad. p. 12 (1853) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. i. p. 95 (1854); Jaub. et Barth.-Lapomm. Rich. Orn. 1859, p. 313 (1859); Tristr. Ibis, 1859, p. 434; Jord. B. Ind. i. p. IOC (1862) ; Tristr. Ibis, 1863, p. 366 ; Giglioli, t. c. p. 474 ; id. Ibis, 1865, p. 51 ; Eilippi, Viagg. Pers. p. 346 (1805) ; Wright, Ibis, 1805, p. 404 ; Chambers, Ibis. 1867, p. 103 ; Tristr. t. c. p. 363 ; Drake, t. c. p. 425 ; Saunders, Iliis, 1S6'.). p. ;M)2 ; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 163 (1869); AVyatt, Ibis, 1870, p. 12: Klwos .\j Bucklcy, t. c. p. 200 ; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 350 (1870); Sh.iriic. 1'. Z. S. 1870, p. 300; Eritsch, Yog. Eur. tab. xxiv. fig. 6 (c. 1S7()); Salvad. I'nmi. Ital., Ucc. p. 53 (1871); Blanf. J. A. S. Beng. xl. p. 271 (1S71); -lerd. this. Is71, p. 353; Shelley, B. EgypI, p. 122 (1.S72) ; Brooke. Ibis, is;;!, p. 237; llunic \ llcndcrs. Lahore to Vark. p. 177 (1873); Scvcrt/,. Tiirkcsl. .Icvotii. p. 67 (l^T.'!): Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 513, pi. 161 (1874); Trby, Ji. (iibr. |). lot [\^">)\ Liifonl. Ibis, 1875, p. 37; Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p. 1S9 ; Einseb, I Lis ls77. p. .-,] ; p,j,.v. in l!o\vl(y's Oni. :\risc. ii. ]). 162 (1S77); J5ii( ler. Si i-. I'. ls77. p. 227; Daiif. Ibis. 1878, p. 8; Scully, Str. E.viii. p. 231(ls79) ; Irby, Ibi.s 1^7'.'. [>. 3 M ; ImiiscIi, jtei.s. 3h West-Sibir, p. 40 (1879) ; BogdanotiF, B. Cauc. p. 117 (1879) ; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1880. p. 48 ; Kadde, Orn. Cauc. p. 36 (1884). Hinmdo rupicola, Hodgs. J. A. S. Beng. v. p. 781 (1836). Biblis rupestris, Less. Compl. BufT. viii. p. 495 (1837) ; Degl. et Gerbe, Orn. Eur. i. p. 597 (1867); Doderl. Avif. Sicil. p. 147 (1869); Salvad. Elench. Ucc. Ital. p. 83 (1887); Olphe-Galliard, Contr. Eaun. Orn. Eur. Oecid. fasc. xxii. p. 84 (1887). Hirundo inornata, Jerd. Madr. Journ. xiii. p. 173 (1844). Ptyonoprogne rupestris, Reiclienb. Syst. Av. pi. Ixxxvii. fig. 6 (1850) ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Algc'r., Ois. ii. p. 68 (1867); Swinli. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 317; Hume, Nests & Eggs Ind. B. p. 84 (1873) ; id. Str. F. 1873, p. 2 ; Scully, Str. F. iv. p. 131 (1876) ; Fairb. t. c. p. 254 ; David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 129 (1877); Butler, Cat. B. Sind etc. p. 13 (1879) ; id. Cat. B. S. Bomb. Pres. p. 14 (1880) ; Terry, Str. F. x. p. 469 (1887) ; Oates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 273 (1890) ; id. ed. Hume's Nests & Eggs Ind. B. ii. p. 184 (1890). Coflle rupestris, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 73. no. 872 (1869) ; Butler, Str. F. iii. p. 453 (1875); Hume, t. c. p. 453, note; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1880, p. 48; Biddulpb, Ibis, 1881, p. 47 ; Giglioli, t. c. p. 192 ; Scully, t. c. p. 427 ; Dixon, Ibis, 1882, p. 561 ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1883, p. 22 ; Severtz. t. c. pp. 70, 81 ; Irby, t. c. p. 183 ; Tristr. Faun. & Flor. Palest, p. 62 (1884) ; Saunders, Ibis, 1884, p. 275 ; Whitehead, Ibis, 1885, p. 27; Eeid, t. c. p. 244; Sbarpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 109 (1885); Zarudn. Ois. Transcasp. p. 32 (1885) ; Gigl. Avif. Ital. p. 190 (1886) ; Scott Wilson, Ibis, 1887, p. 138 ; Tait, t. c. p. 190 ; Radde, Ornis, iii. p. 490 (1887) ; Scully, J. A. S. Beng. Ivi. p. 83 (1887) ; Pleske, Mem. Acad. Imp. St. Pe'tersb. (7) xxxvi. p. 41 (1888) ; Chapman, Ibis, 1888, p. 68 ; Sbarpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. (2), Zool. v. pt. 3, p. 77 (1889) ; Eagle Clarke, Ibis, 1889, p. 529 ; Gigl. Primo Resoc. Avif. Locali, p. 649 (1890) ; id. op. cit. Ind. Gen. p. 510 (1891) ; Sharpe, Rep. Sci. Res. 2nd Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 106 (1891). Cotyle {Ptyonoprogne) rupestris, Blanf. East. Persia, ii. p. 216 (1876). CUvicola rupestris, Brusina, Motr. (List of Birds of Croatia, etc.) p. 59 (1890); id. Orn. Jahrb. ii. p. 17 (1891). C. major: rectricibus plerisque albo-notatis : subcaudalibus saturate bruiineis : gutture pallide isabellino, mento minute fusco-maculato. Hall, ill regione Mediterraneo-Persica tota, per Asiam Centralem, et per peniusulam Indicam usque ad niontes Mongolianas et Chinenses. Ailult. General colour above light asby brown, a little darker on the head, the rump and upper tail- coverts decidedly lighter ; wing-coverts and quills dark brown, the inner greater coverts and inner secondaries paler and more like the back ; tail-feathers dark brown, all but the two centre ones and the outermost on each side unspotted, the remainder with a large oval white spot on the inner web ; lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts dull brown ; under surface of body creamy buff, becoming deep sandy buff on the lower breast and abdomen ; the chin and upper throat with dusky spots ; flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts dull smoky brown, the latter slightly edged with rufous; axillaries and under ■ning-coverts dull smoky bro\vu Tviili faint rufous margins, more distinct on the small coverts near the edge of the -sving ; quills dusky brown below, more ashy along the inner web : "■bill black ; legs and feet fleshy, claws dusky; iris dark brown" {Scul/i/). Total length 5 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4'9, tail 2, tarsus 0'4. Adult female. Similar to the male in plumage. Total length 5-3 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4-9, tail 2-1, tarsus 0'4. Young. Much more rufescent than the adults, especially on the under surface of the body, the throat showing no traces of the brown spots which are characteristic of the old birds; the entire upper surface with rufous margins to the feathers, less distinct on the quills. There seems to be very little diff'ercnce between the plumages of adult birds in winter and summer, but most of the specimens procured in the winter season are somewhat more rufous tlian those obtained in summer. This may be due, perhaps, to the fact that many of them are young birds of the previous year, and a greater amount of rufous colour on the underparts was to be expected. During the breeding-season, when the plumage becomes bleached, the throat and chest are per- ceptibly whiter, the abdomen paler brown, with only a slight wash of rufous, and the margins of the under tail-coverts are whitish. Hab. Found in suitable localities from Portugal in the west throughout the whole of the Mediterranean Region and Persia to the Himalayas and the Nilghiri Hills in India, and eastwards to the moun- tains of IMongolia and Northern China. In most places it seems to be a resident, but in some countries it is more or less migratory. An excellent record of the localities frequented by the Rock-Swallow in the south of France and Switzerland is given by M. Leon Olphe-GalJiard in his work on the Ornithology of ATestern Europe. He has himself found the bird in the Easses-Alpes and Valais, and gives besides instances of its occurrence in various places of Southern France. Messrs. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye state that in the latter locality the Crag-Martin is an inhabitant of the more alpine rocky localities, only visiting the lower valleys during migration. In the month of February, if the weather is line, the Crag-Martins appear in the valleys of the Yar and Basses-Alpes : as they pass on, their place is taken by other immigrants, and it is the last arrivals which become the summei- residents. They frequent the rocky heights near Moustiers, and are foujid more rarely on the banks of the Durance and A"erdou, and sometimes on the rocks of (iivoiilx. 'J'lie_\ quit the latter neighbourhood in the month of July, doubtless, as the authors reinai'k, lo rear a second brood at a higher elevation. The birds are stated to he much more ph-ii- lil'iil ill spriuL;- than in aulumn. Bailly states that the Crag-Martin hrccds throughout Savoy in the mcjuntaiiis, espeeially in the neighbourhood of lakes and )ivers. Tl is common in the spring, espeeially near Ciiambcry and in the rocks on the banks of the Khone, as well as those at Saint-fieiiix, Yenne, on the shores of Lake Bourget. It is common at the castle of IJordeaux as I'ar as llautceonihc, and l)r(' nls in the monasterv buildings of the laltcr place. In the Itivicra .M r. Tnihei-ne Moggridge has stated thai he lound it near Mentonc in \\intL'r. ;) u -1 The present species is common in several of the Swiss valleys. Thus Mr. Scott- Wilson writes : — " I saw the Crag-Swallow flying about the perpendicular crags of the Gemmi in June 1885 ; but observed it more particularly, and found it breeding, on the 1st of June, 1886, near Meiringen. The two nests I saw were placed against the face of an almost perpendicular crag, about thirty yards from the ground, and I could see the head of the old bird projecting as it sat on the nest; but, alas ! both nests were quite inaccessible from below or from above, as they were placed immediately beneath an overhanging projection of rock. "We watched the birds nearly all day — both when high above with slow undulating flight and when dashing past, catching insects. According to our guide, the Crag-Sw'allows pass the winter here in the Haslithal, hiding in caves and crevices in the rocks ; and he says he has seen them in winter flying about the village of Meiringen. We also saw the bird about the rocks of the Brunig Pass." In the Austrian Tyrol it has been found nesting on the Garda Lake, near the town of Eiva, by Von Tschusi zu Schmidhoff'en ; and Mr. Dresser summarizes the notes from tliis neighbourhood as follows : — " Mr. A. PJndfleisch observed sis or eight at the ' Engelswandj' between the villages of Oetz and Umhausen, in September 1853, and also saw it at the Martinswand, near Innsbruck. Mr. Luigi Althammer, in his list of the birds of the Tyrol, speaks of it as arriving later and leaving earlier than H. rustica, breeding in the most precipitous places ; and, according to Bruhin, it breeds annually in the Vorarlberg, close to the ' Hangender Stein,' near Bludenz." Many observers have noted the occurrence of the Crag-Swallow in the Pyrenees ; and M. Olphe-Galliard gives the following places in his w^oi'k on the birds of Western Europe : — Basses-Alpes [Bcdllij), Dauphine [Bouteille), Gard ; rocks which border the Garden, and those of Vidourle near St. Hippolyte {Crespon) ; Aude, all the summer; Ariege, May to September; Gers, only in autumn; Herault, April to September; Tarn in Pyrenees, on passage, a few remaining for the summer ; Tarn-et-Garonne, on passage, only in autumn ; Eastern Pyrenees, from the end of April to the end of September. Mr. Howard Saunders, writing on the birds of the Pyrenees, says that the Crag- Martin is resident throughout the year from the Pas de Roland, near Cambo, to the gorges of the Eastern Pyrenees. Colonel Irby found it nesting in numbers about the Desfiladero, near La Harmida, in the Santander district. Mr. Eagle Clarke found the bird breeding in the town of Andorra, and we append his notes on the occurrence : — " Perhaps the most interesting of our observations related to the breeding of the Crag-Martin (C riipestris) under the eaves of the houses in the centre of the town of Andorra Several attempts were made to procure a specimen, but it was found most difficult to avoid covering windows and other undesirable objects with the gun, and several snap-shots at the bird failed. The nests, of which we saw four in the town, were placed, in three instances, about three inches below the eaves on the house-side, the fourth being placed on the side of a beam supporting an overhanging roof, which it was just under. The nests were large structures of mud, quite open at the top, and 5 the one which we managed with great difficulty to reacli was lined with feathers ; hut though the hird was in the nest, and the date was the 22nd of May, yet no eggs were contained in it, much to our disappointment. The other nests were heyond reach, save one ; and the owner of the house assured us that it contained no eggs, hut would not allow us to ascertain if such was the case. This instance of the hreeding of the Crag- Martin in the narrow streets of the town of Andorra is, it is thought, a somewliat unusual circumstance, and more especially so as tlie town is not situated upon, or in the close prox- imity of, crags or cliffs The bird was also noted in the villages of Escaldas and Encamp ; but we did not observe any nests, which might, however, have existed. There were plenty of them on the great cliff at Canillo. The species was very abundant on the great cliff below Merens, Upper Ariege, where the many recesses in its face offered abundant nesting-sites." Mr. Howard Saunders says that in Southern Spain the species is " resident throughout the year, frequenting rocks and old ruins, also modern edifices, provided that they are perched on the edge of a crag. A colony which frequented a gorge of the Segura were only to be seen between twelve and one o'clock each day." Although the birds were evidently breeding, he did not succeed in finding a nest. Colonel Irby gives the following note on the species near Gibraltar: — "The Eock- or Crag-Martin, though universally distributed during the breeding-season in the rocky Sierras, is to a great extent migratory. Those which do not quit the country appear during the daytime in low ground near the coast al)out the middle of October, great quantities being then seen about Gibraltar. They roost at that season about low rocks, especially about the Rock. In March they return to their breeding-haunts, some nesting in inaccessible places at the ' back of the rock.' They commence about the 10th of 3Iarch to build their nests, which resemble those of the House-Martin {Chelidoa urblca). Placed in the roofs of caverns, these nests are very difficult to reach, and I did not succeed in examining the inside of one. The birds were sitting by the 30th of .Vpril. One locality for nests near Gibraltar, and the most accessible that I have seen, is a cave in a patch of rocks at the entrance of La Troclia, on the road from Algeciraz to Ojen, where it passes by the side of the ravine called ' La Garganta del Capitan.' At tlie back of the rock, at Gibraltar, is a cave almost under the Osprey's eyry, which can oiilv lie entered by landing from a boat in fair weather. This cave is ver}^ large and o])cn, w itii sand at the bottom, sloping upwards for a considerable distance at a sliar[) aiii;le. 'I'lic end of this cave, judging from the tracks oT divers Genets or Striped Cals [^I'ircrra). seems to be the regular dining-room of those animals; for whenever 1 have visilrd llic place it was covered with the tail-feathers and pinions of numbers of JIock-Marliiis, mingled with those of a good many Swifts, Hock-Doves, and a 'i^qw Lesser Kestrels." According to ]\[r. Tait, the species is "resident in Portugal all the year round, luit ]);u-iially migratory witliin it. The Crag-Swallow iiKiki's its nest in the pi-cciiiilous clilis ol' tlie inland serras, and i I'niind one on a clill' nf llic Al)ilurur:i, ;il)n\r .Mrlrcs. on ihr right bank of the Dovu'o. In sha|)<' it rcsonibirs that (if the House-Swallow; it was built of mud and had a few feathers in it. At the end of October or beginning of November flocks of about eight to twenty birds appear at tlie sea-side in the neigh- bourhood of Oporto, and remain till about the end of Eebruary or the beginning of March." As stated by the late M. Favier, it is " nearly as common as the House- Martin about Tangier. Sometimes they pass in large flights, crossing the Straits in February and March, returning in October and November." Capt. Savile Reid, during his winter residence in Morocco, states that the species was seen by him in the Laraish Valley on two consecutive warm sunny days, but not at any other time or place. Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake noticed it near Tctuan towards the end of March, but only in very small numbers. In Algeria, Loche says, the bird is not very plentiful, but he found it uestiag in the gorges of Chiffa. Malherbe speaks of it as a common bird at Bone, where it occurs in larg'e numbers on migration in December. Canon Tristram states that in the Eastern Atlas it is found as a resident, and he has noticed it in every month from September to July. He also saw two in December in a ravine in the M'Zab country. Mr. W. T. H. Chambers states that he recognized the species in Tripoli on one occasion only, and it struck him to be " an old Nile acquaintance." It is quite possible that his instinct was right, and that the bird he saw was C. ohsoleta, which is the species of the Nile, and not G. rupestris at all. Major A. von Homeyer noticed the Eock-Swallow as a bird of passage in the Balearic Islands. There is doubtless some mistake in Schembri's statement that the present species is rather common in Malta both in the spring and autumn migrations, for Mr. C. A. Wright at first stated that he never met witli a single specimen during his long residence in the island. Subsequently, however, he did procure the species from Gozo in March, and he received the following note from the late Professor Leith Adams : — " I have just returned from Gozo : — Feb. 22, ilabato, Gozo. A pair have been sporting about the foot and sunny side of the square all day. Feb. 23. Weather very cold — even snow fell to-day ; but nevertheless I saw a flock of ten sporting about in the gorge of Schlendi. I have noticed this Swallow about Ilabato in summer, but I have not been able to confirm its identity till yesterday. I tliink, perhaps, individuals remain throughout the year in Gozo." In Sardinia the late Mr. Basil Brooke recorded the Crag-Martin as common and resident. Count Salvadori has given the following note on his experiences in the island : — " Its name of RoncUne raarina may be derived from the fact that it frequents eaves near the coast. I saw it in January about the Grotta dei Colombi. It is also met with in the interior. I observed many inhabiting the beautiful Grotto of Oridda, near Domus Novas, and also in the rugged rocky mountains. In tlie begiiming of April I saAV some at Mount Ogliastra, near the Flumendosa ; and later (about the middle of April) near Capoterra, at a creek, where they were collecting some clay for building their nests. I do not know anything at all about their visiting the towns, which, as Cara states, positively takes place after the other Swallows have left." Mr. J. Whitehead writes concerning the species in Corsica : — " Fairly common and resident. With bad weather this bird comes down to the plains ; otherwise it remains high up the mountain-sides during the wliole year. I took a nest on May 13th with four fresh eggs." Count Salvadori and Dr. Giglioli both state that the species is resident in the parts of Italy where it breeds, but that a considerable migration also takes place; and the latter gentleman writes, a propos of a suggestion of Canon Tristram, that he could not find satisfactory evidence of a single locality where the species is found only in summer: — "The bird in question certainly leaves Genoa in the winter; it arrives early in March, nests in considerable numbers at Schiena d'Asino, where the torrent Bisagno has its source, and leaves in November."' He further states that the Crag-Martin is certainly stationary in many localities in Northern and Central Italy, and he gives instances of many winter observations. Dr. Doderlein says that " the Crag-Swallow is not at all rare in Sicily, especially about Messina, Catania, and Syracuse. It arrives before C. riparla, and leaves later ; but some birds remain all through the winter in the centre of the island, while others seem to arrive in small flocks in December, January, and February, especially during the bright days previous to bad weather, whence the name Rlnnina di mnlu tempu.''' Mr. Hudleston has stated that near Missolonghi, in Greece, it not only bi'eeds, but spends the winter ; and Dr. Kriiper states that he was assured by several naturalists that the species is a resident in Greece, but he himself never saw it in winter. He noticed a single pair breeding in the Klissura, and has often found the nest in tlie Parnassus. In the island of Naxos he also procured two nests, but says that it is rare in tlie island. Lord Lilford met Avith the species in Epirus : there are so far no instances of its occurrence in Turkey ; but it is included among the birds of Croatia by Professor Brusina, who says that it has not been observed in the interior, but was obtained in June 1891 on the rocks near Tort Mamula in Cattaro, and the Agraui ]\luseuni also possesses specimens from Ptijeka in Montenegro. Lord Lilford, in his list of the Birds of Cyprus, gives the following note by Dr. Guillemard : — " Only observed on one occasion by me, in small uuniljcrs in the Karpas district ; found breeding near Kantara in jNLarch, and under the eaves of the (Joveruor's House on Troodos in April 1SS8." According to Canon Tristram, it "resides in all the glens of Palestine throughout the year, not often in large numbers, though in the Jordan valley it is numerous enough to be decidedly gregarious, as it is also in tlie gorge of tlie Litany Bivt'r. it l)re(.'ils early in March." The occurrence of the species in Egypt is extremely doubtful. Brchm says ihat he found it rare in that country; but Yon Jleuglin states that he iicvcr olisci'Ncd il in ^orth-eastern Africa at all, and certainly all the specimens whieli we have seen tVom Kgypt have been C ohmleta. On the other hand, lioweNcr, C. r/ipi.^/ris does occur in Al)yssiuia, for ^Ir. Blaui'ord l)ronn'ht back aulhenlic specimens. Curiously enoui;li, loo. he says that it was a " very common "" bird in the rocky passes, and i'onnd almost IVom 8 tlie sea-level to 8000 feet. Mr. Wyatt met with the Roek-Swallow in company with C. obsoleta on the highlands above the Arahah, between Akabah and Petra. He never saw it in the Peninsula of Sinai, where C. obsoleta is common. The Crag-Swallow is apparently found in suitable places throughout Asia Minor ; and Mr. C. G. Danford, during his adventurous ride across the country, says that it was " common in rocky neighbourhoods on the plateau and among tbe mountains." In Southern Russia Nordmann had no proof of its occurrence, but he states that it is found in the province of Ghouriel, and he thinks that it may occur in the Crimea. In the Caucasus it breeds at some elevation on the mountain-steppes and passes, as Mr. Seebohm has written from the notes of Radde and Bogdanoff. Mr. Blanford gives the following notice of the species in his work on ' Eastern Persia ' : — " I only met with C. rupestris on the Persian Highlands, where it was tolerably common, keeping about craors. I found it breedinsr in a ruined caravanserai at Dehsrirdu on June 29th, but I could not get at the nests to see if they contained eggs. They were attached to the vaulted roofs of the cells in the caravanserai. Menetries found this bird breeding on the inountains of Talish in June. De Pilijopi, who met with G. rupestris around Demavend in the Elburz mountains, gives as another locality Bandar Abbas, in the Persian Gulf, on the authority of Horia." The latter occurrence probably refers to C obsoleta. In Central Asia the late Dr. Severtzoff stated that the species breeds in Turkestan, and Dr. Fiusch met with it at Lepsa at the foot of the Alatau Mountains. By the late Dr. Russow it was found breeding in the Issander-Kul district, and he also observed it near Baissun in Western Turkestan. Dr. Scully, in his notes on the avifauna of Eastern Turkestan, writes: — "This Crag-Martin was first observed in Eastern Turkestan, in August, between Sanju and Kizil Agliil. After that it was seen every day along the Arpalak stream and the Karakash Pi,iver. It flew about, hunting over the water, and perched on the high rocks near the streams. At Kizil Aghil I was informed by the inhabitants that this bird left them when the leaves fell off the trees, and re- appeared again in sjiring when tlie trees began to blossom ; they said that the nests were placed in the clefts of rocks, near the river. The Turki name for this species is Taglt Karloghacli (' Mountain Swallow '), and I need scarcely add tliat it was never seen in the plains." The late Dr. Stoliczka, during the Second Yarkaud Mission, found the Rock-Martin common in May near Pasrobat, where it was apparently going to breed. He also met with it in Ladak, at Shargo), on the 20th of August, and at Lamaguru on the 23rd; again at Sanju on the 28th of October. Here also Dr. Henderson often saw it, and he noticed it both on the upward journey and on tlie return on the banks of the Indus near Le, and it was also numerous about Dras. lu his notes on the birds of tbe Pamir Ptange the late Dr. Severtzoff writes : — " Seen on migration late in August. Eamilies of these birds were seen in July near the sources of the Kashgar-Darya and in the mountains of Altai. They probably breed at a lower elevation, and ascend these lieights as soon as the young are able to fly." Messrs. Homeyer and Tancre have also recorded the species from tlie Altai Mountains. In tlie Kui-runi Valley, ia Afghanistan, IMajor Wardlaw Ramsay found it abundant in June, apparently nesting in the cliffs. Sir O. St. John records it as not uncommon in Southern Afghanistan, and says that he shot it in the Pishin Valley, in the autumn, 6000 feet above the sea. Dr. Aitchison met with the species at Mount Do-shakh in Northern Afghanistan, and Capt. Yate at Darband-i-kil Rckhta, in the Muro-hab district of Herat, on the 18th of May. In the Himalayas the Eock-Martin appears to extend throughout the entire rano-e, having been procured by Colonel C. H. T. Marshall in Chamba, and by the late Colonel Pemberton in Bootan. In the Gilgit district Dr. Scully records it as a summer visitor, arriving about the third week in March, when it is very common in the lower valleys throughout April and May. Dr. Jerdon says that he observed it in the valley of the Sutlej and in the Sind Valley of Kashmir. Mr. Hume writes : — " In many of the higher hills south of the Snowy Eange it seems to a great extent to be a permanent resident, not at any rate migrating en masse from the country, but, as a rule, only retreating lower down the valleys in the cold weather ; some few, however, during the latter season are met with in the higher hills of Central India and Rajpootana. On the Neilgheries there appears to be a permanently resident colony." In Nepal, says Dr. Scully, " this Crai;- Marlin was only noticed on a few occasions in the great valley, but was more common in the Nawakot district and the Markhu Valley in winter. It was always found over mountain streams having high rocky banks." Colonel Butler states that it is a cold-weather visitant to Mount Aboo, where it is not uncommon, delighting in high inaccessible rocks and generally seen in company with C. concolor. Mr. Hume remarks that it is not found any where else in Rajpootana, hut there is a specimen from Cutch in the Hume collection. ISEr. Blanford states that he only saw the species at one spot in the "Wardha Valley in Central India, but tlie Hume collection contains an example from Northern Canara. The Piev. S. B. Pairbank has found the species on the Mahabaleshwur Hills, aiul also on Khandala, where Mr. Blanford has also met with it. In the Nilghii-is, Mr. Davison says that it is only a cold-weather visitant, never \ev\ numerous. He has observed it only in the immediate vicinity of Ootacamund, and always about rocky elitfs. By the end of March all have apparently departed. Captain Horace Terry has noticed the species in the Palani Hills. " They Avere Hying about some high clitfs near Pittur. They had much the appearance of P. concolor, but were lighter coloured on the Ixick, and with some whitisli colour on the throat. They kept on flying in and out from under a ledge on the face of the clitf, scrcaniinu' and chattering at the time ; but as the ledge was below mo, I could not see whether \Wy liad their nests there or not." Of the nesting of the species in India, Mr. Hume writes : — " The Crag-Swallow only hreeds, so far as I kiunv, amongst precipitous rocks in tlic Himalayas at heights of from 7000 to 10,000 feet. 1 imce found a number Ijrecdin-; on the road from Mussoorie to Simla, not many miles i'rum the new hill station Chukiata. u 1 10 This was at the end of April, and I got both eggs and young birds. The nests were composed of pellets of clay, and Avere mostly rather deep saucers plastered in angles of the cliff under projecting ledges. They were warmly lined both with grass and feathers." The late General Prjevalski gives the following notes of his observations on the E,ock- S wallow : — "Is common in the mountains of S.E. Mongolia and Kan-su. In the latter place they do not ascend as high as the Alpine region. They spend whole days in flying about the rocks where they breed. Their nests are usually stuck to protruding stones, or roofs of small caverns in the rocks. The first migrants arrived at Muni-ul on the 19th of April, and in Kan-su on the 26th of the same month." Abbe David states that he met with the species in all parts of Western China and Mongolia visited by him, and the late Consul Swinlioe records it as common in the mountains near Pekin in Northern China. The fact that the Ptock-Martin lays spotted eggs and builds a nest like a Common Swallow is very interesting, and apparently proves that the species is not a true member of the genus Cotile. In Mr. Tait's Portuguese notes he says : — " The flight of this species is extremely graceful — so smooth, silent, and apparently effortless — and I have often watched it with pleasure. Occasionally a bird would seem to turn a somersault, like a Tumbler Pigeon, but with a wider radius and without disturbing its flight. I could never, however, feel quite sure that it was not an optical delusion on my part." As will be seen by the notes given above, the situations of the nest are very various, as it is found nesting under the eaves of houses, as at Andorra in the Pyrenees, against cliffs, and sometimes even in caves. On Mt. Parnassus, Dr. Kriiper found a nest in a small cave where a Chough had a nest also and was feeding her young. The following interesting account of the species was contributed by Mr. Henry Seebohm to Mr. Dresser's ' Birds of Europe ' : — "C rupestris ought rather to be called the Cave-Swallow, than the Crag-Swallow or Rock-Martin, if its name refers to its choice of a breeding-station. So far as I know C. nqjeslris always chooses to nest in caves, with which Greece and Asia Minor abound. In both these countries it is a resident bird, frequenting, Dr. Kriiper tells me, the plains and the sea-side in winter. In summer it goes into the mountains to breed ; but Von der Miihle and Lindermayer are certainly wrong in saying that it is only seen in the high mountains at this season of the year. We never once met Avith this bird in the pine-regions of the Parnassus. Below the pines come some two thousand feet of rock and grass before you get into the olive and vine valleys. In this region we only found it very low down, in the most sheltered situations, in the mountain-gorges a short stroll above the level of the vines. These mountain-gorges, like all other limestone districts, abound in caves, which are the favourite breeding-places of this Swallow. On the 10th of May, 1873, I had an excellent opportunity of watching a score or more of these birds hawking for flies on a sunny spot in a deej) mountain-gorge in the Parnassus. The sun was shining brilliantly after a heavy storm of wind and rain. The birds were very tame, 11 and my sitting down on a rock in the midst of them to watcli their movements did not appear to disturb them in the least. Their style of flight reminded me very much of that of a butterfly or a bat — a sort of irresolute flutter, very unlike the rapid darts of the true Ilirundo. They seemed also occasionally to require rest, often perching on the branches of a fallen oak not far from the rock on which I was sitting. Thev are remarkablv silent birds. The only note I heard Avas an occasional ch or chch, scarcely likely to attract the attention of any one not listening for it. When I repassed the spot a few hours afterwards not a bird was to be seen. "Whenever we descended low enough down into the vallevs we met with these birds, but could not discover the least trace of their breeding. In the mountain-gorges there were numerous caves, into which we sometimes saw them fly; but it was not until the 16th ]May, at Beliza, that we saw any signs of their having begun to build their nests. This little village is built at the entrance of one of the most pictiu-esque gorges in the Parnassus. I strolled out one morning up the gorge, and had not left the village more than five minutes, when I espied a group of Swallows on the ground, round a puddle in the mule-track. I shot into the middle of them, and picked up three specimens of //. rufula and one of Cotile rupestrls. They had evidently commenced to build, as their beaks were full of mud, which they had gone to tlie puddle to collect. AVhen Dr. Kruper passed through the village a fortnight later, C. rupestris had fresh eggs ; but very few nests contained the full complement. It is a verv unusual thing for a non-miOTatorv bird to breed so late ; and it has lieen suijo'ested by my friend Mr. Howard Saunders, in his interesting papers in ' The Field ' on the ornithology of Sjiain, that the June nests of this bird are for a second brood. I have not, however, nor has my friend Dr. Kruper, been able to find the least evidence in Greece in favour of this theory. In Asia Minor, in 1872, I met with tlie bird breedinu- in exactly similar localities, at about the same elevation, in the last week in May. Althousrh more or less s^rerarious when in search of food thev arc not so much so in their nesting-habits, and you seldom find more than one or two nests in tlie same cave. It is a very common thing to see a solitary bird perched for some time u[)on a ledge in the cave. They prefer those that are lofty, and build near the roof, attaching the nest to the rock immediately below an overhanging projection, but not quite touching it, exactly as //. rustica does when it builds against a perpendicular surface. The nest resembles that of tlic last-mentioned bird in simihir positions, bcini;' a sliallow cup of mud, open at the sides ; liut it is scarcely so large in size. It is lined with Wdoi, iliistl(>- down, and feathers. The eggs, five or six in number, exactly resemble pale varieties of the eggs of //. runticn. The ground-colour is pure white, generally profusely spotted, especially at the large end, witli pale greyish brown. Very rarely the spots are irregu- larly round in shape. They are usually an irregular oval, soiuetimes running into streaks. The underlying spots are very few and indistinct." The descriptions are from specimens in the British Museum, and the birds figured are in the same collection. 3 I -1 .' l-- JS; >- ,1«^ C.W W Sv.i. COTlLiE OBSOLKTA. ^tJTvteTT^ Bros . icop- COTILE OBSOLETA, Cab. PALE ROCK-MARTIN. Cotijle rupestris (non Scop.), Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 22 (1845); Vierth. Xaum. IS.j.j, p. 471 ; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 17 ; E. C. Taylor, Ibis, 1859, p. 47 ; Adams, Ibis, 1864, p. 14; Hartm. J. f. O. 1864, p. 387 ; E. C. Taylor, Ibis, 1867, p. 57. Cotyle ohsoleta. Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 50 (1850) ; Heugl. Oru. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 168 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 301; Shelley, Ibis, 1871, p. 136; id. B. Egypt, p. 123 (1872) ; Blanf. Ibis, 1873, p. 214 ; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 521, pi. 165 (1875). Cotyle cahirica, A. E. Brehm, J. f. O. 1853, p. 452, et Extrah. p. 96 ; Blasius, Ibis, 1861, p. 295. Cotyle cachii'ica, C. L. Brehm, Naum. 1855, p. 271. Cotyle iKihistri^i (nee Steph.), Tristr. Ibis, 1867, p. 363 ; Wyatt, Ibis, 1870, pp. 2, 9, 12. Cotyle paludicola (nee V.), Tristr. Ibis, 1869, p. 436. Cotlle obsoleta, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 74, no. 876 (1869) ; Hume, Str. E. 1876, p. 40 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus, x. p. Ill (1885) ; Yerbury, Ibis, 1886, p. 14. Ptionoprogne ijallkla, Hume, Str. E. 1873, pp. 1, 417; Blanf. Ibis, 1873, p. 214. Cotyle {Ftyonopjrogiie) ohsoleta, Blanf. East. Pers. ii. p. 217 (1870). Ftyonoprogue obsoleta, Hume, Str. E. 1879, p. 84 ; Butler, Cat. B. Siud »Scc. p. 13 (1879). C. minor, pallida ; rectricibus albo maculatis, duabus mediis et cxtimis cxceptis ; subcaudalibus saturate brunneis; subtiis pallide isabelliua, abdomine saturatiorc bruimco ; gala hand maculata. Hub. in Africa scptentriouali-oricutali, in Arabia ct in Paht'stiua et per terras littorales Oceanic Iiidicii: usque ad provdnciam Sindianam. Adult. Above very pale greyish brown, dark on the head and nape ; wing-covcrts and quills tlarkiT brown, with light edgings to the feathers ; rump and upper tail-coverts very pale greyish brown ; tail-feathers light greyish brown, with a white spot on the inner web of all the feathers cxeejit tin two middle and the outer ones ; chin whitish, unspotted ; tlu'oat and breast white, with a very faint fulvous tinge; under tail-coverts darker greyish brown, with faint edgings of pale brown ; axillaries pale brown; under wing-coverts a little darker brown, with rufosccut margins: "hill black; legs brown; iris dark brown" [G. E. Shclk'ij). Total length "i inehes, culmcu ();'i.">. wing i'T), tail 2'1, tarsus 0' 1. Of a pair of specimens from Palestine the measurements are given in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' as follows : — Total length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus, in. in. in. in. n. S ad. Mt. Quarantania {H. B. Tristram) .... 4-8 4-55 2-00 0-35 b. ? ad. Engedi [H. B. Tristram) 4-9 4-55 2-15 0-40 These dimensions may be compared with those given by Mr. Hume of his series from Sind (/. c), as follows : — " The sexes do not differ in size, though individuals differ in each sex con- siderably. The males (seven of each sex were preserved) varied in length from 5-35 to 5'6 inches ; expanse 12-25 to 13 inches ; wing 4-4 to 4-7 inches. In the females, the length varied from 5'25 to 5-5 inches ; expanse 12'3 inches ; wing 4-5 to 4'75 inches. In both sexes the tail measures about 1-8 inch from vent. The wings, when closed, exceed the tail by a little more than 0-5 inch, and the weight was a trifle over 0'5 oz. The bill was black and the legs and feet horny brown." A good deal of difference is noticeable in the colour of the underparts in a series of this Martin, some specimens being rufescent and darker below. These are probably in fresher plumage, as the feathers apparently bleach a good deal with tiie sun and exposure. Mr. Dresser believes these to be younger birds. They do not show any pale edgings to the feathers, such as usual in a Cotile, and we think it probable that they are merely individuals whose plumage has not got bleached. Hab. North-eastern Africa, Arabia, Palestine, and the shores of the Indian Ocean as far as Sind. This is a smaller species than C. rapestris, with which it has often been confounded. Besides the lesser dimensions, it may also be distinguished by its very pale colour and uniform throat, the latter being spotted in C. rupestris. Von Heuglin states that it is a resident in Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia, occurring as well on the Arabian coast and in the mountains of Sinai. He writes : — " It lives among the bare rocky walls and old graveyards, both near the sea and high up near the region of snow. In Semien we shot it at a height of between 11,000 and 12,000 feet above the sea-level. Its flight resembles that of an arrow and is generally straight, though sometimes whirling and uneven, at times low down over tlie desert, and at other times so high in the air as to disappear from sight altogether. The pale colour of this active and restless bird, amid the glaring sunlight, which is sometimes truly dazzling, makes it appear to vanish suddenly, as if dissolving in mist. The breeding-season is at the beginning of the year. The nest is small and constructed of sand and clay cemented with saliva. AVe found them breeding in ravines, stone-quarries, catacombs, sepulchral monuments, and isolated buildings in the desert." Captain Shelley, in his ' Birds of Egypt,' observes : — " This species of Crag-Swallow is very plentifully distributed throughout Egypt and Nubia, where it is a resident. It only frequents the rocky districts, and is therefore of rare occurrence in the Delta, although at Cairo and the Pyramids it is abundant. It may be easily^ recognized by the paleness of the colouring of its back. It begins to breed about the middle of Eebruary, placing its nest under the shelter of an overhanging rock, or attaching it to the ceiling of some of the less-frequented passages of the ruined temples, or even occasionally in the native dwellings. The eggs of this species are white, spotted with rufous hrown, and are very like those of Hirundo rustical Mr. E. Cavendish Taylor found a nest on the 25th of January in the grottoes of Beni-Hassan, containing two eggs nearly ready to hatch. This is an earlier date than that given by Capt. Shelley. The British Museum contains specimens collected by Sir Samuel Baker up the Xile, and by Mr. Francis Galton at the Fifth Cataract. The late Marquis Antinori did not meet with the species actually in Shoa, but he procured specimens at Zeila, in the Gulf of Aden. At Aden itself, Mr. Wyatt noticed it flying over the " Tanks ; " and Major Yerbury, in his essay on the birds of that locality, says : — "A Crag-Martin is with us all the year round and breeds in the caves." He sent a specimen to the British Museum. Mr. Wyatt often saw the species when on the Sinai survey. It was common on the lowlands in the winter ; and towards the end of February, when spring in the desert may be said to commence, it ascended the mountains, where it was seen hawking for flies over the "retem " bushes, which are in full blossom at that time of the year. In April he met with it in AVady Ithm, along the highlands of Edom, between Akabah and Petra. Canon Tristram found it in Palestine, where it is " entirely confined to the Dead Sea basin, in which it is sedentary. Bound the sea itself it is the only species, but at the north end it mingles with C. riqwstris, and they both breed in the same caves in Jebel Quarantania. It is essentially a desert species, as C. riqjestris is a mountain one. In habits it differs from its congener, sweeping the desert plains rather than soarim;- over the mountain cliffs." Turning eastwards, we next find the species at Fao, in the Persian Gulf, Avhence Mr. W. D. Cumming has sent specimens to the British Museum. Mr. Blanford obtained this Martin at Pasin and Gwadar on the Mekrau coast ; and the Hume collection also contains specimens from the Mekran coast, from Khoce Batt and Gwadar, collected in January and February. Mr. W. T. Blanford found it common throughout Baluchistan ; but he never saw it on the Persian highlands, where, he says, it appeared to l)e entirely replaced by C. rupestris. The birds from Sind were named C. pallida by Mr. Hume, but Mr. Blanford, h;u iiii;- compared his specimens from Sind and Baluchistan with others from Xorth-eastcni Africa, established their identity. Mr. Hume was, however, the first to pul)lisli the occurrence of this sjwcics in Sind. He "found it very common along the Gaj, tin- Nurrinai, and other small streams that issue from the bare stony hills that divide Sind from Khelat." He met witli it again, Avith the Common Swift, ofi' the headland of Minora, at the mouth of tlie Kurrachcc harbour, and in similar localities aloni;- tlic Alekran coast. C(jlonel E. A. Butler, whose lieautiful specimens from Kurniehcc arc in the Hume collection, records it as "a cold-weather visitant to Sind, wlici'c it is mil un- common alontr the coast. It is also met with in Cutch." The Hume collection also contains a male obtained by Sir Oliver St. John ncai' Kandahar, on the .'Jrd of May, 1880. ^Ir. Blanford ubserves : — " C. obaolcld is far from l)L'iiig so tliorough a Crag-Martin 4 as C rupestris. I have often met Avith it about hills, but, I think, more frequently still in the nei«'hbourhoo(l of the broad stream-beds, usually dry, which intersect the desert plains of Baluchistan, but wliich, from containing more vegetation than the surrounding country, afford a larger quantity of insect food to Swallows and Martins. C. obsoleto was very common in December and January along the sea-shoi-e. I did not see much of it in its l)reeding-haunts, though tlie birds at Kalagan and -Talk in March were in pairs, hunting about particular spots, as if Imilding nests, and the males which I dissected .had enlarged testes. They doubtless breed on rocks like their allies." The specimen described is an Egyptian one in the Britisli Museum. The bird figured is also from Egypt, and is in Captain Shelley's collection. Mintern Br o s irr.p . COTILE FULIGULA COTILE FULIGULA [LkJd.). RUEOUS-XnP.OATED ROCK-MxiP.TIN. VKiroiulelle fmwe, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. v. p. 156, pi. 2JtC ; Siindev. Krit. Framst., Levaill. p. 52 (1857). Hirundo fiiUgula, Liclit. in Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 55 (1841) ; Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 36 (1858). Sinmdo hyemalis, Forster, Descr. Anim. p. 55 (1841). Cotyle fuligula, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. CO (1845) ; id. Cat. Fissir. Brit. Mus. p. 29 (1848) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 342 (1850) ; Cab. Mus. Heiu. Th. i. p. 164 (1850) ; Hartl. J. f. 0. 1861, p. 103 ; Gurney, Ibis, 1865, p. 264 ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 57 (1867); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 299 (pt.) ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 45 (1871) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 68 ; Ayres, Ibis, 1876, p. 424, 1878, p. 407, 1879, p. 291 ; Salvin, Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 158 (1882) ; Butler, Feilden, & Reid, Zool. 1882, p. 250 : Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 360 (1883). Cotile fuligula, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 73, no. 874 (1869) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 840 (1884) ; id. Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 106 (1885). C major ; rectricibus albo maculatis ; subcaudaUbus saturate brunneis ; gul;1 et prtepectore clare rufcsceutibus. Hab. in Africa meridionali. Adult male. General colour above dark sooty brown, the bead sligbtly more dusky than the back ; wiug- coverts and quills darker brown than the back, the inner greater coverts and scapulars of the same sooty brown as the back ; tail-feathers dark brown, all but the two centre feathers and the outermost with a large round white spot on the inner web ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts and sides of neck dark sooty brown like the back ; thi'oat and breast tawny rufous, extending over the abdomen ; sides of breast, flanks, abdomen, and under tail-eovcrts dark sooty brown ; axiliarics and under wing-coverts rufous, with sooty-brown bases, causing a mottled apjicarance near the edge of the wing ; quills sooty brown below, paler along the inner web : " bill black ; legs brown; iris brown" (7". L. Ayres). Total length 5 inches, cuhncn O'l, wing "rOo, tail '^'1, tarsus 0"15. Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length o^l inches, eulmen ()-|, wing 5, tail .'J'lf), tarsus 0'45. Youn(j. Only differs from the adtdt in having rufous edgings to the feathers of the uii]iit parts, lower abdomen, and under tail-coverts. Hub. South Africa, from the Cape Colony to Xatal and llie Transvaal. There ai'e four races of these dark rufous-throated Rock-Martins, of wliich C. fulignla is the largest, C. anderssoni a pale form from S.W. Africa, C. rufigula is a lesser East- African form, and C. concolor a still smaller Indian representative. Cot lie fidig ilia, from its hahits as given by Mr. Layard, and from what we know of its Indian cousin C. concolor, belongs to the group of Eyock-Martins of which C. rupestris is the typical form, as distinguished from the Sand-Martius, of wliich C. rlparia is the type ; and should characters for the separation of the geniis Ptyonoprogne be found, the present species would come under that heading, and be known as P.fuligiila. The first notice of this species appears to be in Levaillant's ' Oiseaux d'Afrique,' where it is figured, but no scientific names appear to have been bestowed upon it till 1844, when Lichtenstein gave it that of fuligula, which is in all probability a misprint for fulcigula. Forster's title of hiemalls was first published in the same year by Lichtenstein, in his edition of the ' Descriptiones Animalium.' Mr. E. L. Layard, writing from Cape Town, says : — " This Swallow remains with us all the year round, merely shifting its quarters from a town to a country residence. As soon as our summer visitants are gone, these crowd into the villages and take their places. We have counted upwards of one hundred sitting together on the cornices of the Dutch Church in Cape Town on a cold day, basking in the sun. They breed in the mountains and seem generally distributed, as we have received specimens from Damara Land, Swellendam, Beaufort, and Colesberg ; and Victorin procured it at the Knysna. AVe have also found them nesting under the eaves of houses in November. They lay three or four eggs, of a creamy white, much spotted with brown, with liere and there a grey jiatch ; in some these spots seem to form a circle at the obtuse end : axis 10'", diameter 6'". The flight of this species is very slow and sailing, and they seek their prey usually near rocks, and are more crepuscular in their habits than any of our other species, often flying so far into the darkening twilight, that they can scarcely be dis- tinguished from the Bats with which they mingle. Mr. II. Jackson writes from Nel's Poort, on the 4th of January, 1869 : — ' "VVe have taken the eggs of a pair of Brown Martins Ave times this season. Thej^ have their nests against the gable of my house and do not forsake it when robbed, as do the Chats and others.'" According to the late Dr. Bradshaw, it remains throughout the year on the Orange iliver, where it is most numerous near rocky hills, nesting under overhanging rocks. He found a few pairs also breeding near Renhardt. Majors Butler and Eeilden and Capt. Reid, in their paper on the birds of Natal, state that it is a familiar species in the upper part of the colony, breeding in October and November. We saw beautiful speci- mens collected by Major Butler in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, and we have received a specimen from our excellent correspondent Mr. T. L. Ayres, from Pinetown in Natal, where it would appear to be decidedly rare. Although it reaches the Transvaal, and has been shot near Potchefstroom in January by Mr. T. Ayres, the latter naturalist considers it to be one of the scarcest of the Swallows in those parts, although it is more common in the Rustenberg district of the eastern Transvaal. The species has been recorded from Damara Land; but after a closer examination of the specimen in the British Museum from that country we have come to the conclusion that the Eock-Martin of South -western Africa is different from the true C. fuUgula of the Cape Colony, and we have described it as distinct. The description is taken from specimens in Captain Shelley's collection, obtained by Major Butler near Newcastle, and from one of these the figure in the Plate has been drawn. ■!A COTILE ANDERSSONI,sp.n. ANDERSSON'S PtOCK-MARTIN. Cotlle fuligula (uec Liclit.), Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1868, p. 40, 1872, p. 07 ; Gurney in Andersson's Birds of Damara Land, p. 52 (1872); Bocage, Oru. Angola, p. 187 (1881). Cotile ftiUrjula (pt.), Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. p. lOG (1SS5). C sirailis C. fuligula sed pallidior : supra pallide murlna, et subtus vix rufescens. Hab. in Africa occidentali-australi. Adult female. Similar to C. fuligula, but very much paler, the upper surface aud the sides of the body being a pale ashy mouse-colour, aud the rufous colour on the throat very pale : " bill brown, upper mandible darker than the lower ; legs and toes brown ; iris very dark brown " (C /. Andersson). Total length 5'8 inches, culmen O'-i, wing 5"05, tail 2-15, tarsus 0'45. Hab. Damara-Land and Mossamedes. The receipt of a larger series of the true C . fuligula than was at our disposal some time ago shows that the form from the Cape Colonj^ and Natal is uniformly darker than the one from Damara Laud, and the intensely pale coloration of the latter has induced us to describe it as a distinct race, to which we liave attached the name of Mr. C. J. Andersson, the intrepid traveller, to whose exertions nearly all our scientific knowledge of this part of the world is due. Mr. Andersson gives the following note on this bird : — " This Martin is common in Damara aud Great Namaqua Land, and is the only species of Swallow which remains throughout the year, a few couples being always to be found in suitable localities. 1 once saw a very large number at Uykomkap, on the 20th of May. This species breeds in the holes of low rocks and clay-banks. The nest is cup-shaped, and built of the usual clay materials ; the eggs are five or six in number, white, tinged with fawn, and spotted with brown." Scnlior Anchieta has met with this Martin at the Ptio Coroca and at Biballa in the interior of Mossamedes, as we liave no doubt that it is tlie pale Damara form which occurs here also. At Biballa he says it is called ' Kapiapia.' The description and measurements are taken from the typical specimen iu the British Museum. e2 C -W W. Jel COTILE RUFIGULA Mint em Bros imp COTILE RUFIGULA, Fischer Sf Reichemw. FISCHER'S EOCK-MARTIN. Cotyle fuUgula (nee Licht.), Horsf. & Moore, Cat. Birds E. I. Co. Mus. i. p. 96 (1854) ; Heiigl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 164 (1869) ; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss. p. 350 (1870, sub C. rupestris) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 299 (pt.). Cotile riifigula, Eiscber & Eeichen. J. f. 0. 1881, p. 53 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. X. p. 107 (1885). Cotyle rufigula, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) i. p. 122 (1881) ; Fischer in Madarasz, Zeitscbr. ges. Orn. i. p. 358 (1881). C. similis C. fuligulcB, sed multo minor et gula pallidiore distinguenda. Hab. in Africa orientali et septentrionali-orientali. Adult male. General colour above dark mouse-brown ; Tving-covcrts like the back ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills darker brown^ somewhat lighter brown on the edges ; upper tail- coverts like the back ; tail-feathers dark brown, every feather marked with a rounded spot of white on the inner web, excepting the two centre ones and the outer one on each side ; crown of head a trifle darker than the back ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts dark brown like tlie head ; checks, throat, and fore neck pale fawn-rufous ; chest, breast, and abdomen a little deeper rufous-brown, dark mouse-brown on the sides of body and flanks ; thighs, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillaries dark mouse-brown, the under wing-coverts edged with dull rufous ; quills below more ashy along the inner webs. Total length 5 inches, culmeu 0'3, wing 4'8, tail 2'0, tarsus 0'4. The wing measures from 4'6 to 485 in the five specimens in the British Museum ; but too great reliance cannot be placed on these dimensions, as the specimens have the plumage very much worn, though it will be seen that they never attain to the dimensions of C.fuHgula. Hub. North-eastern Africa from Abyssinia to Shoa and thence to Masai-land in Eastern Africa. The earliest recorded specimen of the present species seems to be tlie one mentioned in Horsfield and Moore's ' Catalogue,' wliere a single bird is said to liavo Ix'cn ohlaiiu-d l)y Sir W. C. Harris in 'Abyssinia.' As a matter of fact, four specimens were obtaiiu'd by the last-named naturalist, though only one was catalogued. All four exaiuph-s are now- preserved in the British Museum, and it is extremely doulitl'ul if any df tlirni really came from Abyssinia, as the only bird with tlie original label slill allaelu'd to it was collected in Shoa, at AngoUala, in May 1812. That it occurs in Abyssinia proper is, liowever, certain, for in llie I'rilisji Museum is a specimen collected l)y Mr. Jesse, though willuml any indiealiun of the precise locality. A bird obtained by the same gentleman at Rayrayguddy is in Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay's collection, and was referred by us in 1870 to C. rupestris. In those days we were inclined to regard C. rufigiila as a small northern form of C. fuUgula, and did not attach a name to it ; but as it has since been named by Drs. Fischer and Reichenow, it is as well to recognize it under their title. It cannot, however, be considered more than a race of C. fuUgula, intermediate between that species and C. concolor of India. All references to C. fuUgula in North-eastern Africa doubtless refer to the present bird. The late Marquis Antinori, during the Italian expedition to Shoa, procured a specimen at Mahal-Uouz on the 30th of April. Besides the above-mentioned habitats of this Rock-Martin, it has also been noticed by the late Dr. Fischer at the Naiwascha Lake in Masai-land. Here he met with it in rocky ravines on the south-eastern shore of the lake, where it was noticed in small numbers flying over the surface of the ground and swooping upwards to the steep rocks, where the birds had their nests. The specimen described is in the British Museum, and the example figured was procured by Antinori in Shoa, and sent by Count Salvadori to the authors for identification. Having been preserved in spirit, the colours are rather bleached. The appearance of the examples iu the Museum is decidedly darker. C \ r ,'', ^ i . ^f-f^^ C WW del Mimeni Bro's imp COTILE CONCOLOR. COTILE CONCOLOR (S^kes). DUSKY ROCK-MARTIN. Mirundo coneolor, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 83 ; Jerd. Madr. Journ. xi. p. 238 (1840) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 58 (1815) ; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 119 (1847) ; id. Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 199 (1819). Biblis coneolor, Less. Compl. BuiF. viii. p. 495 (1837). Cotyle coneolor, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 170 ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 342 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Philad. Acad. p. 12 (1853) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E.I. Co. Mus. i. p. 97 (1854) ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 165 (1862); Blanf. Ibis, 1867, p. 463; id. J. A. S. Beng. xl. p. 271 (1871) ; Butler, Str. F. 1877, p. 227. Cotile coneolor. Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 73, no. 873 (]869); Aitken, Str. E. 1875, p. 214 ; Butler, t. c. p. 453 ; Hume, t. c. p. 453 ; id. Str. F. 1876, p. 35 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 108 (1885). Ptyonoprogne coneolor, Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 83 (1873) ; Adam, Str. F. 1873, p. 370; Fairb. Str. F. 1876, p. 254; Davids. & AVenden, Str. F. 1878, vol. ii. p. 77 ; Hume, Str. F. 1879, p. 84; Butler, Cat. B. Sind &c. p. 13 (1879) ; id. Cat. B. S. Bomb. Pres. p. 14 (1880) ; Vidal, Str. F. 1880, p. 43 ; Davison, Str. F. 1883, p. 346. Krimnochelidon coneolor, Tickell, MSS. ; Walden, Ibis, 1876, p. 356. 0. minor ; similis C. fuUgulcB, sed gula maculata distingucnda. Hab. in peninsula Indica. Adult male. General colour above uniform dark sooty brown ; Tving-coverts like the back, the bastard- wing, primary-coverts, and quills dark brown, externally washed with the same brown as tlie back ; tail-feathers dark brown, with a wliitc spot on the inner web of all but the two centre feathers and the outer one on each side; licad like the back ; lores, sides of face, ear-covcrts, and cheeks uniform dark brown, with a few fulvous streaks only on the cheeks; throat and chest dull rufeseent, streaked with dusky brown, the feathers being mesially centred with this colour ; breast, abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts uniform dark sooty brown, with a few of the feathers of the abdomen paler edged ; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark hnnvn with rufous edges ; quills dusky brown below : " bill black ; legs and feet brownish plumbeous or purplish brown; iris blackisii brown" {E. A. Butler) : "legs and feet j)ale ilesby brown " {If. Darhon) : "inside of mouth light yellow" (C T. Bbifjham). Total Icugth 4-8 inches, culmeu 0-35, wing 4"05, tail 1'85, tarsus 0"35. The dusky spots or streaks on the throat, which arc very evident iu the living bird, arc (iftcu invisil)le in skins, the throat and fore neck being quite uniform in some specimens. Sometimes also a trace of a white spot can be found on the outer tail-feather and occasionally ou the centre ones. U Adult female. Similar in colour to the male. Total length 4-3 inches^ culmen 0-3, wing 4-1, tail 1-6, tarsus 0'35. Young. Is distinguished from the adult by having pale rufous edges to the feathers of the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts. Hah. The greater part of the Indian Peninsula from the Nilghiri Hills northward to Kathiawar and Cutch on the west, and extending northwards to Delhi, but apparently not crossing the Ganges, nor visiting Lower Bengal. This is the Indian representative of the African C. fiiligtila, of which it is a small race. It differs chiefly in its size, and also in the spotted throat ; but, as we have noticed above, the throat and fore neck are sometimes quite uniform, and then there would be nothing but the smaller dimensions of the Indian bird wherewith to distinguish it. The present species is widely distributed over the Peninsula of India, but does not extend to Ceylon, nor does it reach Lower Bengal. It is not included in any list of birds from Travancore, and its most southerly range seems to be the Nilghiri Hills. Here, Mr. Davison says, it is " not uncommon during the cold weather, but very few remain to breed. It is only found about rocky places, or their immediate vicinity. It occurs from the level of the plains to as liigh up as Ootacamund." Dr. Jerdon writes : — " I rarely saw it on the Malabar coast, but I procured it at Vellore and Seringapatam, in both places breeding on the large fort walls ; also on rocky hills throughout the Carnatic and table-land, and in Central India. I have also found its nest on a x'ock overhanging the road on the Goodaloor Ghat of the Neilgherries, at about 4000 feet of elevation. It also breeds occasionally in the eaves of lofty houses, and other largo buildings in the Deccan, as I saw at Jaulna. It does not build in company, and is nowhere abundant in individuals." Major Butler procured specimens at Belgaum in July, and these are in the Hume collection. He considers it to be a permanent resident and common, as a rule, through- out the southern Bombay presidency. Messrs. Davidson and Wendeu, in their paper on the birds of tVie Deccan, whence came the original specimens described by Col. Sykes, Avrite : — " In the Sholapoor districts it breeds in abundance in the rains and in February. At Egutjjoora it was breeding in the verandah of the Engineers' bungalow in the middle of March and first week in Ausjust. Procured at Lanoli on the 20th of March." In the South Konkan Mr. Vidal has procured specimens at Bankot, Kelshi, Harnai, Peve, Guhagar, and Katnagiri. He says it is " common on the coast, and for a few miles inland. I have found nests on the cliffs in Eebruary, March, and April, and under the eaves of a bungalow in August." The Hume collection contains a specimen from Panchganj Ghat in the Mahabaleshwur Hills, procured in June 1874, and Mr. Eair- bank says that it is common in the neighbourhood of Khandala. Mr. Sharpe noticed it on the island of Elephauta, where he saw a specimen clinging to the arch which forms the entrance to the celebrated rock-temple. Colonel Swinhoe and Lieut. Barnes state that it " is common at Mohw, where it is a resident, breeding during February and March, and again in October and November." Mr. Aitken's notes on the breeding of the species in Berar are given belovi-, and Mr. W. T. Blanford also fonnd it nesting, though local, in the AVardha valley. The birds from the north-west are decidedly paler than those from more eastern and southern localities. This is certainly the case with those from. Mount Aboo in the Hume collection. Colonel Butler states that in the neighbourhood of Aboo and Northern Guzerat the majority of the birds disappear in the hot weather, though a few are found all the year round. He says it is " common in the hills, breeding at Mount xiboo in June and July. It is not so common on the plains. In the neighbourhood of Deesa it breeds in August and September, building an open nest like U. rustica, which it fixes to the wall imder the eaves of houses, and laying two or three eggs." The northward range of the species is marked by specimens in the Hume collecticui from Saugor. Colonel G. F. L. Marshall obtained it in Bundelkund, and the Hume collection also contains a specimen from Lulutpur in the Xorth-west Provinces. At Chunar Mr. Brooks procured a breeding pair in June and took the eggs. Jerdon noticed it near Allahabad, and Mr. Hnme met with it at Etawah, specimens killed in February, July, and October being in his collection. Both the autliors have observed it near Agra, and Mr. Sharpe saw a considerable number about Ukbur's Palace at Futtehpur Sikri. It extends at least as far north as Delhi, where Capt. Bingham procured specimens. In the vicinity of the Sambhur Lake, Mr. Ft. M. Adam says that it is not common ; he only obtained the species near Mata Pahar and the extreme western portion of the lake. Mr. Hume, during one of his visits to this place, found a nest with three eggs ; the latter gentleman also met with it at Jodhpur in Rajputana, and Colonel Butler has obtained specimens from Mount Aboo and Deesa. It also extends to Cutch, whence there is a specimen in the Hume collection. ^lajor Hayes Lloyd says that it is occasionally met with in Kathiawar ; and a pair built their nest against the rafters of his house at Ptajkote. The specimen given by him to the British Museum belongs to the dark form, such as is found in the Mahabaloshwur Hills and at Belgaum. Mr. James Aitken gives, in his paper on the Swallows and Swifts of Berar, the following account of the present species : — " The natural habitat of this Swallow is amongst rocks and on the faces of cliffs, and in such situations it may always be Ibund ; but it readily avails itself of the windows and porches of houses, even nesting among the two-storied houses in native towns. I have also known it make its nest on the side of a well. The nest is open all round, merely attached to the wall l)y o\w side, and is very neatly lined with feathers. The eggs are more round than any of our other Swallows, and are minutely speckled with brown, especially about the tliick end ; the usual uuni1)ei- is, I tliink, three. They are persecuted while building and oceasionally driven away hy the Sparrows ; but their open nest not being adapted to the wants of these birds, they do u2 4 not take possession of it. Though capable, from their length of wing, of great speed, tliey are no travellers, but may generally be found flying about their chosen cliff or building in a very leisurely manner ; the young continue about the spot for some time, but I never saw the old ones feed them upon the wing after the manner of the Wire- tailed Swallows." The accompanying notes are taken from Mr. Hume's ' Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds ' :— " The Dusky Crag-Martin breeds at least twice a year. In the plains of India I have mostly found the eggs in January, February, and July, but I have seen them in April ; and writing from the Nilghiiis, Miss Cockburn says : — ' These small Crag- Martins build in the months of April and May. One nest was constructed in a small cave which had been dug out of the earth where some pretty ferns and moss were growing ; I admired the Martins' choice of a site for the abode of their young during the few Aveeks they might require a dwelling-place. The nest was of clay and of a cup- shape, lined with many feathers, and had two white eggs with minute dark spots all over them, but particularly at the thick end.' " The nest is solitary, very like the Wire-tailed Swallow's, but deeper and smaller, coming to a well-defined point below ; it is lined with feathers. " Mr. F. K. Blewitt says : — ' This species breeds in both the cold and hot seasons, though I have obtained most eggs in July and August. It has its nest in holes of walls, on j)rojecting eaves, and sometimes on the ledges of rocks, where convenient shelter is afforded.' " ' The nest-lining is composed of soft flowering grasses and feathers, the latter forming, as it were, the inner lining. The regular number of eggs appears to be four. Strictly speaking, it does not breed in company, though at Talbehut I have seen two and three pairs together, occupying as many holes in the old fort wall, near to each other. Doctor Jerdon justly remarks of this Martin that it is scattered sparingly. I have found it only in the vicinity of old forts and mosques, and but few in number. When flying, or rather while feeding on the wing, two and three together, they alternately chirrup to each other. It is a chit, chit, chit, rapidly uttered in a soft melodious tone.' " Mr. R. Thompson writes to me that in the Central Provinces the majority, he thinks, breed in March and April, but certainly, in Jhansie and Saugor, January and July are the months. " The eggs of this species are intermediate between those of L. fluvicola and II. filifera (H. smithii), so far as the character, extent, and intensity of markings go. The ground-colour is white, and they are all more or less thickly speckled, spotted, and, at times, though rarely, blotched with different shades of yellowish and reddish brown. Unlike those oi L. fluvicola, which are as often pure white as not, these eggs are always pretty thickly marked ; but these markings, though better defined and darker than those of L. fluvicola, are neither so bold nor so bright as in II. filifera. As in both these species, the markings are always most dense towards the broad end, where a more or less ill- defined zone or irregular and partial cap are not uncommon. In length they vary from 0'68 to 0'75 inch, and in breadth from 0"5 to 0'56 inch. The average of a large number of measurements is 0*72 by 0"52 inch." Mr. W. T. Blanford found the nests near Chanda, " under rocky ledges on the banks of rivers," and he was not quite sure that they were not deserted nests of Hirundo ruji- ceps (i. e. S. smithii). He once found eggs in what appeared to be a deserted nest of Sir undo flu vico la . The descriptions are taken from specimens in the British Museum, the figures being drawn from birds obtained by Mr. Wyatt near the Jumna at Etawah. He found it nesting on the walls of the fort at Agra, a part of which is represented in the sketch. i APPENDIX TO THE GENUS BIBLIS. BIBLIS RUPESTRIS [antea, p. 99, s. n. Cotile rupestris]. Add:— Cotile rupestris, Lilford, Ibis, 1887, p. 266 ; St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 155 ; Guillem. Ibis, 1889, pp. 215, 217 ; Lilford, t. c. p. 329 ; Sharpe & Wyatt, Monogr. Himnd. pt. XV. (1892) ; Pleske, Mel. Biol. xiii. p. 293 (1892). Lord Lilford noticed tliis species at Acona, on the Isle of Elba, during his yachting cruise in the Mediterranean. An adult bird from Chun-fy-tschiu, in the Tetung Mountains, is recorded by Dr. Pleske. For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 31 [Map]. BIBLIS OBSOLETA [antea, p. Ill, s. n. Cotile obsoleta]. Add:— Cotile obsoleta, Sharpe & Wyatt, Monogr. Hirimd. pt. iv. (1886) ; Gigl. Avif. Ital. p. 190 (1886) ; id. op. cit. T Resoc. p. 321 (1889). JPtyonop'ogne obsoleta. Gates, ed. Hume's Nests & Eggs Ind. B. ii. p. 183, note (1890) ; id. Eaun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 276 (1890). Biblis obsoleta, Salvad. Elenc. Ucc. Ital. p. 81 (1887). Cotyle obsoleta, Giglioli & Manzella, Iconogr. Avif. Ital. pt. xlii. (^ISSS) ; Barnes, Ibis, 1893, p. 69. Dr. Giglioli has included this species among the birds of Italy. lie iouud two speci- mens in the Florence Museum bearing the indication that they were procured in Tuscany in the spring of 1831, and, having traced their history in the records of llie ^Museum, he believes it possible that they were really Tuscan s])ccinioiis. especially as ilicy were registered as C. riq:)cslris, and not recognized as being anyihing iicculi.u-. Counl Salvadori has stated his Ijelicf that the occurrcnc*! (if C. obsoli-la. in Italy is ailiuitted on insufficient "rounds; but the facts are very fairly set forth bv Dr. (iiuiioli. who docs not place any undue reliance upon tliem. The species may wander to Italy, but, in our opinion, further confirmation of the fact is necessary. Lieut. Barnes AA^rites from Aden : — " The Pale Crag-Martin is a common permanent resident, breeding freely in the caves, in the face of the cliffs, generally in inaccessible places. I tried to get eggs, and haA^e offered good prices to the Arab and Somali boys for them, but Avithout success. I have several times managed to climb up to nests, only to find them either empty or containing young. On one occasion only AA^as I reAvarded by finding an addled egg, in company Avitli some unfledged nestlings. This egg is similar to, but rather larger than, the egg of Cotyle concolor. They seem to breed throughout the year, as I have seen nests in February, May, July, and October." Tor the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 33 [Map]. BIBLIS FULIGULA [antea, p. 115; s. n. Cotile rufigula]. Add :— Cotile full gula, Sharpe & Wyatt, Monogr. Hirund. pt. ii. (1885). Cotyle fuligula, Scebohm, Ibis, 1887, p. 319. Mr. Seebohm noticed this Martin in the parts of the Karoo through Avhich he travelled. For the geographical distributioji of this species, vide infra, Plate 33 [Map]. BIBLIS ANDERSSONI [antea, p. 119; s. n. Cotile anderssoni]. For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 33 [Map]. BIBLIS RUFIGULA [cmtea, p. 121 ; s. u. Cotile rtjeigula]. Add :— Cotyle rvfigula, Fischer, J. f. O. 1885, p. 128 ; Emin, J. f . O. 1891, pp. 340, 345. Cotile ritfigula, Sharpe & Wyatt, Monogr. Hirund. pt. vi. (1887); Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) vi. pp. 233, 531 (1888) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1892, p. 306. Clivicola rufigula, Ueichen. J. f. O. 1892, p. 31. Dr. Ragazzi procured this species at Let-Marefia in Shoa in March. Emin Pasha met A^dth it at Bussisi on the eastern side of the Victoria Nyanza, and Mr. F. J. Jackson at Save on Mount Elgon in February. He Av^rites : — " This Crag-Martin was found in a small colony on a pi'ecipitous crag, AA'here they wei'e evidently breeding. I saAv tAvo or three nests fastened on to the face of the rock, like the nests of the Edible Swift." He also states that he saw several among the hills near Turquel in the Siik country. For the geographical distribution of the present species, vide infra, Plate 33 [Map]. BIBLIS CONCOLOR \_antea, p. 123 ; s. n. Cotile concolor]. Add :— Ptyonoprogne, sp., Hume & Davison, Str. P. vi. p. 45 (1878) ; Gates, B. Brit. Burm. i. p. 311 (1883). Cotile concolor, Sharpe & Wyatt, Monogr. Hirund. pt. iv. (188G) ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) v. p. 576 (1888). Ptyonojprogne concolor, Swinlioe & Barnes, Ibis, 1885, p. 60 ; Gates, od. Tlumes Nests & Eggs Ind. B. ii. p. 181 (1890) ; id. Eaun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 275 (1890). "\^"HEy in Tenasserini the late Mr. Davison observed several specimens of a Rock-IMartin about the inaccessible precipices on the eastern side of Mooleyit, near its summit. Mr. Hume adds a note : — " He thought it was exactly like C. concolor, but that species is scarcely likely to have occurred there." It "would seem, however, from subsequent events that Mr. Davison was quite right in his identification of the species, for Mr. Eea procured a couj^le of specimens on the 20th of March at the top of Mooleyit, as recorded by Count Salvadori. The following additional notes on the nesting of the species have been published since our accotuit of the bird, in Mr. Gates's edition of Mr. Hume's ' Xests and Eggs of Indian Birds ' : — "Major C. T. Bingham writes, from Allahabad : — ' Gn the 13th Gctober I found a nest with two eggs. A mud cup, stuck against a niche in the ruins of an old temple, 31 inches in depth outside, 1 in depth inside, lined with a few straws and feathers. Eggs pale pinky white, blotched rather than speckled with tiny marks of grey and purple and sepia.' " Colonel Butler writes : — ' The Dusky Crag-Martin breeds at Mount Aboo in June and July, on the sides of cliffs and in hollow rocks, sticking the nest to the wall, as do others of the tribe. The nest is usually a half-open cup at the top, similar in composition and appearance to the nest of Ulnindo filifera. " ' On the 26th of August, 1876, I found a nest in Deesa similar to tiic one already described, but built against a wall under the eaves of a building in tlie European barracks. It contained two nearly fresh eggs. Another nest in Deesa, in a similar situation, contained three fresh eggs, on the 21th of Septembei", 1875. xinothcr nest on a beam in the verandah of the regimental school, Deesa, 5th Gctober, 1^70, contained tliree fresh eggs.' " Subsequently he wrote from Belgaum : — ' Belgaum, 13th July. 1^70, three fresh eggs; 11th August, three fresh eggs; 15th August, two fresh eggs; 29th August, tlircc fresh eggs; 21st Eebruai-y, 1880, three fresh eggs ; 15th Marcli, three fresh (>ggs.' " My friend Mr. Benjamin Aitken favours me with (lie loUowiim- imlc: — 'These birds may be seen wherever there is a range of cliffs or a row of (huk walls, provided the place is not much frequented by men; and they always choose the shady side, as far as 4 I have observed, to sail up and down. Their old nests are very numerous on the rocks that line the railway-cutting through the Bhore Ghat, and also on tlie cliffs at Poorundher, the sanitarium 18 miles south of Poona. These nests are placed at from 5 to 12 feet from the ground. I satisfied myself that the Martins were breeding on the top of the Bhore Ghat at the end of May 1871, and on the 9th of June I observed a pair at their nest at the bottom of the Ghat. " ' At Poona, on the 1st of March, 1871, 1 saw a nest under a ledge of stone in a well. The old bird was sitting, and, though repeatedly frightened off, only made two or three circles round the inside of the well and returned to the nest. " ' The nest was then given up as inaccessible, from distance and other causes ; but on the 20th of the following August my brother went down to the same nest by means of a rope, and found two eggs, on which the bird was sitting. He described the nest as extremely fragile ; it crumbled to pieces on the first touch. " ' In June of the same year my brother, Mr. E. Aitken, saw a nest, in which the parent bird was sitting, under the porch of the Club at Poona. Of this he has perhaps informed you himself.' " Messrs. Davidson and Wendon remark : — ' In the Sholapoor districts it breeds in abundance in the rains and in Pebruary. At Egv^tpoora it was breeding in the verandah of the Engineers' bungalow in the middle of March and first week in August. At Lanoli on 20th March.' " Mr. G. Vidal, relating his experiences in the South Konkan, says : — ' Common on the coast and for a few miles inland. I have found nests on the cliffs in February, March, and April, and under the eaves of a bungalow in August.' " Referring to Rajputana in general, Lieut. H. E. Barnes tells us that ' the Dusky Crag-Martin breeds during March and April, and again in July and August. The nest, composed of pellets of mud, well lined with feathers, is deep saucer-shaped, and is generally affixed to the side of a house under shelter of the eaves.' " Colonel Swinhoe and Lieut. Barnes, in their paper on the Mhow district, state that this Martin is a permanent resident and breeds during February and March, and again in October and November. Por the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 33 [Map]. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBr Migrator)-. A Acolgt -/- Bird of passage. o Pen ae e- Remains locally during the wiutt^r. O) Clia:'[ii -A* Transplanted. ^ Vi.i ■-*-* Winter resident. =s# Ace u Nearctic Region. Arctic Sub-Eegion Cold Temperate Sub-Eegion. 1. B. rupestris . 2. B. obsoleta 3. B. fuligula fM rt ^ 4. B. anderssoiii Warm Temperate Sub-Region. Neotropical Region. Centnil American Sub-Region. Humid ProTince. 5. B. ri>Ji(jula 6. B. concolor Arid Province. 11 Q « P^ P^ Eurasian Sub-Region. 69 o OF THE GENUS BIBLIS. V t D Guest. Wanderer. Earely Generally ^nesting. In colonies J Ethiopian Region. Indian Region, a tic 61) B E Pi 3 o f-^ m o c Australian Region. LLl =it -5 il I « ^ I A Genus IV. TACHYCINETA. Type. Tachycineta, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. iS (1850) T. thalassinus. Irkloprocne, Coues, B. Color. Vail. p. 472 (1878) T. hicolor. Range. Nearly the vphole of the New World. Clavis speciemwi. a. Uropygium album. a'. Teetrices alanim majores et remiges secuudarise late albo marginatffi . 1. albiventris, ]). \3[). b' . Tectrices alarum minime late albo mai'ginatse. a". Suprk ehalybeo- aut viridi-cseruleus : genis auticis minime uigris. a'". Major : ala 4-45 poll. : fronte basali et stria supralorali albis 2. leucorrhons, p. 143. 6'". Minor : ala 3'1) poll. : stria supralorali alba : froute basali minime alba 3. albUineu, ji. ] 19. 6". Supra purpurascenti-cseruleus : genis anticis nigris 4. meyeni, p. 1.53. b. Uropygium dorso concolor : subtus omnino pure albus. c'. Suprii nitide viridis : supracaudalibus dorso reliquo coneoloribus . . 5. birolor, p. 155. d' . Supra viridis aut ajneo-viridis : supracaudalibus chalybeis vel purpu- rascentibus : dorso viridi vel aeneo-viridi. c". Minor: uropygio laterali albo : cauda vix emarginata . . . . (i. thalassinus, \). 17.j. d" . Major: urojjygio laterali dorso concolore : caudu valde I'urcatii . 7. ctjaiwoviridts, \). 1.S5. %!^:l V^t '-, _ . " v5r^-'«-«f^» c w v/ ad IMiTite.rn Bros . imp. T^'^CHVCINETA ALBIVENTRIS TACHYCINETA ALBIVENTRIS [Bodd). WHITE-WINGED SWALLOW. Sirondelle a ventre Uanc cle Cayenne, Daubent. PI. Enl. vii. pi. 546. fig. 1. White-toinged Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 577 (1783). Eirundo alhiventer, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 32 (1783, ex Daubent.) ; Gray, Gen, B. i. p. 58 (1845) ; id. Hand-1. B. i. p. 71, no. 843 (1869). Hirundo leucoptera, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1022 (1788) ; Nenwied, Beitr. Naturg. Bras. iii. p. 362 (1830) ; D'Orb. & Lafr. Syn. Av. p. 69 (1837) ; Cab. in Scliomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 672 (1848) ; Tseliudi & Cab. Faun. Peruan. p. 132 (1855). Serse leucoftera, Bp. Consp. i. p. 341 (1850). Fetroclielklon leucoptera, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 49 (1850). Fetroclielidon alba-enter, Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Pliilad. Acad. p. 5 (1853). Cotyle leucoptera, Burm. Th. Bras. iii. p. 143 (1856). Petrochelklon alUcentris, Sclater, Cat. Amer. B. p. 41 (1862) ; id. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1866, p. 178 ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 17, 402 (1871) ; id. Ibis, 1873, p. lOS. Jlirundo alblventris, Baird, Beview Amer. B. p. 302 (1865) ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 569 ; Wyatt, Ibis, 1871, p. 323 ; Layard, Ibis, 1873, p. 378 ; Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1878) ; iid. P. Z. S. 1873, p. 258 ; iid. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 595 ; Tacz. P. Z. S. 1882, p. 8 ; id. Orn. Perou, i. p. 239 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. pp. 113, 630 (1885). ? Sirundo leucorrhoa, Porbes, Ibis, 1881, pp. 315, 329. T. uropygio albo : tectricibus alarum et secundariis albo late marginatis. Hab. in America meridionali. Adult male. General colour above glossy steel-blue, ratlier greener on the bacU, tlic hiiul ncek and mantle mottled witli •white bases to the feathers; wing-eovorts like tlie back: inmr irrcatcr coverts and secondaries blue-black, broadly and cons|iicuciusly eiljrcd \\itli wliiic- tm tlie (inter webs and round the tii) ; the bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and ijriniarics Ijlack, i^losscd willi dull steel-blue externally ; lower back, rump, and ni)per tail-cover(s white, with lilaekish siiaft- lines; longer upper tail-coverts steel-blue; tail-feathers blackish glossed with stccl-liluc, with white bases to the inner web; lores and feathers below the eye vchcty black; car-eoviTts and sides of neck glossy steel-blue like the head; cheeks ami entire under surface of body pure white, including the thighs and under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts and axillaries ; c|uills dusky below: "legs greyish brown ; iris greyish brown " (NeuwieU). Total length I'S inches, culincn O-l, wing 1, tail l-'J, tarsrus 0-45. 2s 2 Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length 4'8 inches, culmen 0'35j wing 4, tail l"85j tarsus 0'4. Obs. There does not seem to he much variation in plumage in this species beyond that the shade of colour on the back varies between green and blue, and the shaft-lines on the breast are more distinct in some than in others ; they apparently become obscured in winter, as is the case with other Swallows of this group. Sometimes the streaks on the rump and upper tail-coverts are very broad. A young bird shot by Mr. Wyatt in the Magdalena Valley is smoky brown, glossed with dull green on the back and wing-coverts ; quills and tail brown ; the white edgings to the greater coverts are almost obsolete, but the white on the inner secondaries is strongly pronounced. Hab. South America throughout Brazil and Amazonia to Colombia, Ecuador, and Guiana. This very distinct species of Tachycineta has a wide distribution in South America. It inhabits the whole of Guiana, having been originally described from Cayenne, while specimens from Surinam are in the U.S. National Museum. Mr. Henry Whitely has sent it from British Guiana, viz. from Bartica Grove (Sept.) and Camacusa (June). We have not found any instance recorded of its occurrence in Venezuela, but Mr. Wyatt procured it in Colombia, where it was confined to the low country. He noticed it on the Magdalena River and the Lake of Paturia. In Ecuador Buckley obtained specimens on the Copataza River. Mr. Edward Bartlett met with this species in Eastern Peru, and it was found by him on the Upper and Lower Ucayali and at Santa Cruz. He found it breeding in July and August. Stolzmann met with it at Yurimaguas in February, and Mr. Haux- well has procured it at Pebas in the same month. The White-winged Swallow also appears to inhabit Bolivia, as d'Orbigny procured it in the province of Moxos, and a Bolivian specimen is in the U.S. National Museum. In Brazil Prince Maximilian states that he met with it both on the coast and in the interior. It was found plentifully to the southwards, on the Parahyba, on the Mucuri, and it was very common at Belmonte, Illieos, &c. Natterer met with it at Pirahy in November, and in the Ypanema district in January, Eebruary, April, May, and November. Wucherer procured specimens near Bahia, and from Pernambuco Mr. Eorbes writes : — "This Swallow I found very common in Recife, where it might be seen flying about in numbers in some of the sti*eets, as well as over the rivers which separate the various parts of the town. I also observed it at Parahyba, but in the interior it seems to disappear." Mr. Wallace and Mr. Layard both met with it near Para. Prince Maximilian of Neuwied has given the following note on the habits of the species as observed by him in Brazil : — " It flies low over the surface of the water, resting on the branches and small twigs of the stumps, which are uprooted by the course of the stream, and which are stuck fast in the sand in every direction. The cry is a short chirrup. It is constantly occupied in the pursuit of insects, and is frequently seen in company with Hirundo riificoUis. I found the nest in an old tree-trunk, split by the water, and fast buried in the sand : it was placed at the end of the tree between the wood and the bark, and consisted of an exposed mass of dry grass and stalks mixed with feathers, amongst which were some of the red plumes of the Macaw {Ara macao) and the green feathers of a Surukua {Trogon). The depth of the nest is very small, and two white eggs were found in the beginning of October or the end of September." Mr. E. Bartlett found the species breeding in the Ucayali River. He writes : — " Builds in holes of dead trees on the banks of rivers overhanging the water. The nest is composed of fibres of bark, dry grass, and feathers of different kinds of birds, such as the White Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, &c. Eour white eggs are laid in July or August." The eggs are said to be of about the same size as those of the Common Martin of Europe. The descriptions are taken from birds in the British Museum, and the figures in the Plate, which represent an old and a young bird, the former from a specimen in the Salvin-Godman collection, and the latter from a bird procured by Mr. Wyatt in the Magdalena Valley. , ^">''. Hf^vf*^;^'* ' ■'^%*4!si^KM%.*' : ^■"»'s-#>, C W W del TACHYCINETA LEUCORRHOUS. Ivlin-Le-rn. Bros, i"^ TACHYCINETA LEUCORRHOUS (r/.///.), SOUTH-AMEPJCAN GREEN SWALLOW. Golondrina rabadllla hlanca, Azara, Apunt. ii. p. 509 (1802) ; Hartl. Ind. Azara, p. 19 (1817). Sirimdo leucorrlioa, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 519 (1817) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 58 (1845) ; Burai. Th. Bras. iii. p. Ill (1856) ; Baird, E-eview Amer. B. p. 301 (1865); Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 139, 1869, p. 597 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 72, no. 817 (1869) ; Hudson, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 327, 1872, pp. 606, 815, 816 ; Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 11 (1873); iid. P. Z. S. 1873, p. 185; Durnf. Ibis, 1876, p. 158, 1877, pp. 32, 169, 1878, p. 392 ; Gibson, Ibis, 1880, p. 11 ; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 596 ; Salvin, Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 150 (1882) ; Tacz. Orn. Perou, i. p. 211 (1881) ; Sbarpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. pp. Ill, 631 (1885). Sirundo frontalis (nee Quoy & Gaim.), Gould in Darwin's Voy. 'Beagle,' Birds, p. 40 (1841). Herse leucorrlioa, Bp. Consp. i. p. 341 (1850). Petrochelidon leucorrlioa, Cab. Mus. Hein. Tb. i. p. 48 (1850). JSirundo gouldii, Cass. Proc. Pbilad. Acad. 1850, p. 69. Fetroclielidon leucorrlioa, Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Pbilad. Acad. p. 5 (1853) ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 17, 402 (1871). Sirundo leucopyc/a, Licbt. Nomencl. Av. p. 61 (1851). Cotijle leucorrlioa, Burm. Reis. La Plata-St. ii. p. 478 (1861). Hirundo [Tacliycineta) ^c«cor;'7iO(/, Barrows, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, viii. p. 89(1883). T. supra viridis ; uropygio albo ; tectricibus alarum majoribus baud albo margiuatis ; gcuis tolls albis ncc antice nigris; linea supralorali alba trans frontem basalem ducta. llab. in Brazilia mcridionali, Patagonia ct Pcruvia. Adult female. General colour above glossy stcel-grecn ; lesser and niciban wing-coverts liice tlie baciv ; greater coverts, bastard-wiiig, jirimary-coverts, and quills Ijlackisli, externally wasiied with green, tbc inner secondaries margineil with ■^^hite towards the ti[) ol' the outer wi'b ami .-it the end ; rump white, slightly washed with smoky brown, some of tlie featiiers ti|i[n'(l with dusky brown : upper tail-covcrts dull stecl-grccn ; tail-feathers blackish with a slight greenish gloss ; crowu of head like the back; lores velvety black; base of forehead white, extending a little backwards above the lores; ear-coverts blackish glossed witli stcel-grecn; checks and entire under surface of body white, including the thighs and under tail-coverts ; a pateli of glossy steel-green on cacli side of tlic upper breast; flanks and sides of body washed with smoky brown ; axillarics and under wino--coverts pale smoky brown, the external coverts slightly mottled with blackish bases ; quills dusky below : " bill, legs, and iris black" [A. Peel). Total length 5-5 inches, culmen 0-35, wing 4-45, tail 1-9, tarsus 0"5. The specimen described is in the British Museum. It was obtained by Mr. Alan Peel in Uruo-uay in August 1877, and appears to be a tolerably adult bird, though the remains of smoky brown tips to the white feathers of the rump may be a sign of immaturity, as specimens collected by INIr. Hudson at Conchitas, in September, have the rump pure white. Tliere appears to be no difference in the colouring of the sexes, and the measurements are as follows : — Total length. Culmen. Wing. Tail. Tarsus, in. in. in. in. in. S imm. Rio Grande do Sul {Joijner) .... 5-0 OSo 4-4 1-8 0-45 ¥ imm. „ „ „ .... 5-5 0-4 4-45 1-9 0-45 ? imm. Uruguay [A. Peel) 5-5 0-35 4-45 1-9 0-5 ad. Brazil [Mus. P. L. S.) 5-0 0-4 4-5 1-9 0-5 ad. „ [Albuquerque) 5-2 0-35 4-5 1-85 0-5 ? ad. Conchitas, Buenos Aires (W. H. Hudson) 5-3 0-35 4-5 1-85 0-5 ? ad. „ „ „ 5-4 0-35 4-6 1-9 0-45 ? ad. Cosnipata, Peru [H. Whitely) . . . . S'O 0-35 4-7 1-85 O'S Young birds apparently have smoky brown tips to the feathers of the rump, and also distinct white margins to the secondaries and upper tail-coverts. Hab. Southern Brazil, Uruguay, Patagonia, and Peru. The celebrated Portuguese naturalist Azara seems to have been the first to describe the present species, in his work on the natural history of Paraguay, and on his description Vieillot founded his Ririmdo leucorrhoa. The next mention of the species appears to have been by Mr. Gould, who redescribed it from specimens obtained by Mr. Darwin at Monte Video during the voyage of the ' Beagle.' He called it Hirunclo frontalis, and gave a somewhat careless description, omitting all mention of the characteristic white rump. As the name of frontalis had already been bestowed on an Australian sj)ecies of Swallow by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard, the late Mr. Cassin proposed in 1850 to call the Brazilian species H. goiildi ; but in 1853 he recognized that it was the same as Sinmclo leucorrhoa of Vieillot, and suppressed his name of S. gouldi. Azara describes the present species as common in Paraguay, nesting in the holes of trees, but on the La Plata river, where there are no trees, in holes in the ground. Most of the specimens examined by us have been from the neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, and some excellent accounts of the habits of the species are given below. Mr. Darwin's specimen which he obtained at Monte Video is not in the British Museum. In the collection of Messrs. Salvin and Godman are a pair of birds from Pelotas, in Bio Grande do Sul, collected by Mr. Joyner, and Natterer obtained examples at Taubate and Ypanema in the province of San Paulo, in the month of November. The same distinguished traveller met ■n'ith the species at Matogrosso in June, and no one appears to have found it to the northward of these localities, though !Mr. Henry Whitely obtained it at Cosnipata in Peru, in October, at about a similar latitude. The late Mr. E. W. White found the species at Santo Tome, in the province of Corrientes, Argentine E/Cpublic. It was very abundant in May at the above locality, and he obtained a specimen out of a number flying over a small lagoon close to the river Itacua. Professor Burmeister, in his journey through the La Plata States, met with the species at Parana, but it was not common. Mr. Durnford also found it plentiful during his visit to the Cliuput valley in Pata- gonia, and on the evening of November 25th he observed many congregating as if for a migratory movement. He notes it (as might have been expected) as a spring and summer visitor, and says that it was observed commonly throughout the journey wherever there were steep cliffs or rocks. He took some eggs near Tombo Point on the 30th of December. All had left Chuptit by the 1st of March. Mr. Walter Barrows, in his accoimt of the birds of Lower Uruguay, writes : — " By far the most abundant Swallow at all points visited. Arriving from the north early in July, it remains through the summer and does not leave until the following April. Abundant alike in the crowded streets of Buenos Aires and on the monotonous pampas, it is known everywhere by the name ' Golondrina,' and its appearance after the cold weather is hailed as one of the earliest signs of returning summer. Through October and November it breeds at Concepcion wherever it can find a suitable spot, placing its nest of grass, wool, and feathers in any safe cavity about a dwelling-house or shed, or not unfrequently in the deserted nest of a Furnar'ms or Auumbhis. Prom a nest of the latter bird I took a set of this Swallow's eggs — five in number — on October 30, the parent birds hovering close about my head as I examined the nest. The eggs are pure white. During the mating-season the male has a very pretty song, not unlike that of the Eastern Bluebird, though not as long, and seldom delivered without inter- ruption." Dr. Durnford has written the following account of the species in the neighbourhood of Buenos Aires : — " On April 3rd I saw a specimen of Hirundo leucorrlwa flying over the island of Flores, to the east of Buenos Aires ; and on August lOth I observed others at Belgrano ; from the latter date to the 18th they appeared sparingly, the weather being cloudy and unsettled ; by October Otli they were busily engaged in building their nests, and w(>re very abundant. I often observe birds of this species clinging to tlie trunks ol' larLTf willow trees which are full of holes; tliey also perch on twigs just outside the holes; and once I saw one sitting on tlic edge of a large opening in a l)ranch." Again he writes: — "Arrives early near ]3ueuos Aires (I saw some on the 10th of August last year), and does not leave iis till the middle of April. 1 speak of the main body; for many birds remain with us all the winter. On the oOtli of July I saw two or three hundred of them in the course of a long walk a little to the north of Buenos Aires. It was quite warm and very fine, not at all like winter. This is the most common Swallow we have, and there is scarcely a ranche in the country that has not its one or two pairs breeding under the eaves or in the cracks of the walls. It also resorts to holes in trees for nesting-purposes. Though during cold and dull weather in the winter none are visible sometimes for weeks together, a warm bright day never fails to attract some from their temporary shelter, wherever that may be. Pretty common at Baradero in April." The following account is from the pen of that excellent observer Mr. W. H. Hudson : — " The Hinindo leucorrhoa is the most common of our Swallows near Buenos Aires, and in its glossy coat of deep blue and green, with rump and under-plumage snowy white, is an elegant and beautiful bird. They are the last of all the migratory species to leave us in autumn, and invariably reappear in small numbers on every warm day in winter, so that some people do not believe that they leave us at all, but only retire to the more sheltered places when the weather is severe. In the winter of 1869 I saw three of them skimming over the plain on one of the coldest days I have ever ex- perienced ; the thermometer having stood at 29° Fahr. on the preceding evening. Bat those that remain through the winter with us are apparently only a few individuals, while in the autumn myriads are seen passing north in their migration, and some years continue passing for upwards of a month. In April 1869, several days after all the Swallows of our five species had totally disappeared, flights of the kind I am describing began again to appear passing north ; and for ten days afterwards they continued to pass. They would descend to sip water from a pool where I watched them, alighting afterwards on the reeds and bushes to rest. Many of them appeared quite tired with their journey, rising reluctantly when approached, and some allowing me to stand witliin two yards of them without flying. I had never before observed any supple- mentary or later migration like this ; and last autumn (1870) certainly nothing of the kind took place. Probably the migration of this species extends very far south ; at present they are passing in great numbers, and have been so passing for the last fifteen days. " They sometimes build in a tree, in the large nest, previously abandoned, of the Seiiatero {Anumhius acuticaudatus). I have had occasion before, and shall have it again in descriptions of other species, to mention that interesting bird and its great nest. " It is, however, under the eaves of houses that these Swallows principally breed ; and there is not a house on the pampas, however humble it be, but some of these birds are about it, sportively skimming over and about the roof or curiously peering under the eaves and incessantly uttering their gurgling, happy notes. Indeed their fondness for being close to a home is so remarkably strong that in their longest excursions they are seldom more than five minutes absent from it. " For a month or sis weeks before they begin to build, they seem to be holding an incessant dispute ; and however many eligible chinks and holes there may be, the contention is always just as great among them, and is doubtless referable to opposing claims to the best places. Tlie excited twittering, the constant striving of two birds to alight on the same square inch of wall, and the chases they lead each other round and round the house, that always end exactly where they began, tell of clashing interests and great unreasonableness on the part of some among them. By-and-by the quarrel takes a more serious aspect ; apparently every argument of which a Swallow is capalde has been exhausted, and a compromise more impossible than ever, and so fighting begins. Most vindictively do the little things clutch each other, and tumble to the earth twenty times an hour, often struggling on tlie ground for a considerable time, and heedless of the screams of alarm their fellows set up above them ; for often while they lie struggling do they fall an easy prey to some wily pussy, who thrives on their disputes. When these troubles and feuds are finally ended, they address themselves diligently to the great work, and build a rather large nest. They are not neat or skilful workers, but merely stuff a great quantity of straw and other light material into the liole they build in, and line it thickly Avith feathers and horsehair. The eggs are white and pointed, from five to seven in number. " All those species that are liable at any time to become the victims of raptorial birds are much beholden to tins Swallow, as he is the most vigilant sentinel they possess : often when the Hawk is still far off and the other birds unsuspicious of his approach, the Swallows suddenly rush up towards the sky with a ^ild rapid flight, announcing the evil tidings with distracted screams. These are well understood ; and the alarm spreads like lightning through the feathered tribes, wliich are all in terrified commotion, crouching in the grass and plunging into thickets, or mounting ujjwards to escape by flight. I have often wondered at this ; for surely this swift-winged little l)ird is the least likely to fall a prey hiuisclf. " They have another habit which cannot but be grateful to the mind of every lover of nature who is an early riser. An hour before sunrise, and ere any wild l)ird has broken the profound silence of night, multitudes of these Swallows, as at the signal of a leader, begin their song, at the same time mounting upward into tlie still dusky sky. Their notes at this time are different from the hurried twitterings tlicy uftci- through the day; they are impressive, and, though soft, may be heard at a long distance; sounding far and near, up in the sky, from so many throats, they have a most charming effect that seems in peculiar harmony with the shadowy morning twiliglit." In another letter Mr. Iludsou writes: — "I continue to nicest so IViMiucntly wilh single birds and small parties of the Tlir/d/do Iciicorrlioa, even on the coldesl days of winter, that I ana quite positive the birds of this species ])reeding as I'ar uorlli as JJucnos Aires citv miirratc in an exccedin2;lv irreiiular manner, maiiv remaining with us all the year, and that the further south we go we find their niigralioiis b(H'om(; more strict and definite; for in Patagonia from ^Farch to August 1 saw not one of thcui. Tiie same may be said of some other migratory species iu tliis region." The migrations of this species are not at all easy to follow, as it appears to be somewhat irregular in its movements, as detailed above by Mr. Hudson. Where tlie large numbers which pass through Buenos Aires spend the winter has yet to be ascertained for a certainty. The records quoted above show that the species breeds in the neighbourhood of Buenos Aires in October, and further south, in the Chuput valley, it was breeding in December. In the latter locality it had left by the 1st of March, but it remains at Buenos Aires till April ; and Mr. Barrows states that it returns early in July, though Mr. Durnford considers August the month of arrival. It is therefore absent, as a rule, from May till August, and Mr. White met with it in Corrientes in May, and batterer at Matogrosso in June ; bvit that some birds remain in their northern home seems to be proved by its occurrence in San Paulo and in Peru in October. The description and measurements are taken from the series in the British Museum. The specimen figni'ed is from Pelotas, and is evidently a young bird, not having the pure white rump of the adult. (See our remarks above.) "^'in ^ TACBrfClNE.TJ^ ALBIUKKA. Mmterm. Broa . imp. TACHYCINETA ALBILINEA [Lmcr.). CENTEAL-AMERICAN GEEEN SWALLOW. Petrochelido)i leucoptera (nee Gm.), Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 317 (]861). Petrochelidon albilinea, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 2 (1863) ; Salvin, Ibis, 1866, p. 192. Pefrochelidon littorea, Salvin, P. Z. S. 18C3, p. 189; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 347. mrundo albilinea, Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 300 (1865) ; Scl. & Salv. Xomeucl. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1873) ; Zeledon, Cat. Av. de Costa Pica, p. 5 (1882) ; Salv. & Godm. Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, i. pi. xv. fig. 1 (1883). Tachycineta albilinea, Lawr. Mem. Bost. See. N. H. ii. p. 271 (1874) ; Salv. & Godm. Biol. Ceutr.-Amer., Aves, i. p. 235 (1883) ; Sliarpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. X. pp. 115, 631 (1884). Sirundo albiUneata, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 71, no. 845 (1869). Sirundo leiicopygia, Tacz. P. Z. S. 1880, p. 192 ; id. Orn. Perou, i. p. 240 (1884) ; id. op. cit. iii. p. 503 (1886). T. supra viridis : uropygio albo : tectricibus alarum majoribus Laud albo marginatis : gcnis totis albis : linea supralorali minore nee trans basin froutis ducta. Hub. in America centrali usque ad Peruviam. Adult male. General colour above glossy steel-blue, more or less inclining to steel-green, tlic bases to the feathers of the mantle ashy white ; rump white, with hair-like blackish shal't-lincs ; scapulars like the back ; wing-coverts blackish, externally edged with stccl-bluc ; greater coverts, bastard- wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, with a slight gloss of dull blue or stccl-grccn ou ihcir outer webs ; upper tail-coverts steel-blue; tail-feathers black with a steel-blue gloss; head like the back ; lores and feathers below the eye velvety black, with a narrow supraloral streak of white ; upper half of ear-coverts and sides of neck glossy stcel-grecn ; lower half of car-covcrts, cheeks, throat, and under surface of body j)urc white ; the long under taii-covcrts Mitli i-ruiaius of blackish longitudinal streaks near their ends; the fore neck, breast, and sides of body rather more ashy than the rest of the under surface and having narrow dusky shaft-lines; ou the sides of the upper breast a small patcJi of steel-green; axillarics and under wing-covcrts asliy wliitish, with hair-likc shaft-lines of dusky brown ; quills below dusky, lighter along the inner welis. Total length 4'8 inches, culmen O'l, wing 39, tail 1'9, tarsus O'l. The white margins to the inner secondaries, from which this species derives its name, are either signs of immaturity or winter plumage. Inmost Swallows these white edgings are indications of youth ; but all the specimens as yet cxauiiucd 1)\' us ^liieli pn^scssid this cliaiactrr lia\c liceu also in winter plumage, which iu this species is not dillicult to tell, as the under surface is nnu h c) 2 whiter than in the summer plumage, there heing much less of the ashy-brown shade on the breast and sides, while the dusky shaft-lines are almost entirely obscured. The winter plumage is also more steel-green than the summer dress, the wearing of the feathers being accompanied by a steel-blue lustre in the place of the green. This is a smaller species than T. leucorrhous , of which it is the northern representative. The white band across the rump is much narrower and has the dusky shaft-lines, the feathers adjoining the upper tail-coverts having a green or a dusky spot at their ends. There is none of the brown mottling which appears on the immature bird of T. leucorrhous. The chest has also some dusky shaft-lines, which are, however, often scarcely traceable, and are never so distinct as on the rump. In the Sclater collection, now in the British Museum, is a specimen of Hirundo leucopygia of Taczanowski, received in exchange from the Warsaw Museum. The specimen in question seems to us to be undoubtedly a young bird. The under surface is washed with smoky brown, the green colour of the upper surface is duller, and the quills and tail are sooty brown, with very broad white margins to the inner secondaries. The u]3per tail-coverts are smoky brown, with distinct dusky blackish shaft-lines. The white rump-band is very narrow, but plainly marked with blackish shaft-lines. If we are correct in believing this to be the immature plumage, it seems to prove that the white margins on the inner secondaries are a sign of immaturity, and it is certain that they become absolutely abraded in bi'eeding birds. The following are the measurements of the series in the British Museum, for comparison with the specimens of T. leucorrhous : — Total length. Culmen. Wing. Tail. Tarsiis. in. in. in. in. in. cJ ad. Vera Cruz, Mexico {A. Boucard) . . . 4-3 0-35 3-7 1-65 0-35 Ad. Progreso, Yucatan {E. Devis) 4-5 0-35 3-85 1-65 0-4 c? ad. Belize, Honduras (0. Sa/ym) 4-5 0-4 3-75 1-65 0-4 cJ ad. Punta Arenas, Costa Rica (0. S.) . . . 4-8 0-4 3-9 1-9 0-4 Ad. Guatemala {O. S.) 4-4 0-35 3-8 1-7 0'4 ? ad. Chiapam, Guatemala (0. S.) 4-5 0-4 3-7 I'o 0-4 Ad. Panama [M'Leannan) 4-0 0-35 3-65 1-55 0-4 (^ ad. „ „ 4-3 0-4 3-9 1-6 0-35 Ad. „ „ 4-3 0-35 3-7 1-6 0-4 cJ juv. Chepen, Peru (/. Stohmann) .... 4-0 0-3 3-6 1-75 0-35 Allowing for age and condition of specimens, it will be seen that T. albilinea is a much smaller bird than T. leucorrhous, the wing never exceeding 4 inches in length. Hab. Central America, from Mexico to Panama, reoccurring in Peru. The first notice of this bird appears to have been the record by Mr. G. N. Lawrence of its occurrence in Panama, where it was procured by Mr. M'Leannan. Mr. Lawrence first determined the species as Ilinmdo leucoptera, which is a synonym of Tachycineta (dbiventris, a strictly South-American species. In 1863 Mr. Lawi*euce, detecting the error in his previous identification of the Panama bird, described it as a new species under tlie name of Petrochelidon albUinea, and about the same time Mr. Salvin discovered the species in various parts of Central America and named it P. Uttorea ; but he acknowledges that Mr. Lawrence's description was published before liis own, and he adopted the name given by the last-named author. The range of this Swallow throughout Central America is almost continuous. The late Colonel Grayson found it in Mexico, at Mazatlan, and specimens from the State of Vera Cruz, collected by Mr. Boucard, are in the British Museum. In British Honduras it was procured by Messrs. Salvin and Godman on the Belize Uiver and the Cays of the coast. Although not yet recorded from Yucatan, Mr. G. F. Gaumer has recently sent a specimen from Jolbox Island, off the coast of that province. In Guatemala the species was met with by Messrs. Salvin and Godman at several places, Peten, Taxha, Bio Dulce, Iluamuchal, Chiapam, and San Jose de Guatemala. At San Salvador in La Union, and again at Amapala in Honduras, it has been noticed by Mr. Salvin, while it is also recorded from Nicaragua. Mr. Zeledon includes the species in his list of Costa-Pdca birds, and Messrs. Salvin and Godman procured a specimen at Punta Arenas, which is now in the British Museum. Mr. M'Leannan sent the original specimens from Panama, and Mr. Salvin found it In'eediug on the Chagres River in that State. As before mentioned, we cannot separate the Peruvian bird specifically from T. alhilinea, and it probably occurs in Ecuador also. Messrs. Salvin and Godman believe the species to be resident in every country throughout Central America; and it appears to frequent inland waters as well as the sea-coast, breeding in old Woodpeckers' holes in the snags of rivers in British Honduras. At Matachio, on the Chagres lUver, a nest with young birds was found by Mr. Salvin in May 1873, in an old post, a hollow palm which had once served to support the roof of a hut. The late Colonel Grayson has given the following account of the species in TTestern Mexico : — " This handsome little Swallow is common at Mazatlan, where it is a constant resident, one among the few Swallows that is not migratory. At all seasons of the year its twitter may be heard about the eaves of the houses, or the spacious corridors of the peculiarly constructed Moorish Mexican haciendas. We often sec it skimming along the streets, at times almost touching the pavement in its pursuit of Hies. Its custonuiry haunts are near or about large towns or haciendas, and raicly have 1 sccmi it lar from some human habitation. In April it commences to form \\n: ncsl, usn.i'.ly l)i'nc;illi llu' eaves of houses or in holes in the wall, often in the hollow tubes for convcyiiiL;- lln' water from the flat roofs of the buildintrs. Thev are very sociabh* in tlicir lialiiis, and inav often be seen in. considerable numbers perched upon the roofs of the honscs."' To this note Messrs. Salvin and Godman append the follow in l;- remarks : — "This account of the habits of T. olbiUnea hanlly agrees ^\ ith our e.vperieiu'e. We only found them along river-courses or frequenting lagoons or lakes, a favourite ])ereh being the dead bough of a snag projecting out of a river. Such places would often be far from any village ; and though these birds were sometimes observed by us near habitations, they did not seem to be the attraction, but some river flowing hard by." Our descriptions are copied from the British-Museum ' Catalogue,' and the figure in the Plate represents an adult bird in the collection of Messrs. Salvin and Godman. ^-^s*' CWWdd, TACHYCINE TA MEYENI Mintern Bros . imp' TACHYCINETA MEYENI [Cah). CHILIAN SWALLOW. Sirtindo leucopjga (nee Licht.), Meyen, Kova Acta Acad. Leop. -Carol. Xat. Cur. 1834, Suppl. p. 73, pi. 10. Sirundo Ieuco])ygia (nee Licht.), Gould iu Darwin's Yoy. ' Beagle,' Birds, p. -iO (1841). Petrochelklon meyeni, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 48 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Pliilad. Acad. p. 5 (1853); Burm. Th. Bras. iii. p. 144 (1856); Sclater, Cat. Amcr. B. p. 40 (1862). Hirimdo leiicorrhoa, pt., Bp. Consp. i. p. 341 (1850). mriindo meyeni, Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 302 (1865) ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1867, pp. 321, 337 ; id. & Salv. Ibis, 1868, p. 185, et 1870, p. 499 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 72, no. 848 (1869) ; Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1873) ; iid. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 432 ; iid. Ecp. Voy. ' Challenger,' ii. Birds, p. 100 (1881). Tachycineta meyeni, Salvin, P. Z. S. 1SS3, p. 420 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds iu Brit. Mus. X. pp. 116, 631 (1885). T. suprk purpurascenti-cyaneus : uropygio albo : geuis anticis macula nigra uotatis. Hub. in America meridionali. Adult. General colour above glossy purplisL. blue, with a broad white band across the rump; lesser and median wing-coverts like the back ; greater coverts blackish, vrashed with bhic externally : bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, with a dull bluish gloss ; upper tail-covcits purplish blue; tail-feathei's blackish, washed with steel-blue; lores and feathers below the eye velvety black, with a very narrow supraloral white line ; head, ear-coverts, and sides of nccl< purplish blue like the back ; cheeks and under surface of body white, with a dusky spot at the base of the cheeks; on the chest a slight shade of suioky brown ; sides of upjicr breast Ijrowu, with a wash of purplish blue ; sides of body also washed with pale smoky brown ; axilhuics and under wing-coverts smoky brown ; quills dusky brown below, lighter on the inner webs. Total length 5'5 inches, culmen 0"35, wing 4"2, tail 2"1, tarsus 0'45. Tlic sexes are alike in colour, and a series measures as follows : — Total length. 'Wing. Tail. Tarsus. in. ill. ill. ill. a. (J ad. Chill (7?wy/) 50 l^ llC (f I.'. J. (? ad. „ „ l-l) r."' i--» i»i.-, c. <^ ad. „ „ :>o 1 •:•.-) i-s 0-1.-. d. (J imin. Coquiinbo [Markhain) II f'l"' l'~ 0'l"> c. c? jiiv. Sandy Point (' C7/a//t7/^(r') l-fi "'"^ I'"'' ('•!() /. ? ad. '„ „ 1-7 i-;^-, M) 0- 1:, 2b You7!ff. Differs from the adult in being duller in colour, and much browner on the head and wings, with narrow ashy-whitish edges to the inner secondaries; supraloral white streak more distinct; throat tinged with sandy butf; fore neck and chest mottled with brown bases, and the centre of the chest with a distinct brown streak caused by the brown inner webs of the feathers ; gape yellow. Hab. Chili and Bolivia, Patagonia. This species lias much of the appearance of the Common Martin of Europe (Chelidon urbicu), and Mr. Gould aptly remarked, in 1841 : — " Were it not for the bare legs of this little Martin, I should have some difficulty in discriminating between it and the one so well known as a summer visitor in our island." The structural characters of the species prove, however, that it is a member of the genus Tachycineta, which is strictly an American form. Mr. Darwin met with this Swallow in Southern Patagonia, at Port Pamine, in February, and found it breeding in holes in a cliff of earth. Dr. Cunningham procured specimens at Sandy Point in January, and in the same month and at the same place the naturalists on board the ' Challenger' likewise met with it. This species probably winters in Chili ; for Mr. Darwin found it near Valparaiso from August to September, and Capt. Markham at Coquimbo in November. Mr. E. C. Heed has sent several specimens from the province of Colchagua. A Bolivian specimen, procured by Mr. Bridges, and preserved in the Sclater collection, marks the highest northern range of this species, so far as is known at present. We are not aware that any notes on the habits have yet been recorded. Our descriptions are from specimens in the British Museum, and the figure has been taken from a bird in the Salvin-Godman collection. MinLern Bros • imp TACHYCINETJ^ BICOLOR.. ,A,k TACHYCINETA BICOLOR {V.). WUITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. Eirundo bicolor, Vieill. Ois. Amer. Sept. i. p. 61, pi. 31 (1807) ; Audub. B. Amer. pi. xcviii. (c. 1826) ; S^vaius. Eaim. Bor.-Amer., Birds, p. 328 (1831) ; Audul). Orn. BiogT. i. p. 491 (1831) ; id. B. Amer. 8vo, i. p. 175, pi. 16 (1810) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 58 (1815) ; Lembeye, Av. Cuba, p. 16 (1850) ; Wolley, Zool. 1853, p. 3806 ; Cass. 111. B. Calif, p. 244 (1856) ; Brewer, N. Amer. OoL p. 100, pi. 4 (1837) ; Jones, Nat. Bermuda, p. 34 (1859) ; Newton, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 131 ; Baird, Cass.,& Lawr.B. N. Amer. p. 310 (1860); Blakist. Ibis, 1802, p. 4, 1863, p. 64; Gray, Cat. Brit. B. p. 33 (1863) ; Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 297 (1865) ; id. Ibis, 1867, pp. 273, 275, 289; Brown, Ibis, 1868, p. 420; Cooper, B. Calif, p. 106 (1870); Harting, Handb. Brit. B. p. 125 (1872); Scl. & Salv. Noniencl. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1873) ; Mayuard, B. Elorida, p. 72 (1873) ; Baird, Brewer, & Bidgw. Hist. N. Amer. B. p. 344, pi. 16. fig. 8(1874) : B. 0. U. ListBj-it. B. p. 43 (1883) ; Samuels, Our Northern and Eastern Birds, p. 257 (1883). Eirundo vlridis, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. p. 41, pi. 38. fig. 3 (1812). Eirundo lencogaster, Steph. Gen. Zool. x. p. 106 (1817). Chelidon viridis, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 971, 1828, p. 316. Ilirundo prasina, LicUt. Preis-Verz. mex. Vog. 1830, p. 2 ; Cab. J. f. O. 1863, p. 58. Chelidon hicolor. Less. Compl. Buff", viii. p. 494 (1837) ; Bj*. Comp. List B. Eur. ct N. Amer. p. 8 (1838). Chelidon leucogaslra, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 171. llerse hicolor, Bp. Consp. i. p. 341 (1850). Tachijcineta hicolor, Cab. Mus. Hcin. Th. i. p. 48 (1850); Gundl. J.]'. O. IsGl, p. 339; Allen, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. ii. p. 269 (1871); Coues, Key N. Amer. B. p. 113 (1872); id. 15. N.-West, p. 86 (1874); id. B. Colorado A'allry, p. 113 (1S78) ; Ridgw. U.S. Geo!. Expl. 40th Par. part iii. ]). 411 (l.s77) ; :\Ii'nilI, Proc. U.S. Nat. :\[us. i. p. 125 (1878); Bekling, t. c. p. 40S (1^79); Seuuett, JUill. U. S. Geol. Surv. iv. p. 15 (1878); Coues, t. c. p. 571 : lloH'm. t. c. ]). 220; Brewst. Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, iii. p. (53 (]S78), iv. p. Ki (l^TH); Scott, t. c. pp. 93, 112, 223 (1879); Mcarns, t. c. ]>. KM; Loomis. 1. c. p. -^13; Cory. ]?. Bahama Isl. p. S0(18s0); Scott, J5ull. .Null. Oni. Cluli. \i. |.. 1 1 :. (l^Mi; Mcrriam, t. c. p. 229; Nehrling, op. cit. vii. p. 11 (lS82j; Hay. t. c. ]>. 91 ; Batchelder, t. c. p. 110 ; ]5rewster, t. c. j). 14(i ; Belding, Proc. l. S. Nat. ;\ius. v. p. 537 (1883), vi. p. 313 (ls83); Brewster, Proc. Post. Soc. N. 11. xxii. ]>. 372 2 (1883) ; Salvin & Godman, Biol. Ceutr.-Amer., Aves, i. p. 235 (1883) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. pp. 117, 631 (1885) ; Hensli. Eep. Zool. Expl. lOOtli Mer. p. 217 (1875) ; Drew, Auk, ii. p. 15 (1885) ; Turner, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 239 (1885) ; Agersb. t. c. p. 278 ; Turner, Contr. N. H. Alaska, no. ii. p. 177 (1886) ; Anthony, Auk, iii. p. 170 (188G) ; Everm. t. c. p. 183 ; Eox, t. c. p. 317; Thompson (Seton), t. c. p. 325; Dwight, Auk, iv. p. 16(1887); Beckham, t. c. p. 304; Eidgw. Man. N. Amer. B. p. 461 (1887); Nelson & Hensh. Rep. N. H. Coll. Alaska, no. iii. p. 198 (1887) ; Warren, B. Pennsylvania, p. 206, pi. 38 (1888) ; Scott, Auk, v. p. 31 (1888) ; Faxon & Allen, t. c- pp. 150, 152 ; Chapm. t. c. v. p. 275 ; Merrill, t. c. p. 360 ; Brewster, t. c. p. 389 ; Everm. Auk, vi. p. 26 (1889) ; Eaxon, t. c. p. 102 ; Brittain & Cox, t. c. p. 118 ; Dutcher, t. c. p. 130 ; Cory, B. W. Ind. p. 71 (1889) ; Cooke, Eep. Migr. Miss. Valley, p. 229 (1888). Petrochelidun Mcolor, Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Philad. Acad. p. 4 (1853) ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 201, 1859, p. 364 ; id. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 13 ; Brewer, Proc. Bost. Soc. vii. p. 306 (1860) ; Scl. Cat. Amer. B. p. 40 (1862). Iridoprocne hicolor, Coues, B. Color. Yall. p. 412 (1876) ; Drew, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vi. pp. 88, 115 (1881) ; Coues, ed. Stearns's N. Engl. Bird-life, i. p. 183 (1881) ; Merriam, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vii. p. 235 (1882) ; Coues, Check-list, p. 42 (1882) ; id. Key N. Amer. B p. 322 (1884). Sirundo hicolor, var. vesperUna, Cooper, Amer. Nat. x. p. 91 (1876) ; id. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 246 (1880) ; Eidgw. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 234 (1880). T. uropygio dorso concolore : supra nitenti-viridis, siipracaudalibus dorso concoloribus : subtus albus. Hab. iu regione Nearctica fere tota, et iu sub-rcgione Centrali-Americaua hieraante. Adult male. General colour above glossy steel-blue, greener on the head, the scapulars like the back; lesser and median Tving-coverts steel-blue ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary- coverts, and quills blackish, the former edged and the latter glossed externally with steel-blue, duller on the primary-coverts and quills ; tail-feathers blackish with a steel-blue gloss ; lores and feathers below the eye velvety black ; upper edge of the ear-coverts and sides of the neck steel-green like the head ; cheeks, remainder of ear-coverts, and entire under surface of body white, with a patch of brown glossed with steel- green on the sides of the upper breast ; axillaries and under wing- coverts smoky brown, those near the edge of the wing dull whitish ; quills below dusky brown : "bill black; interior of mouth pale yellow; feet dark purplish brown" [R. Ridgwaij). Total length 5 "3 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4"50j tail 2-25, tarsus 0'45. Adult female. Similar to the male : "bill black; interior of mouth fleshy white; tarsi and toes dark sepia, the latter pinkish beneath " [R. Ridgway) . Total length 5 inches, culmen O'S, wing 4-6, tail 2"1, tarsus 0'45. In the British Museum ' Catalogue of Birds ' we suggested that the winter plumage was greener than the breeding-plumage, and having now examined the fine series in the Henshaw coUectioo, we believe that this is absolutely correct. Thus when the breeding-season approaches there is no spring nioult^ but the green colour gives way to a beautiful steel- or violet-blue. This is true of the males and of the old females; but we fancy that the latter take much longer in arriving at the full metallic plumage than do the males, which probably arrive at perfection in their first spring. ]\Ir. Brewster has drawn attention to the white fringes of the secondaries^ which he believes to be an accompaniment of the winter plumage of the old birds as well as of the young,. and this seems to be confirmed by the examination of the specimens in the Salvin-Godmau collection ; but these white tips are speedily east when the spring plumage is complete and the birds are in their summer haunts. After the autumn moult the upper tail-coverts are tipped with ashy or whitish margins, and, curiously enough, these white edges sometimes accompany the bird on its return journey in summer, and are even occasionally developed in a high degree. Young. Very different from the adults and without metallic gloss. General colour above sooty or mouse-brown ; the wing-eoverts and quills like the back ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts like the head; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body white; fore neck and chest pale mouse-brown, darker on the sides of the chest and flanks: " bill black; rictus and interior of mouth yellow ; feet dark livid sepia or light pink; iris brown" [R. Rldgwaij). A good series of j'oung birds is contained in the Henshaw collection, the earliest bearing the date of July 4th. Mr. Brewster observes : — " The first plumage is worn much longer than in most birds, and the autumnal dress very slowly acquired, the metallic tinted feathers appearing one or two at a time. The remiges are also moulted by the young as well as by the adult, and both in the autumnal plumage have the last pair of secondaries broadly tipped with pure white. This remarkable feature, so far as the specimens at hand go to show, is entirely characteristic of this plumage." Again, in the autumn of 1879, he continues:- — "From investigation of material collected during the past season I find that the change takes place from about the middle to the last of September. Six specimens shot at Concord, Mass., October 16th, 1878, have all acquired the full autumnal dress." In the Henshaw collection, however, are specimens which are commencing to moult on the 14th and the 27th of August, and an old female killed in the same month and at the same jilacc (Sing-Sing, N.Y.) has almost completely donned its winter plumage, including the white-tipped secondaries; the longest primaries have not yet been shed. One male, killed at Cambridge, ilass., on the 30th of September, and marked by ]Mr. Henshaw as a male in its first winter plumage, is entirely green above, with well-marked white margins to the inner secondaries ;incl upper tail-coverts, and has a shade of brown over the fore neck and chest. This is also seen in young birds in the first plumage, but every sign of it disappears in the sjiring dress. It is pro- bable that the earlier moulting birds are those of the earlier hatched broods. A female killed by Mr. Nelson at St. IMichaers, Alaska, on the .2 1th of ^lay is bri)wn above, with very little gloss left; and this may prove that, as we have above suggested, the IVnudes do not ac(|uire their full brilliancy of jjlumagc in the first spring. Certain it is tliat some f'emak's are iidly :is brilliant as any males, but tiiey may take really two or three years to aiquire this perlett dress. Or it may be that the wear and tear of the journey to the far north and the more rigorous climate may cause an early abrasion of the metallic pluniage. Hab. Nearly the whole of North Anieriea, Init its exact northern r;uige is not yet determined. ^\■interiuL' in the Gulf States and in Central America, as far as (1 nateni:d;i, in liennnda, I lie l)ali:ini;is, and Cuba. ■2 K -2 We have had considerable difficulty in discovering the exact range of the present species ill North America, on account of the wide extent of country over which it appears to be spread, but from whicli no ornithologist has sent records. This is especially the case with the northern I'ange of the bird, so that a considerable portion of the nesting-habitat of the species as given in the accompanying map, is purely problematical. We have submitted our map of the distribution of the bird to Dr. Elliott Coues and Mr. J. A. Allen, and the eastern and western limits of the breeding-range are given in exactly similar lines by both those distinguished ornithologists. The central limit is fixed by Mr. Allen somewhat more to the southward than by Dr. Coues, and the reason is stated in a letter which the former gentleman has kindly sent us: — " In the States east of the Mississippi River it breeds south nearly to the Ohio Eivcr, at least sparingly; and thence further westward through the greater part of the States of Missouri and Kansas, and southward from Eastern Kansas across the Indian Territory and Eastern Texas to the Lower E.io Grande, and thence again westward near the Mexican Boundary- line to Southern California. It has been observed in the breeding-season at St. Louis, Mo., and at Galveston and Corpus Christi in Texas, and is doubtless more or less common where there is suffi.cient timber to furnish nestinsf-sites westward throughout the interior to the Pacific Coast. I have marked a line on the maji to indicate what I believe may be safely taken as its approximate southern breeding-limit. It is, of course, not pi-esent over large areas of the treeless plains of the interior, except as a rare micjrant." Commencing with the range of the AVhite-bellied Swallow in the far north, we find the following note of Mr. L. M. Turner's: — " On several occasions I observed this Swallow flitting about the buildings at St. Michael's, Alaska, during the month of August and early in September. The lateness of the season led me to conclude that they were birds having reai'cd their young in the interior portions of the country, and were now on their way to the southward, preferring, through some freak of fancy, to return by the coast rather than the interior. At the trading-station on the Nushagack River I saw a great many, certainly a dozen pairs, of these birds, swiftly scouring the edges of the I'iver-banks and upper dry lauds to feed on the myriads of insects which are to be found there. TJiis bird was not observed in any other portion of the country." Mr. Nelson writes : — " Although having even a wider nortliern range than the Barn- Swallow, this bird does not accept the shelter afforded by man, but retains its ancient habit of occupying holes in banks or trees, and, as a consequence, its distribution along the Arctic coast and shores of Bering Sea is limited to those portions where the proper positions for its nesting-sites are afforded. At the Yukon delta, the 1st of June, 1879, and at St. Michael's, on the 24th and 25th of May, 1880, they were common, and although they nest at the former place, where the river-banks and dead tree-trunks afford them proper sites, yet in the latter place they are unknown, except as visitants in fall or during the spring migration, when, as on the dates mentioned, they were found quartering over a series of small lakes and grassy flats, hunting insects and enjoyiuu' the genial sunshine, which lasts for a short time at this season. They are also found as stragglers, generally the young birds of the year, for a few days during the middle of August, when they depart, thus leaving for the south or its interior haunts considerably earlier than the Barn-Swallow, llichardson found them nesting in hollow trees on the Mackenzie River, in latitude 65° north, and during Parry's first voyage a species of Swallow was seen in about latitude 73° north, which was probably this bird. In the spring, during their short visits to St. Michael's, they occur during the same season as the Black Brant; and while lying prone on my back upon a grassy knoll, on the open tundra, watching for Geese, I have frequently amused myself by observing the silent flitting to and fro of these pretty creatures as they skim the surfaces of lakelets and bogs, gliding here and there as if floating on the faint puffs of air which appeared to bold them poised, and then to waft them about in graceful curves. The icy sea and partly snow-covered country appeared to offer a very inhospitable welcome in spring, yet this bird and the Barn-Swallow do not seem to suffer the least incoiivenience from these untoward surroundings. Tliis species is unknown on the islands of Bering Sea." Dr. Murdoch did not observe the species at Point Barrow. Captain Blakiston first met with a specimen, at the forks of the Saskatchewan on the 17th of May. He observes: — " My specimen Avas, I believe, the first recorded from the interior, as it is only mentioned as having been observed in the ' Fauna Boreali- Americana.' Since that, however, Mr. Ross has observed it on the jNIaekenzie, as I'ar north as the Arctic Circle. In 1858 the White-bellied Swallow was first seen l)y myself at Fort Carlton, on the 23rd of April ; but I was told of Swallows on the 21st. They were numerous early in May ; and on the 17th I found a great number of them con- gregated about a small lake or pond entirely surrounded by old woods and willows, Avith lis edge margined with long grass. After a time the whole congregation alighted on a coujjle of dead willow-bushes about eight feet from the ground. I found these birds common on the Saskatchewan during the whole summer, and at the eastern base of the Ptocky Mountains, near the international boundary, on the 7th of September." For the following notes on the species in Canada we are indebted to our excellent correspondent, ]Mr. Ernest Thompson, who has been collecting observations from various friends for some years past. " Dintrihulion in Ontario : — '■^ Londo)i and cicliiit!/. Common, breeding chiefly in tlu^ country. T(mi y(>ars ago, not only this, but Barn- and Eavc-Swallows (as well as the C'liiimiev- Swift) and Martins were very abundant in Loiuhni, seourinn' our main business streets all day for flies. Bui the JMi^lisli Sparrow iu)w invadis their homes in early sj)ring, and we have hut very lew in the eily, thoiii^h I notice little general change in the country, and tliat only in the Cliff- Swallow ( TT'. E. Saunders). " Hi/cle Park. Summer resident {John A. Morden). " Listotvel. Common ( TP^. L. Kells). " Satchley, Brant Co. Occurs {W. Yates). " Hamilton. A common summer resident, arriving early in May and leaving about the middle of September {T. Mcllioraith in ' Birds of Ontario '). " Toronto. A common summer resident. Ten years ago it bred in the city abundantly, but has been ousted by the English Sparrow. " April 22nd, 1885. White-breasted Swallow arrived in force ; shot 6 , gizzard contained several specimens of A^ilirodins and small Carabidse. " April 16th, 1887- White-breasted Swallow arrived. " Lome Park, April 6th, 1888. Two White-breasted Swallows seen, " Ellora. Summer visitant, abundant {Hon. Charles Clarke). ''Bruce Co., central region. Occurs {TV. A. Schocnau). '' Millhrook. Summer resident, abundant, noted first 11th April, 1885 {George Soother an). " Cohoconk. Noted by mj^self as common there in June 1885. " Peterboro' . Tolerably common {Bev. V. dementi). " Yarker. Summer resident, abundant, March 28th to April I7th {John G. Ewart). " Belleville. In 1881 arrived April 22nd {Prof. G. Macoun). " Kingston. Abundant {Lr. C. K. Clarke). " Ottawa. Distribution in Province of Quebec. " Montreal. Summer resident, abundant ( IV. IF. Bunlop). " Point de Monls. Common, breeds plentifully ; first seen May 12, 1882 (Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vii. p. 235). " Co. Quebec and N. to Lake St. John. Summer resident, abundant {John Neilson). Distribution in Ilanitoba and the North-west. " Curberry. Very common, breeding in hollow trees, usually in the vicinity of water. Arrived May 3rd, 1882 ; last seen Sept. 16th of same year, though it apparently goes southward a week or two earlier. Pirst seen in 1883 on May 7th, noted on 11th August of same year in flocks, flying southward. Arrived May 3rd in 1884. " My own observations would lead mc to describe this species as a common summer resident, breeding in suitable places, i. e. wooded country near water throughout Western Manitoba. " Winnipeg and vicinity. Summer resident, abundant {B. H. Hunter). " Qu'Appelle. Summer visitant about 10th May and breeds {G. F. Guernsey). " North-west [I. e. region immediately west of Manitoba). Abundant {Prof. J. Macoun).'' Dr. Elliott Coues observed the species only at Pembina, Avherc it was breeding in small numbers about tbe Fort, together with large colonies of Cliff-SwalloAvs. Mr. Agersborg found it very rare in South-eastern Dakota. Throughout the northern portions of Labrador Mr. Lucien Turner reports it as plentiful, and says that it was couaraon at Big Island in the Kohsoak River, near Fort Chiuio, where it breeds abundantly. Mr. Brewster noticed two specimens at Anticosti on the 9th of June. Mr. Dwight records it as a summer bird in Cape Breton Island ; but in the Eestigouche Valley in New Brunswick it is said by Messrs. Brittain and Cox to be rare, and seen only in the vicinity of the settlements. Mr. Batchelder, in his paper on the birds of the Upper St. John's Biver, states that it was common in suitable localities at Grand Falls, but none were seen about the to\^ n ; it was abundant at Fort Fairfield. With resjard to the distribution of the White-bellied Swallow in the United States. we have endeavoured to give some of the principal notices which have been published in well-known and accessible works, but the literature of Nearctic birds is now so enor- mous and is so widely diffused that it is quite possible that some accounts of tlie present species have escaped our researches, and we shall be glad of any corrections and additions to our history of the species. Dr. Hart Merriam states that it is the commonest Swallow in the Adirondack region. It was not common in June on the Squam Lake near Holderness, New Hamp- shire, but was more plentiful in Franconia in June and July, as recorded by ]\Iessrs. Faxon and Allen in the 'Auk' for 1887. Mr. Samuels, in his work entitled ' Our Northern and Eastern Birds,' writes : — " This very common and well-known species is a summer inhabitant of all New England, being most abundant in localities near sheets of water, and less common in high, dry districts. Its habits are well known, and arriving, as it does, early in the season, and fraternizing with man, it is a great favourite. It makes its appearance as early as the first week in April, but docs not commence building before the middle of May. Near cities and towns, the nest is built in Martin-boxes provided for its reception ; but in less thickly settled districts it is built in holes in stumps and trees ; and cases are on record of its being built in a deserted nest of tlie common Barn-Swallow. A\"lieii passing through the chain of the Umbagog lakes in Maine, I observed great numljers of these birds whose nests were built in holes in dead trees standing in the lake near tlie shores. These nests were so plentiful, that, in the area of about ten rods square, I counted over fifty. Of course the birds were in myriads, and the species constitutes the Common Swallow of tlie districts in that latitude. The materials used in ilu- ennstruc- I ion of the nests are fine grasses, hay, and fcathei-s ; tliest' are adjusted JDoselv iu the cavity of the tree, and \\illiout any I'orm. The egi;s are, most eoinnntnly, li\(" in luunber. Their colour is a beautiful clear white, with a roseate tint luloi-c iheii-eontenis are removed : they are extremely thin aiul fragile, niueh more so liian in most of the 8 other species ; and their form is a slender ovah Of a great ntimher of specimens collected in various localities, the largest is '79 hy '56 inch, the smallest is "09 hy •51 inch. Two broods are generally reared in the season, and the period of incubation is fourteen days. " This species leaves New England in full migration about the lOtli of September." The following note is published by Dr. Cones from Mr. Stearns's MSS. on New England Bird-life: — "A common summer resident, and more equably distributed over New England than the Barn-Swallow, as it is less dependent upon man for breeding-places, and less gregarious during the nesting-season. Tliough the AVhite-liellies often accept the boxes setup for their accommodation, it is not always easy to induce them to occupy such ai'ti- hcial retreats, and in some places they still refuse to modify their primitive habits of breeding in naiural excavations of trees and stumps. Sometimes they compromise on a hole in a post or fence. They are consequently found in remote and secluded woods and swamps, as well as al)out the habitations of man ; and display a certain taste for aquatics in frequently choosing ' stubs ' standing in the water for nesting-places, in their immense autumnal gatherings in the salt marshes of the coasts, and in being very numerous about ponds and other fresh water away from houses. They reach New England somewhat in advance of the Barn-Swallows, coming in full force early in April, and in the fall they linger through the greater part of September ; but the weather has much to do with their movements. The nest is built of hay without mud, and lined with feathers. The eggs are pure white, without markings, and from "70 to "78 long by •50 to ^55 broad." Mr. Maynard writes : — " It arrives in New England the earliest of all the Swallows. Here they have a song, which is, however, not as clear and warbling as that of the Barn- Swallow ; their flight is also heavier, neither do they move as swiftly. These birds breed in Martin-boxes, holes in out-buildings, or in hollow stubs ; while nesting in the last-named situation, they usually choose a hole formed by nature, but I found a colony busily engaged in excavating domiciles in partially decayed birch stuljs, which stood in the waters of Lake Embagog, Maine. The work was performed by the bills, not after the manner of Nuthatches, Titmice, &c., but by simply breaking away small pieces of punky wood, and removing them. " White-bellied Swallows deposit their eggs during the first week in June. The young leave their nest early in July. After this time they all congregate on the sea- shore in vast flocks. During some years the numbers which assemble in early autumn are almost incredible, for I have seen the air over the broad marshes of Ipswich so filled with them that it was impossible to discharge a gun in any direction without killing one or more. I always imagined that the great number of insects which occur near the salt water, in the latter part of summer, was the cause of this vast concourse, until I dis- covered another reason. I was walking about the hills near the coast one day in August, when I observed large numbers of AVhite-bellied Swallows hovering over some bay-berry 9 bushes {3Ii/rica cerlfera) which grow abundantly in this section. Curious to know what they w^ere doing I shot several, and was much surprised to find their croj^s and stomachs tilled with the aromatic berries. This fruit is about the size of uuground black peppers, and is coated with a waxy substance, of which the bay-berry tallow is made. Tliis was formerly iised for manufacturing candles ; indeed it is now used for this purpose in some sections of the country. I have since taken many sjiccimens, and found that it is a confirmed habit of this species to feed on the bay-berry. An examination of the fruit in the process of digestion shows that only the outer waxy covering is consumed, the inner or harder portion being voided. It is probable that this substance is highly nutritious, as the birds become very fat through feeding upon it. The great mass of Wliite-bellied Swallows depart early in September, but a few remain later than any other members of the family. The last straggler, however, disappears by the middle of the month." Mr. B. H. Dutclier, in his notes on the birds of Little Gull Island, Xcw York, says that between the 0th and 16th of August flocks were seen every day migrating south- wards, and that they followed tlie same line as Ilb'undo erytlirocjastra in their flight from the mainland, viz. from Tisher's Island to Little Gull, Little Gull to Great Gull, Great Gull to Plum Island, and so to Long Island. Mr. Brewster mentions it among the species which breed near Winchendon, Mass. ; and Mr. Walter Eaxou, in his paper on the birds observed by him on the Graylock Mountain between the 28th of June and the IGth of July, states that he saw a few individuals in the village of North Adams, the only ones observed by him in Berkshire county. Mr. "W. E. D. Scott, writing in 1879 on the birds noticed at Long Beach, Xew Jersey, states that it was a common migrant there, but bred very rarely. The first was seen on the 7th of April, and it was not noticed again till the 15th of that month. A pair bred on the northern extremity of the beach, near the liglithouse. Large numbers were seen on the 16th of November, 1880, at Squam Beach, New^ Jersey, and Mr. Scott writes of this abnormal visit : — " The Swallows had been abundant for the previous two days, though the temperature was unusually low for the time of the year. Tliey were feeding on the bay-berry {Myrica cerifera) in such numbers that ]Mr. Hardenbergh secured fifteen birds at a single shot. The birds were brought to me, and at least three quarters are in immature plumage." " In Pennsylvania," writes jMr. Warren, " the Tree-Swallow arrives late in !March or early in April, and leaves in September. It is common and very generally dislriljutcd durini? mi2;ration. Asa summer resident it is restricted chiefly to localities about rivers." on • Mr. Evermann states that in Carroll County, Indiana, it is a migrant and not ver\ common. Mr. Fox, in his list of birds from Roane County, Tennessee, gives the i)resent species as not common, first seen on the 1st of April, issf. and a few during April 1<885. Mr. Loomis found it migrating only in South Carolina. Mr. Mavnard, in his ' 15irds of Florida,' writes: — '■ The A\'liiii'-l)ellie(l is ilie uiil\ 10 Swallow tliat I have ever seen in Ploricla during winter. They are quite abundant there, but as soon as they move across the country in large straggling flocks, are not often seen in one locality for many days in succession. While in this State they do not utter a note, but skim silently over the large inland lakes or sail above the almost limitless pine- woods. In early spring they leave for the north." Mr. Chapman, writing from Gainesville, Floi-ida, states that the species was abundant up to the date of its departure, May 6th. Mr. Wyatt only met with the species on two occasions during his three months' stay in Florida. A good many were flying over Lake Monroe early one morning, but in the afternoon they had disappeai-ed. In January he observed a few on Indian River, flying over the palmetta-scrub on the banks of the river. In his interesting report on Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley in the years 1884 and 1885, Mr. W. W. Cooke writes as follows :— " Breeds abundantly in Manitoba and most parts of the Mississippi Valley. This is the only Swallow which winters regularly and abundantly in the United States. Eroni its winter-quarters in the Southern States it spreads north, the earliest of its tribe. Indeed, so early is its migration, that it is often overtaken by snow-storms, before which it usually retreats, though sometimes it remains to brave the elements. At Gainesville, Tex., in the spring of 1884 it did not arrive until April 30, though in former years it has been known to come by March 3. Nearer the Mississippi Biver, migration must have started early in March, probably when the warm wave set in, March 8 and March 9. A single bird was seen at Burlington, Iowa, March 10, but the regular advance occurred about two weeks later. If records of first arrivals are to be relied upon they show that the migration of this Swallow took place much earlier east of the Mississippi than west of it. In Illinois, 111., March 24 and 26 ; at Lake Mills, Wis., April 4 ; and at West De Perc and Green Bay, Wis., April 6. West of the Mississippi the first was reported from Coralville, Iowa, April 19th, and Lanesboro, Minn., April 27. Two days later the first came in hundreds to Heron Lake, Minn., when the sun shone in the afternoon after a cold rainy forenoon. The first reached Pine Bend, Minn., May 2, and Erazer City, Minn., May 26. Still further west migration was earlier than along the central line. At Argusville, Dak., it was seen May 5 ; and at Oak Point, Manitoba, May 3. " In the spring of 1885 the same warm wave which brought the Martins to the Upper Mississippi Valley induced many White-beliied Swallows to visit Missouri and Illinois. " During the last two days of March and the 1st day of April they apjoeared at Saint Louis, Mo., Paris, 111., and Fernwood, 111. ; April 4, they were seen at Milwaukee, Wis.; April 5 at Green Bay, Wis.; April 7 at Lanesboro, Minn.; April 11 at Minnea- polis, Minn. ; and April 28 at Oak Point, Manitoba. At Saint Louis, Mo., the last one was seen April 29 ; at Mount Carmel, Mo., May 2 ; and at Des Moines, Iowa, May 8. Some very late birds were recorded at Bonham, Tex., May 6, and at Gainesville, Tex., Mav 12. 11 " In the fall of 1885, at Saint Louis, Mo., tlic first retm-ned September 8 ; many passed October 5 ; tliev were most numerous October 9, and left October 26. They had left Grinnell, Iowa, September 16 " Dr. Elliott Coues states that the present species appears to be rarer in the Missouri region than the other Swallows are, or than it is in most other j)arts of the United States, much of the country being not well suited to its wants. It is occasionally seen in the Southern States in mid-winter. Mr. "\Y. E. D. Scott says that in AVesteru Missouri it was common and migratory, being lirst noted on the 3rd of April. Mr. E. 11. King records its occurrence on his journey east from the Rock River, north of Jelfcrson, the route lying alternately through pieces of heavy timber and across dry cultivated fields. Audubon mentions its occurrence near New Orleans, where he saw it in numbers every day during the Avhole winter. In the evening many sought the shelter of the houses, where they roosted in holes, but the majority frequented the lakes and roosted among the branches of the candleberry myrtle. Mr. Beckham states that he first observed the species at Bayou Sara, in Louisiana, on the 9th of April, and a considerable number were seen there on the 23rd of the same month. In Southern Texas Mr. J. C Merrill found this Swallow common during migrations, and he believes tliat some of them must pass the winter at no great distance, as he has frequently seen small flocks in November, December, and January, after a few warm days. Mr. JS'ehrling says that he has met with a few examples during summer on the liorders of woods. Mr. Sennett considers it a winter l)ird, and it uiust certainly breed in a few isolated localities only. He writes : — "Numbers were seen on our wav down the coast from Indianola to Point Isabel. They were also seen about the lagoons in the vicinity of Brownville up to about April 18th, after which time none were observed." Mr. Henshaw, in his report on explorations on the 100th parallel, writes : — "Eound at Fairfield, Utah, early in August, and at Provo in same mouth. Rather common. In Southern Colorado, the species was not uncommon, though perhaps the rarest of the Swallows. Here, instead of being found near the habitations of man, it appeared to seek the solitude of the wild districts, and, in company with Tachijcineta ilialassmus, to find a home in the hollows of trees and deserted Woodpeckers' holes. Its presence w^as not detected at a higher elevation than 8000 feet. Cajjtain Bendirc informs me that this species occurs about Tucson as a summer visitor, and In-oeds." Mr. Ptidgway obtained specimens at Carson City in Nevada, in Alan-h, and at Truckee Bottoms in .May; again, at Salt Lake City in 3lay. and al I'ai-lcy's l'ari<,- AVahsatch Mountains, Utah, in July. He gives the I'oUowinu- aecnunt df the species: — "This species and the Purple Martin were the only Swallows whidi were cDnrnird to wooded districts or to settlements, their distribution l)einn' mucli the same, cvccpi that, in the case of wooded localities, the former was most abuiulant in the rivcr-vaUcys, w hilc the latter occurred oftenest on the mountains. Amonu' tiir cdtlmi-woods of the l.nwn- Truckee, near Pyiamid Lake, in ]\Iay, the A^'hite-bellietl Swallow abounded nmre than •1 I. -1 12 elsewhere, and every knot-hole or, rather, cavity among the trees seemed to have been taken possession of by a pair. They were then engaged in building their nests, and throufhout the day Avonld come to the yard door of the reservation-house to pick up the feathers or bits of rag or paper scattered about the ground, after hurriedly seizing which they would fly with the article selected in a direct line to their nests. As they sat on the ground they were beautiful little birds, and though they squatted somewhat awkwardly, on account of the smallness of their feet, they raised their heads so proudly, and glanced so sharply, yet timidly about them, that they seemed graceful in their motions ; while each movement caused the sunlight to glance from their burnished backs of lusti'ous steel-blue, with which the snowy white of their breasts contrasted so strikingly. Although the object picked up was most often a feather, it occasionally happened that one would take hold of a string or a long shred of cloth, perhaps a yard or more in length, in which case so conspicuous an object was certain to be seized upon by others, as the bearer laboured to carry it to his nest, thus becoming the subject of quite a struggle, and much twittering. " The White-bellied Swallow was by no means confined to the wooded river -valleys, however, but it was equally abundant among the aspen woods high up in the Wahsatch Mountains, at an altitude of 8000 or 9000 feet. It was also common in the Sacramento Valley, but a few feet above the sea-level, among the oak-trees of the plain. Neither is it invariably arboreal, for it seems to have become, in certain localities, more ' civilized,' like its cousin the Purple Martin, and to have taken advantage of the abode of man in localities wdiere there are no trees to accommodate them. Such was conspicuously the case at Carson City, where they were quite numerous, and bu^ilt their nests under the eaves, behind the weather-boarding, or about the porches of dwellings or other buildings, and were quite familiar. The specimens collected were shot on the wing, and wlien one was brought down, the rest would exhibit great concern, circling about the victim and littering a plaintive twitter, as their suffering companion lay fluttering on the ground." Mr. Hoffmann gives the followin'jr note on the White-bellied Swallow in Nevada : — " Mr. E,idgway found this species on the Wahsatch Mountains, at an altitude of 8000 or 9000 feet. Its occurrence in Nevada is also noted, more especially throughout the western portion of this State, near Pyramid Lake, Carson City, &c. They are not very gregarious during the breeding-season, and but few are found together at any particular locality at that time, though later in the season they have been found in large flocks, probably preparatory to migration." In Colorado, according to Mr. Drew, it breeds from the plains up to 10,000 feet, and is found in spring and summer from 8000 to 11,000 feet. It remains there until September. At Twin Lakes, Colorado, it was found by Mr. Scott to be common, breeding in deserted Woodpeckers' holes and suitable localities. On the 2ith of June he saw pairs building, by the 29th incubation had begun in several cases, and on the 4th of July he found a nest with six eggs slightly incubated. 13 In Arizona it is apparently rare, according to Mr. Scott, wlio saw small numbers of individuals on tlie lOtli of March, and lie only observed it near Tucson in early sprinsj.'. Mr. Brewster has, however, recoi'ded it as common on the migration in Arizona. On the western side of Xorth America, Dr. Elliott Cones believes tliat it breeds anywhere, and it has been taken in all districts apparently. Mr. Brown records it from Vancouver Island. In Washini^ton Countv, accordina- to Mr. Anthonv, it is an abundant summer resident and builds in hollow trees, stubs, and AVoodpeckers' holes. Near Fori Klamath, in Oregon, Mr. Merrill has both found it a plentiful species and breeding ; it arrives about the I^th of April in small flocks, and is al)undant by the middle of the month. Dr. Cooper gives the following note in his ' Ornithology of California ' : — " This Swallow is to some extent a constant resident in California, a few wintering probably in the extreme southern portion. I first noticed theii" appearance at Stockton on February 22nd, 1863, and was informed by Dr. Holdeu that it does not vary more than three days from that date usually. On February 21st, 1862, I saw the first Swallows near San Diego, probably of this species ; but they have such powers of flight that they might spend the nights of winter a hundred miles from where they feed at midday. When first arriving they fly so high that it is difiicult to distinguish the species. They are the hardiest of all our Swallows, extending their range northward at least to lat. 53°, east of the Ptocky Mountains, and preferring the neighbourhood of tlie coast and mountain-tops in tliis State. On the summit of the coast-range I found them taking the place of the Barn- and Cliff-Swallows, and have seen what I supposed to be this species flying above the summits of the Sierra Nevada as late as Septeml)er 25tli, at an elevation of probably 9000 feet above the sea, migrating towards the south. In tliis State they generally build in the knot-holes of oaks and other trees, but in older settled regions they have been known to jn-efer the advantages of an old building, or the little dwelling you put up for the Martins and Blue-birds. The nest is made entirely of tine grass, lined with feathers, and the eggs, four or five in number, are pure white. TUey commonly raise two broods in a season. Five or six pairs of this species wintered at Santa Cruz, and others about sheltered ponds in tlie vicinity, where I saw tlicin in January, 1866, during the coldest weather of the season. Those at the town roosted in the same knot-holes in the houses where they had i-aised their young, so thai thry were probably constant residents there, and not visitors from the north. ]>ik(' ,ill ilu- Swallows, however, thej^ seemed to depart about September 1st, pi'obal)ly on account of the scarcity of insects during the latter part of the dry season. In Sej)tember. 1S>()5, ] saw a few, probably of this species, near Tulare Lake, where they (hniht'.css found food more abundant." In his paper on the migrations and nesting-hal)its of West-Coa'^t liirds. ilic s;nnc observer gives the following details of tlu; present s|)ecies : — "Camp Mojave, Colorado VaUey, 500 leet ; lat. ;38°. Arrived JV-h. 2L, " Santa Cruz, 50 feet ; lat. 37°. Leaves Sept. 2. 14 " Saticoy, 50 feet ; lat. 31^ 27'. Seen May 14.. " Haywood (east side of San Trancisco Bay) ; lat. 37° 40'. Arrives Jan. 28-30. " Shot at San Erancisco, winter of 1854 (Cutis). "N. Sacramento, May 1853 {Hepburn). Two broods." Mr. Evermann says that in Ventura County, in California, it is an abundant summer resident. Many breed in the holes of the Avillows near the mouth of the Santa Clara river. Mr. L. Bclding, in his notes on the birds of Central California, observes: — "This bird was seen at ]\Iarysville, February 1, 1878, and nearly every day thereafter until March 5. During the following March and April it was very abundant at Stockton, flying over the countiy in all directions, esj)ecially over the tule swamps. In May, when it was less abundant, I noticed two nests in casings over doors of private dwellings. I have not recognized it at Murphy's or Big Trees. A large scattered flock was seen at Stockton as late as December 5, 1878." He also states that it was often seen bv him in winter in Lower California. The Central- American range of the species is well given in the ' Biologia Centrali- Americana ' by Messrs. Salviu and Godman, who have a considerable series from Mexico in their collection. The precise localities where the species has been obtained in that country appear to be the following : — Guaymas, Sonora, December and April {L. Beld- ing), Mataraoras [Couch), Mazatlan (Grai/son), Plateau of Mexico [Sumichrast, Le Strange), San Jose {Salic), Jalapa {de Oca), Orizaba {Sumichrast), Pine-ridge above Mirador {Sartorius). Messrs. Salvin and Godman write : — " There is no positive evidence of the species breeding in Mexico, thougli it is included by Prof. Sumichrast amongst the resident birds of the Plateau of ^Mexico, and a specimen was obtained by Dr. Sartorius in the pine-region above Mirador, in the month of June. In Guatemala it is a winter visitant to the tablelands and to the neighbourhood of San Geronimo in Vera Paz, where it is frequently found associating with T. thalassinus." It has not yet been recorded from Yucatan, but may possibly cross that country on migration, on its way to and from Guatemala. It may be also the species mentioned in Henderson's ' Honduras ' (London, 1809, p. 119), and quoted by Dr. Coues in his ' Birds of the Colorado A^alley ' : — " Myriads of Swallows are also the occasional inhabitants of Honduras. The time of their residence is generally confined to the period of the rains, after which they totally disappear. There is something remarkably curious and deserving of notice in the ascent of these birds. As soon as the daAvn appears, they quit their place of rest, which is usually chosen amid the rushes of some watery savannah, and invariably rise to a certain height, in a compact spiral form, and which at a distance often occasions them to be taken for an immense column of smoke. This attained, they are then seen separately to disperse in search of food, the occupation of tlieir day. To those who may have had an opportunity of observing the phenomenon of a watersjiout, the similarity of evolution, in the ascent of these birds, will be thought surprisingly striking. The descent, which regularly takes place at sunset, is conducted in much the same way, but with inconceivable rapidity. And the noise which accom- 15 panies this can only be compared to the falling of au immense torrent, or the riishin"- of a violent gust of wind. Indeed, to an. observer, it seems wonderful that tliousands of these birds are not destroyed, in being thus propelled to the earth with such irresistible force." Although Dr. Coues thinks it probable that the above note refers to tlie "White- bellied Swallow, we cannot help an impression that the species intended must have been a Swift of some sort. Messrs. Jones and Wedderburn have mentioned its occurrence in the Bermudas. The former states that a great ilight of Swallows appeared on the 22nd of SeptemVjer, 1849, when this species was numerous, although never previously ol)served. Dr. Gundlach records the species as a regular winter visitor to Cuba, where it arrives later than Hirimdo erijthrogaMra, remaining for the winter and leaving again in April ; and in his work on the birds of the Bahamas Mr. Cory writes : — " I have included this Swallow on the authority of Mr. L. J. K. Brace, of Xassau, who says : 'During the stormy weather of December 1st and 2nd of last year, a number of these birds were to be seen flying about. On the 1st, I only saw three, ])ut on the 2nd a great many, which flew very low, close to the ground ; two flew inside the house, and clung for a few minutes to the edge of a shelf, but before they could be secured, iiew out again. On the 4tli, the weather moderating, not one was to be seen.' It is exceedingly unfortunate that a specimen was not killed, as the resemblance, even at a short distance, of the Bahama Swallow to the present species is so close as to render identification difficult, and the capture of a specimen would have removed all doubts of its identity." Tlie AVhite-bellied Swallow has also occurred once in Great Britain. "Wolley records a specimen in the ' Zoologist ' for 1853 (p. 380G) : — " Some months ago my friend, Mr. John Evans of Darley Abbey, sent for my inspection, and afterwards kindly presented to me, the skin of a sort of Swallow Avhose name he had not been able to ascertain, of which he gave me tlu^ i'ollowinn' account : — One day that he called at the shop of Mr. Cooke, a Inrd-stuiTer and ]\luseuni-kecpor in Derby, in the summer of the year 1850, he was shown tlie skin of a bird \vliicli had lately been shot at the Siddals (the name of some common land, I believe, in the suburli-- of Derby) witli eleven Sand-Martius, with which this luul been considered tu make a twelfth ; in skinning them, Mr. Cooke had remarked that it was not like the others, and he thought it a variety, but asked Mr. John Evans his opinion of it. Tlial gciitlcniaii did not knf)W what it was, ])ut he bought the skin for one shilling, and has liad it in liis possession from that time till he gave it to me some months ago, as L nicnlioui'd brfore. A[r. Cooke is since dead. The circumstance of his havini;' skinncl the liiiils himsril', makes it appear improbable that he should have mule a misiaki', and .Mr. i;\ans assun's me that he does not think there were any foreign skins about. I shouKl add, that I believ(! thcri; is no ])ossibility o!' ernu' since tiie skin cainc into .Mi'. Ilvaiiss possession. Brijwer, in his ' North-American Oology,' liasgiNcn the followiii^- accounl of the species: — " In the habits of dilTerent individuals of this sneeies we liiii iirc-^i-nti-il. in remark- 16 able contrast, a strict adherence to its primitive breeding-peculiarities in certain localities, and a complete departure from tliem in others. In the more thinly-settled j)ortions of this country, esjjecially Avhere old forests with their many hollow trees and decayed stumps are still abundant, we find this Swallow breeding in their convenient cavities, and seldom induced, even when the effort is made to tempt them to do so, to occupy the boxes jjut up for their better accommodation. This was the case in the cluster of small islands in the Bay of Fundy around Grand Menan, where tbese birds are very abundant, and where, although Martin-boxes liave l)een prepared for their use, in no instance had they, when I last visited that locality (1851), been induced to occupy them. Hollow trees, holes in stumps, fences, and logs seemed to be tbeir preferred places for nesting. They are in consequence known in such localities by the name of the Wood-Swallow, so also, in the western part of the country, hollow trees ai-e so gene- rally their resort, that even Audubon, at the time of the publication of the first volume of his Ornithological Biography, was not aware that they had, in any instance, been known to imitate the Blue-bird, the Martin, and the Wren, in accepting the bospitalities of man. Yet this fact has not escaped the observation of Wilson. In some parts of the country, especially iu Eastern Massachusetts, these Swallows have undergone a change of habit as complete as that of the Purple Martin, of whose boxes they have there possessed themselves. I have even known of their nesting in a rough candle-box with one end knocked out, and placed for them in an accessible situation. Audubon speaks of their driving the Barn-Swallow from its nest and taking possession, and Nuttall mentions their breeding on flat horizontal branches of trees. I have never met with them in either of these situations. This species is widely distributed, from the Middle States to the extreme northern regions ; Sir John Bichardson found tliem breeding iu hollow trees at Fort Norman, on the Mackenzie Pk^iver, in latitude 65°. Tliey are spoken of by writers as not so numerous as the Barn-Swallow ; but this my own observations would lead me to doubt. Along the Atlantic coast, from latitude 38° to the St. Lawrence, they are our most common species. They are said to be equally abundant on the shores of the Pacific and the banks of the Columbia River. They seem to be less abundant in the interior, especially in the absence of water. " If, as we presume to be the case, the species of the Pacific coast is identical with this, the White-bellied Swallow lias a range coextensive with the habitable portions of North America, from the West India Islands to Greenland on the Atlantic, and from Southern California to the Russian possessions on the Western Coast. Dr. Townsend observed it throughout Oregon ; Dr. Garabel, Dr. Heerman, and Mr. Samuels met with it breeding it California ; Lembeye and Gundlach give it as one of the common birds of Cuba (though not mentioned by Mr. Gosse as found in Jamaica) ; and Dr. Woodliouse Ibund it throughout the Indian Territories, Texas, and New Mexico, as well as in California. " This species, during the breeding-season, is more quai'relsome than any other of their relatives, and they are quite a match even for the Purple Martin, upon whose territories 17 they often iutrude and keep possession. They evince a strong attachment for their offsiH-ing, and manifest great affliction when rohbed of them, uttering low but exceed- ingly plaintive complaints. When a pair of these Swallows have become familiarized to a certain locality, returning to it year after year, with a little pains it is not difficult to enter into a limited intercourse with them, especially in supplying them with the materials of their nest. Two of these birds, who have for several years occupied an old and rudely-constructed tenement in the very heart of Boston, receive eacli year an abundant supply of feathers, almost from the very hands of the members of the family under whose protection they fiiid a shelter. ]\ early all the materials they used were feathers blown to them from the window, which, with the quickness of thought, they would dart at and catch with their bills, and immediately convey to their retreat. In time they became so familiar, as almost to take them from the hands of the person who supplied them. This has been repeated several seasons. When they have young just hatched, or eggs on the point of hatching, they sit so close as to be easily taken on their nest. When taken and released, they fly but a few feet from their nest, hovering over the heads of their intruders. " They construct a very loose, soft, warm nest of fine hay and leaves, abundantly supplied with down and feathers, by which the eggs are often found completely covered. Great pains are apparently taken to keep the nest clean and dry by constant additions of soft, dry materials during incubation. They have usually two broods in a season. " The eggs are of a beautiful pure white. When unblown, they have a delicate pinkish shade, imparted by the yolk. They are somewhat oblong in shape, the smaller ends are well defined and pointed, and the eggs are only subject to occasional variations in size. Their measurements vary from x| to j^ of an inch in length, and from yij to y^ in breadth." Tlie White-bellied Swallow does not appear to have much song. Mr. BickneU, in his notes on the singing of birds, says : — "Tlie song of this S\vallo«' is hardly more tlian a chatter. It is to be heard as iate in the year as tlie bird is witli us. Its ordinary notes are less sharp and rapid than tliose of the Barn-Swallow." Mr. Drew writes : — " I have seen no account of the song of this species, nor, indeed, was I aware of its musical powers until the past summer. May 2 Ith, at an elevation of 8000 feet, I found a little colony just beginning house-keeping in a cotton-wood grove on an island in the San Antonio lliver, Colorado. When at rest tiuw iitten"d a i)eculiar chiruppy warble, resembling a Sparrow's song in some respects, and strikingly like a Robin's in some of the half whistles." We have already alluded to the habit of assembling in vast numl)ers wliich this Swallow occasionally exhibits. A further instance ol' this ciiaraeteristie in its winter- quarters in Guatemala is related by Messrs. Salvin ninl (iodman : — " N\ e onee ohserxed a Hock of this kind in the open space in the forest of tin" Nolean de iMu-iro e;illed I'.ij.il Grande, the elevation of which is about ■"((lOO feet ;ilio\e the sea-le\(l. I'his was on the 25th December, 1873, when a vast llock of these liinls were semi eirelin- round and 2ai 18 round in a compact mass, and every now and then settling on some low shrubs, weighing down the outer boughs and crowding together like a swarm of bees. "We could detect no object in this assemblage ; it was neither the season of migration, nor was it the roosting-time, as it took place in the afternoon of a bright sunny day." Dr. Elliott Cones has published an interesting account of the habits of the species, from which we make the following extract : — " Swallows are not seldom seen at sea, being among the birds that most frequently alight on the rigging of vessels, beyond sight of land, to rest and recruit before pushing on their trackless Avay. The pretty Wbite-bellied Swallow, in dress-suit of snowy vest and literal ' swallow-tail ' — for have we not such a name for a particular garment ? — has been known to accomplish a trans- Atlantic voyage successfully, and reach the shores of tbe old country only to be captured and made a paragraph of. This shows what he can do when he really tries to fly ; bis movements over the land are the veriest sauntering in comparison. The White-belly seems, from another circumstance, to be one of the hardiest of our Swallows ; for it is conspicuous among the winter birds of Florida, and doubtless other j)arts of the Gulf coast. Mr. Boardman tells nie, viva voce, that countless thousands enjoy the serenity of the Floridan winters ; and, like the Bluebird, the White- belly is not seldom tempted by the treachery of the ' January thaw ' to come un- guardedly northward, being the species which, perhaps oftener than any other of the family, is noted as occurring unexpectedly beyond its usual range in winter, and thus by no means making a summer. A case of this sort came within my experience at Fort Macon, North Carolina, where numbers of these Swallows appeared one warm day in early January, though there had been a smart freeze just before. The flock played about the fort, but were soon driven off by bad weather ; they Avere next seen again on the 20th of the month, and occasionally from that time until the regular migration. From their winter-homes, not only in the Gulf States and in Southern California, but in Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America, these birds spread northward in March and April, from one side of the continent to the other, and some proceed to the Arctic regions. They breed independently of latitude, some on the highlands of Mexico, and anywhere in the West ; but in the East, their usual breeding-range is said to be north of the parallel of 38°. How unexcej)tionally this may hold I do not know ; but these Swallows are especially recognized as sumiuer visitors in northerly parts of the United States, as New England, for example, and in the British Provinces. " Unlike the Barn and Eave Swallows, the glossy T. viriclisoi Wilson is a coirfirmed hole-breeder, rather jealous of the ancient customs of its family, and slow to yield to the allurements of civilization, even thoirgh the most tempting boxes be presented to its choice. When it will, it Avill, and when it won't, the Purple Martins must be depended on to fill the neat little houses tliat we build to entice the Swallows. In Eastern Massachusetts, says Dr. Brewer, the change of habit is confirmed. In parts of Maine and NcAV Brunswick, Mr. Boardman tells me, the exjDeriment is far from successful, as, ten to one, Swallows still nest in holes in trees and stumps. The holloAV tree is the 19 natural and still the usual resort, as we see clearly from study of these birds in the West. "I do not think that I ever saw T. hlcolor in Arizona, where T. flialassiiius is not uncommon. Others, however, have found it in that Territory. Captain Bendire speaks of its breeding about Tucson. In Southern Colorado, Mr. Henshaw found it ' not uncommon, though perhaps the rarest of the Swallows.' It is rarer in the Missouri region than the other Swallows are, because most of that country, like the rest of the Great Plateau, does not furnish many good breeding-places. In California, Cooper found the Blue-greens on the summit of the Coast Hange, replacing the Barn and Cliff Swal- lows, and saw what he sujDposed were these birds flying over tlic Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 9000 feet. He speaks of their wintering in some parts of the State, and this is confirmed by the observations of Mr. Hepburn, who states that a few reside during the winter, being reinforced towards the close of February and growing abundant by tlie end of March. They are a mouth later still in British Colombia. I found them breeding at Pembina eai'ly in June, with great numbers of Cliff Swallows. " I find no record of the nesting of this species in caves or holes in rocks, though T. thalassimis sometimes does so. Agreeably to its choice of nesting-site, which renders plastering needless, it uses no mud in building its nest, the fabric being loosely con- structed of fine soft hay, with a copious warm lining of feathers. The latter are often so disposed as to curl prettily over the treasure within, like the Acanthus that suggested tlie Corinthian capital ; and the eggs are sometimes almost entirely thus covered. " There are some jioints in the earlier history of this Swallow that I wish to rehearse here. I may premise, that though the species Avas named by Wilson riridis, it bad before been called bicolor hj Yieillot ; but that this even is not the root of the matter ; for it was known to Latham and Gmelin as a variety of the European House Martin, Chelklon urhica of Boie and late naturalists. Next, this species is said to depart from the insectivorous customs of its family so far as to feed at times principally on the berries of the myrtle {3Iyrica cerifera). The fact is attested by Wilson, and Audulton speaks of T. hicolor as roosting by night on the drier, as the Erencli Louisianians call this plant. Thirdly, in connection with the well-known fact that these Swallows spend the winter in great numbers in Florida and the Gulf States, some items respecting their enormous congregations have been noted. I have already spoken of the vast assemblage's of SAvallows of various kinds which may be witnessed during the season nf niiui-atiim ; the books arc full of instances, and it seems that tb(> ])resent s])i'cies is no wliit Ijrliind its better-known congeners in this respect. Wilson saw Inmdreds of A\"liite-lii'llii's mi the sandy beach of the Great Egg Harbor. Tlicy " coiniili'lrly (•()\crc(l' tlic luvril.'- bushes of the low islands thereabouts ; a man told liiiu lie had s^'cii ;i liiiiidri'd and two killed at a shot, and we need not presume that a p(>rson would pn'varir.ilc, juv| l'.,r two Swallows. In recording Iiis observations made on ihcsr birds in l,ouisiana. in winter. .Viulubon sp(\aks of 'tbonsan(l>< llyinu' in dill'erenl ihn-ks.' Iml onlv mentions fonrteen killed at a shot. During 1 he winter, he says, many were sheltered in holes about the 20 liouses, but the greater number resorted to tlie lakes, to spend tlie night among the myrtles. ' About sunset,' he continues, ' they began to flock together, calling to each other for that purpose, and in a short time presented the aj)pearance of clouds moving towards the lakes, or the mouth of the Mississippi, as the weather and wind suited. Their aerial evolutions before they alight are truly beautiful. They appear at first as if re- connoitring the place ; when, suddenly throwing themselves into a vortex of apparent confusion, they descend spirally with astonishing quickness, and very much resemble a tromhe or water-spout. Wlien within a few feet of the driers, they disperse in all directions, and settle in a few moments. Their twitterings, and the motion of their Avings, are, however, heard during the whole night The hunters who resort to these places destroy great numbers of them, by knocking them down with light paddles, ixsed in propelling their canoes.' In another place, Audubon prints a note from Bach- man, who states that on the 16th of October, 1833, in company with Dr. Wilson and Mr. J. W. Audubon, he ' saw such an immense quantity of this species of bird that the air was positively darkened. As far as the eye could reach, there were Swallows crowded thickly together, and winging their way sovithward ; there must have been many millions ! '" The Plate represents the old birds in summer and winter plumage, along with a young individual. In the map the red colour exhibits the regular breeding-range, as determined for us by Dr. Coues and Mr. Allen, and the yellow colour the migration and winter range of the species ; the dotted space is also included by Mr. Allen in the breeding-area of the species. We return our best thanks to both the above-named gentlemen for the help they have rendered us in elucidating this difficult subject. iVTintp.T-n.BrDR.n^mp . TACHYCINETA TIIALAS SINUS, TACHYCINETA THALASSINUS (Sicains.). YIOLET-AND-GEEEN SWALLOW. ILirundo thalassina, Swains. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 36G (1827) ; Aiulul). B. Amei-. pL 385 ; id. Orn. Biogr. iv. p. 597 (1838) ; Bp. Comp. List B. Eur. & N. Amer. p. 9 (1838) ; AucIuId. B. Amer. i. p. 186, pi. 49 (1840) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 58 (1845) ; Denny, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 38 ; Cass. 111. B. Calif, p. 245 (185G) ; Brewer, N. Amer. Ool. i. p. 102 (1857) ; Baird, Cass., & Lawr. B. N. Amer. p. 311 (1860) ; Baird, Eeview Amer. B. p. 299 (1865) ; Brewer, Amer. Nat. i. p. 122 (1867) ; Brown, Ibis, 1868, p. 421 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 71, no. 841 (1869) ; Cooper, B. Calif, p. 107 (1870) ; Scl. & Salv. Nomencl. Av. Xeotr. p. 14 (1873) ; Baird, Brewer, & Eidgw. Hist. N. Amer. B. p. 347, pi. 16. fig. 11 (1874). Cecropis thalassinns, Less. Compl. Buff. viii. p. 499 (1837). Cheliclon thalassina, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 171. Herse thalassina, Bp. Consp. i. p. 341 ; Coues, Ibis, 1865, pp. 159, 1G3. Tachycineta thalassina, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 48 (1850) ; Sumichr. Mem. Best. Soc. N. II. i. p. 547 (1809) ; Coues, Key N. Amer. B. p. 113 (1872) ; id. B. X.- West, p. 86 (1874) ; Eidgw. Eep. Surv. 40th Par. iv. p. 443 (1877) ; Coues, B. Color. Vail. p. 419 (1878) ; Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 409 (1879) ; Scott, Bull Nutt. Orn. Club, iv. p. 93 (1879) ; Minot, op. cit. v. p. 228 ; Eidgw. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 175 (1880) ; Drew, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vi. p. 85 (1881) ; Coues, Check-list N. Amer. B. p. 42 (1882) ; Allen & Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, viii. p. 160 (1883); Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 557 (1883); Coues, Check-list N. Amer. B. 2nd ed. p. 323 (1884); Drew, Auk, ii. p. 15 (1885) ; Beckham, t. c. p. 141 ; Agersb. t. c. p. 354 ; Hensh. t. c. p. 333 ; Scott, t. c. p. 354; Anthony, Auk, iii. p. 170 (1886); Everm. t. c. p. 183 ; A. O. U. Chock- list N. Amer. B. p. 293 (1886) ; Lloyd, Auk, iv. p. 294 (1887) ; Townsend, I'roc. U. S. Nat. Mus. X. p. 222 (1887); Scott, Auk, v. p. 31 (1888); ^rerrill, t. c. p. 360; Jefferies, Auk, vi. p. 222 (1889); Meariis, Auk, vii. p. 260 (IMIO); Chapman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Uist. iii. p. 149 (1890). Feirochelidon thalassina, Cass. Cat. Ilirund. Philad. Mus. p. 5 (1S53); Sel. .\; Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 13 ; iid. P. Z. S. 186 1, p. 173. Tachycineta thalassinns, Salv. & Godm. 15iol. Ccnlr.-Aiuei-., Aves, i. [i. 2;i2 (lSb3) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in ]?rit. Mus. x. ]). 119 (1885). iu-()])ygio minimcalbo : dorsi |X)stici ct uropy^ii latcriljus albis : caiuh'i Ten'' (|ua(lrat;'i : su|irac:iiulalil)iis purpurascciitibus : dorso toto iciico vcl purpurasccnti-virkli : mat-ula i"i-iiHulari allia. Hah. in provinciis occidentalibus et centralilDus Americte septentrionalis, in America ccntrali liibernans. Adult male. General colour above dark green with a slight bronzy shade, becoming rather more bluish green on the rump and mixed with purple on the upper tail-coverts ; on each side of the rump a white patch; scapulars green like the back; wing-coverts black, the lesser and median series tipped with bhiish green ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, externally glossed with deep indigo ; tail-feathers also black with a bluish gloss ; crown of head bronzy green ; occiput and nape purjsle, with a concealed narrow collar of ashy round the hind neck, caused simply by the grey bases of the feathers ; lores dusky ; feathers over the eye extending down behind the latter, ear-coverts, cheeks, sides of face, and entire under surface of body silky white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries smoky brown with whitish edgings, the coverts near the edge of the wing and the lower greater coverts darker ; quills dusky brown below, rather more ashy on their inner edge : "bill black; feet brownish black; iris brown; mouth pale yellow" {Coues) . Total length 4'5 inches, culmen 0'3, wing 4'3, tail 1"65, tarsus 0"45. AdvH female. Not so brilliant in colour as tlie male, and distinguished by the bi'owner colour of the sides of the face and ear-covcrts, the throat having a slight wash of ashy brown ; the bead is also decidedly browner with a brouzy-gieen sliade, but never so brilliant as in the adult male. Total length 4'3 inches, culmen 0'3, wing 4"25, tail Q'Q, tarsus 0'4. Adult male in ivinter plumage (Dueiias; O. Salvin). Differs from the breeding-plumage in being entirely bronzy or oil-brown washed with purple. This purple shade is much more strongly pronounced than in summer^ and the remains of it are noticeable in the description of the breeding-dress, where the purple occiput aud hind neck are alluded to as contrasting with the crown. The green and purple shades on the rump and upper tail-coverts are the same in both seasons, and the under surface and facial markings do not differ. YoviKj male (Santa Fe Mountains, N.W. Mexico, Aug. 4; H. W. Ilcnshaw). Brown, the entire back with a purplish or greenish gloss (according to the light), which is lacking on the head, lower back, and rump ; on either side of the lower back a white patch ; wings and tail brown, with a faint gloss of steel-green on the former, the inner secondaries edged with ashy at the ends ; sides of face brown, as in the adult female, with a very faint indication of the white above the ear-coverts; cheeks, throat, and under surface of body silky white, with a brownish shade across the fore neck ; gape yellowish. The series in the Henshaw collection shows that in the winter the adult birds are distinguished by broad white tips to the inner secondaries, and the violet colour of the rump is very dull and almost obliterated by greenish blue. By April the white edgings to the inner secondaries have become entirely abraded. There is considerable difference in the colour of the back, some specimens being of a beautiful dceji green, whilst others are more oily green ; and in the ' Catalogue of Birds' it was suggested that this might be due to the wearing of the feathers during the breeding- season. An examination of the Henshaw series, however, induces us to modify this opinion, for we find a bird from Pueblo, in Colorado, shot on the 27tli of July, which is bright green on the back, and equals in brilliancy any of the specimens procured in the earlier spring. These more brightly-coloured individuals may therefore be older birds, and the dull-coloured ones be the bii'ds of the previous year. Hab. Middle and Western Provinces of the U. States, north to British Columl)ia and Vancouver Island, east to S.E. Dakota and Western Texas, south in winter to Lower California, and to Guatemala in Central America. This is one of the most beautiful of all the Swallows, and is an inhaliitaut of the Western United States, as well as some of the Central Provinces. Professor Elliott Coues, in his ' Birds of the Colorado Valley,' has given a most excellent account of the species, which has been made the foundation of our present article. "We have also studied the notes of Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ptidgway in their ' History of Xorth- American Birds,' and those of Messrs. Salvin and Godman in the ' Biologia.' Since these gentlemen wrote, however, many furtlier observations of interest have been recorded in the 'Auk' and other joui'nals, the details of which are given below. The northern- most point in its Avestern distribution to which the Violet-and-Green Swallow extends its range seems to be Vancouver Island, whence we have seen specimens collected Ijy Ml'. A. Forrer. Dr. Robert Brown states that it breeds there, building in knot-holes of trees. The late Mr. J. K. Lord, during the Boundary Commission on the 49th Parallel, noticed this species at Colville, to the Avest of the Rocky Mountains. lie numVjers the species among the earliest visitors, arriving in March in small tlocks, increasing in mmibers in May, and building in June in holes of trees. Mr. Clark P. Streator also found it breeding at Ashcroft, in British Columbia. He writes : — " Ashcroft is located one hundred miles north of the United States Boundary, and two hundred miles east of the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railw^ay. This place is almost a desert : only sage-brush, small cactus, and now and then a few stunted trees and plants are to be seen. But the mountains, two thousand feet high, are covered Avith scattering pine-forest." Drs. Suckley and Cooper state that in Washington Territory it arrives early in May in Puo-et Sound. Both in the interior of Oregon and of Washington Territory the bird Avas found to be quite abundant, frequenting entirely the high prairies, bordered witli oak and deciduous trees, and breeding in knot-holes or in the deserted holes of Wood- peckers. Professor Coues states that he observed a few individuals on the 2()th of June, 1871, on the Upper Missouri, above the uiouth of the Yellowstone, near the Quakiug- Asli River. Tlie species A^^as also collected by Dr. Ilaydeu in the A\'iud Itiver ^lonntains, in Wyoming. Dr. Mearns also states that lie has found Ihe sj)ecies hrccdiiii;- in ihc mineral formation about the hot springs and geysers of the Yellowstone Nalicinal I'mk and in the bluff banks of the Big Horn River in Montana. Mr. Agershorg ri'c.irds il as probably accidental in South-eastern Dakota, but breeding there. ]\Iany good notices of the range of the species throughout Colorado have been liiddishcd. Mr. Drew states that tlie upper limit of its range in s]irinu- is 7i>iiu led. in summer 11,000 feet, and in autumn D.IOO ; it breeds from .".(HK) to 10. .->()() Cvt. llu- same observer states that he fouiul il " very aliundaul in San .luaii County."" .Mr. .Miuot speaks of it as a common sununcr resident of local abundance. laugiuL;- up to !hi' limlicr line. Mr. Scott, as stated in his paper on the ornithology of the Twin Lakes, found it abundant in localities, but not generally distributed. Mr. Beckham also states that he observed the species but once at Pueblo, when a dozen or more were seen on the 10th of June. In their paper on the birds of Colorado, Messrs. Allen and BrcAvster remark : — " First seen May 4th. A considerable number observed on the 14th, and at frequent intervals later. In July and iVugust large numbers w'ei^e seen near West Monument Creek, where they outnumbered all the other Swallows." In Utah, as in Arizona and New Mexico, Mr. Henshaw states that this Swallow inhabits the higher regions, being abundant in all suitable localities, and preferring the open spaces or edges of the piuaries and groves of oaks, where it breeds in old Wood- pecker-holes. Mr. Eidgway has recorded the species as abundant on the main island in Pyramid Lake, Nevada, in the month of May, and in July he saw it again among the limestone walls of the eastern canons of the Ruby Mountains, where it was also nesting. Mr. Anthony, in his paper on the birds of Washington County, Oregon, says that it is "a very common migrant, a fcAV remaining to breed, nesting in colonies in hollow stubs." Dr. Merrill did uot observe it himself at Fort Klamath, but says that it must occur there ; he found it, however, very common at the outlet of Diamond Lake early in August. The observations on the species in California have been numerous and varied. The following note is given by Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Eidgway, from the writings of Dr. Hepburn, a very Avell-known observer: — "This Swallow has quite an extensive range along the Pacific coast, but it is restricted as to the localities it inhabits. At the Pulgas Handle, near San Francisco, it is even more common than T. bicolor, while a few miles from thence uot one is to be seen. He has also seen it on the bank of the Fresno, near its junction, with the San Joaquin River, and again in the Yosemite Valley, without meeting with a single specimen in the inteiwening country. About Victoria this w-as the prevailing species. These Swallows, as far as Mr. Hepburn observed, always build in holes of trees. Their nest, he states, is formed of a few fine dry stems of grass, placed at the bottom of the hole, covered over Avith a thick mass of feathers. These birds have two broods in a season. In 1861 he noted their arrival in San Mateo County on the 28th of March." Dr. Cooper says : — " I have not observed this species Avest of the Coast Range, except when emigrating. They appeared at Santa Cruz in 1866, on March 19th, and a large flock, with a few Chcutura, stopped for a few hours on their way soutliward, October 5th, Avhich dates are j)robably about the usual ones for their migrations." Mr. Cliarles ToAvnseud, in his account of the birds of Northern California, says that " the Violet-green Swallow Avas often seen flvin": over the almost inaccessible limestone rocks Avliich crowned the high ridge opposite the United States Fishery." Here he procured his first and only specimen on July 4, 1883. Mr. L. Belding, in his paper on the Birds of Central California, says that it was first recognized on the 7th of August at Dunbar's Mill, when at least a hundred were in sight. Three days afterwards it was seen flying over the meadows at Big Trees, and thereafter nearly every day till August 27. They chose as a resting-place the top branches of a tall dead pine near the hotel, out of shooting-range ; and often, when flying, were so high as to be seen with difficulty ; occasionally, however, they mingled with Barn-Swallows near the ground. Mr. Evermann states that the species is rather common in Ventura County during the spring migration, and a few remain to breed. Mr. Belding often saw the species in winter in the extreme south of Lower California. In Arizona Professor Elliott Cones found the Violet-and-Green Swallow nesting near Eort Whijjple. Mr. Scott, in his paper on the birds observed by him in spring in Southern Arizona, says that it was " not uncommon in small flocks at the very highest altitude and in the heaviest pine-timber. They frequently alighted on the upper limbs of dead trees, and doubtless breed here in the deserted Woodpecker holes." Later he writes : — " In the Catalinas this is the commonest of the Swallows, but, curiously, at the lower altitudes (4000 feet) in the spring it is rare or does not occur. In the spring of 1885, I found it common in late April on the summit of the mountains in the pine- woods, but though I had looked for it carefully all the preceding six weeks at the altitude of my house I only saw a single individual, on March 14th. In the late summer and fall, from August 15th till October 7th, it was common in the region near my house. It probably breeds in the pines of the Catalinas in numbers." Dr. Mearns has recently published the following note : — " This exquisite bird is highly characteristic of the wooded mountain regions of Arizona, where it breeds, not only in the hollows of trees, but very frequently in cavities in cliffs. While for the most part retiring to the higher land during the breeding-season, a good many pass the summer and breed in the wooded canons in which there are streams, in the lower country. None were found breeding in the immediate valley of the Verde, in the vicinity of Fort Verde, but they were sure to be found after ascending, for a short distance, any of the tributaiy streams that flow through caiions from the high plateau. There they usually nest on the limestone clifi's which form the walls of the canons." In New Mexico Professor Cones found the species abundant on the Katon Moun- tains, and Mr. Henshaw writes: — "This, the only Swallow spending tlic suuinicr in New Mexico, or in fact occurring at all, was extremely numerous all through the ])in(-- Avoods, where it finds every convenience for nesting in the multitude of perforated stubs. After the young were on the wing, the birds left the pine-woods and resorted to the tops of the ridges and the open valleys, where, high in mid-air, they were seen busily hunting for insects. On September 8th they were still to be noticed, thougli ihr uKijiuiiy had departed some time before. A few days later and the last had disapiM-arcd." Mr. W. Lloyd, in his paper on the birds ol' Western Texas, states that it was seen as a fall migrant in Concho County, being observed and taken on the 1st of Septenil)er, and seen atrain on the 1st of October. It has not been recorded IVoni Tom Green county. 3k 6 In Mexico this beautiful Swallow has been obtained by Mr. Lloyd at Tetuaca in Chihuahua in March. Dr. Couch met with the species also at Saltillo in the State of Coahuila, and Mr. W. B. Richardson has procured specimens in Jalisco, in the Sierra de Bolanos, in July, at 3500 feet ; these specimens, now in the Salvin-Godman collection, are in worn plumage and were ajiparently breeding. The species appears to be not rare in the Valley of Mexico, for numerous examples were j^rocured by M. Ferrari-Perez between the months of January and July. The following are the localities as evidenced by the series in the Salvin-Godman collection : — Tetelco (Xochimilco), Jan. 18 ; Coapa (Tlalpam), Feb. 29, March 6 ; Mexicalcingo (Tlalpam), Feb. 6 ; Axotla (Tacubaya), March 4 ; Huipulco (Tlalpam), April 23 ; Atoto- nilco (Huejotziugo), April 15, July 15 ; Chimalpa (Tacubaya), May 4. The specimen obtained at Huipulco on the 23rd of April looks as if it had somewhat abraded plumage, as if nesting ; and the bird procured at Atotonilco in July is in full moult, and has already put on some of the winter secondaries witli white edges. M. Duges gives the Hacienda de Tapatero as a locality. The late Mr. Sumichrast found that in the State of Vera Cruz the species was resident, being seen not only in the hot belt of the coast, but also in tlie temperate region and throughout the plateau at almost all heights, being everywhere very common. Messrs. Eaird, Brewer, and Ridgway state that the species breeds on the plateau of Vera Cruz ; but, as Messrs. Salvin and Godman have j)ointed out in the ' Biologia,' there is nothing in Sumichrast's published papers to confirm this assertion, though it is most probable that the Violet-and-Green Swallow really does breed there, as it is included by Sumichrast in his list of the resident birds of the State. In Orizaba it has been collected by Le Strange and by Sumichrast. Mr. Godman procured specimens at Pinal and Amecameca in the State of Puebla in April, and his collector, Manuel Trtijillo, has also met with the species in Oaxaca, viz. at Villa Alta in March, and at Totontepec in February. Messrs. Salvin and Godman remark : — " In Guatemala we only observed it in the winter months, from November till March. It was then common about the open lands near Dueiias and about the plains of San Gerunimo, at an elevation of about 3000 feet. It has also been obtained bv Mr. Sara: at Coban." The best summary of the facts connected with the breeding of the Violet-and-Green Swallow is given by Professor Elliott Coues in his ' Birds of the Colorado Valley,' from which work we make the extracts given below. The earliest accounts of the breeding of the species are those of Townsend and Nuttall, the former stating that it built a " nest of mud and hay on clay bluffs," and that it also nested in hollow trees. " The latter statement," says Professor Coues, " is correct ; in making the former, Townsend seems to have got the species mixed with the Cliff-Swallow. Nuttall says that they appeared to occupy nests of the Cliff-Swallow, instead of building for themselves, and supposes them to sometimes breed in trees. Audubon supplied Dr. Brewer with a drawing of an egg of this species, got by Nuttall in Oregon, which Dr. Brewer says was the first know- ledge he acquired of the ' markings ' of the egg. Tiie error about the egg and nidification flourished beyond 1857, when Dr. Brewer elaborated it with care, describing and figuring the speckled egg of the Cliff or Barn Swallow as that of the Violet-green, and discrediting Nuttall's observation respecting the probable nesting of the species in trees. The fact is, that the Violet-green Swallow nests in holes in trees and elsewhere, and lays a pure white egg, exactly like T. hicolor." Professor Coues proceeds : — " I am uncertain to whom we owe the discovery of the fact that tlie eggs of the Violet-green Swallow are white and unmarked. The information was long delayed in coming, partly owing, no doubt, to the difficulty of getting at the eggs, even wlien the artfully hidden retreat is discovered. The nest may be in honey-combed rocks, entirely out of reach ; or in the top of a blasted tree, too rotten to be scaled with safety ; or out of reach in a knot-hole in strong sound wood. After they were found out, and the hole- breeding character of tlie species was established, it was natural that the subsequent accounts of the cliff and rock nests should be received with caution or mistrust ; and so much has been said one way and another, that it will tend to put the history of the species in the best light to review the testimony on the subject. "When in New Mexico, in 1864, I found the Violet-green Swallows to be very common in the Eaton Mountains. This was in June, and I have no doubt that the birds were then nesting, though I had no chance of observing them closely. I noticed their close resemblance to "VVhite-bellied Swallows in general appearance, and particularly in mode of flight ; and I observed then, as subsequently, the curiously misleading circum- stance that the bii-ds appeared to have white rumps. In fact, as is well known, the rump is like the rest of the upper parts in colour, but the fluffy white feathers of the flanks lie over the part during flight, sometimes meeting over the root of the tail, thus causing the appearance observed. This appearance of tricoloration — violet, green, and white — is striding. The following year, at Fort Whipple, in Arizona, I made quite a study of these birds, whose exquisite beauty could hardly fail to touch even the most insensible observer. They nestled in considerable numbers in the pine-woods about the fort, usually preferring the edges of the timber, and constructed their nests of hay and feathers in tlic natural crevices of trees, or in old Woodpecker holes. Sometimes isolated pairs occupied the deciduous trees in the vicinity, as the cotton-woods along the creek and the oal'Cs of the open hillsides ; but most of the birds gathered ia little colonies in clumps of pine- trees. The birds reached this elevated locality the second or third week iu March, and remained until late in September. I considered them the commonest of tlicir tril)(\ quite cliaracteristic, in fact, of the Arizona pine-belt." Mr. Bidgway has given the following account of the species as observed l)y liiui iu Nevada in May : — "They were very abundant, and frequented chiefly tlu' clilfs of c:ilc:ucous tufa, where they were observed to enter the fissures of the rock to tlieir ricsts w itiiin. In .Inly we saw it again among the limestone walls of the eastern canons of the Buby Mountains, where it also nested in the crevices on tlie face of the clilfs, its associates being the 8 "Wliite-tliroatecl Swift {Pamjptila saxatilis) and Cliff- Swallow {Petrochelidon Imiljrons). Their nests were in almost every case out of reach, only two of those that were found being accessible. Both Avere in horizontal fissures, scarcely large enough to admit the hand, the nest consisting of a flattened mass of sticks and straws, lined with feathers, like those of the Bank-Swallows {Cotile and Stelgidopteryx) ; one of them contained five young bii'ds, but the other had apparently been tampered with in some way, since the parent was dead and her three eggs broken. The latter, like those of T. bicolor and the two species above-mentioned, were pure white, without markings. " Although other observers, whose statements we do not in the least doubt, have described the habits of this bird as arboreal, like those of the White-bellied Swallow {T. bicolor) and the Purple Martin, we never found it so in any locality during our trip, it being everywhere a stiictly saxicoline species, and an associate of Panyptila saxatilis, Fetrochelidon lunifrons, and Sirimdo horreorum rather than of the species named, and to be found only where precipitous rocks, affording suitable fissures, occurred. When on the wing the appearance of this lovely Swallow is very striking, and so unlike that of any other that it may be immediately distinguished. No other species resembles it except tlie T. bicolor, which is somewhat similar on account of the pure white lower parts ; but a more attentive examination discovers the greater amount of white on the side of the head, and if the bird is viewed from above the plumage is seen to be tricoloured — the rump rich intense violet, and the back lustrous green, the two colours being separated by a very conspicuous broad and apparently continuous band of snowy white across the upper part of the rump, caused by the close approximation of the two white flank- patches. " This Swallow appeared to be a very silent species, but a few notes were heard, which called to mind the chirping of young Purple Martins, as heard in rainy weather." " This is enough," adds Professor Cones, " to settle the question we asked each other for some years. Where does the Violet-green breed ? We have here simply a hole-breeder, indifferent vrhether the cavity it occupies be tree or rock ; and we need not be surprised to learn any day that it has been found nestling in a bank of earth, in a natural excavation, or even in a Kingfisher's or Bank or Kough-winged Swallow's hole. One thing, however : it has never learned the plasterer's trade, at which the Cliff and Barn Swallows are such clever artisans ; and yet it has been stated by me, in the ' Birds of the Northwest,' p. 88, on the authority of Mr. T. M. Trippe, to have been found ' nesting imder the eaves of houses, like the Cliff-Swallow,' the fact being adduced to show that, like most others of its tribe, this bird had at length paid its compliments to human civilization. The details of the circum- stance had not been communicated to me in 1874 ; but Mr. Trippe yesterday (March 17, 1878) visited my study, and we had some conversation on the subject. He described the nests, in which Violet-green Swallows certainly liad their eggs, as bulky structures of mud, and like those of Cliff-Swallows. Being perfectly familiar with the birds, he could not have been mistaken in identifying the species ; and he agreed with me that the birds 9 must have occupied in these instances the deserted nests of other Swallows. This brino-s up Nuttall's early testimony to the same effect, and makes it seem much more probable — if it may not indeed be regarded as confirmatory — though he or Townsend certainly tiot hold of the wrong egg, a drawing of which subsequently came into Dr. Brewer's posses- sion through Audubon. We should expect the Violet-greens, on yielding to civilization, to come to terms in the same way the Mai'tins and A^liite-bellies have, by occupying' boxes set up for their use, or else to enter knot-holes or the crevices behind weather- boards, as the Wrens ; but that their habits will be modified in some way, and at no distant day, there is no reasonable doubt. With whicli understanding, I leave the wilful and capricious little creatures to enjoy their hermitages, whether of tree or rock, as long as they please." The descriptions have been drawn up from the series in the British Museum, and the figures have been drawn by Mr. Wyatt from specimens in tlic Salvin-Godman collection. C W.W del . TACHYCINETA CYAKiOVlRIDIS , Mititem Bi-oa in¥' TACHYCINETA CYANEOVIRIDIS [Bryant). BAHAMA SWALLOW. Hirundo cyaneoviridis, Bryant, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. vii. p. Ill (1859) ; Baird. Review Amer. B. p. 303 (1865) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 72, no. 850 (1869) ; Salvin, Ibis, 1874, p. 307 ; Cory, B. Baliama Isl. p. 79 (1880). CulUchelidon cyaneoviridis, Baird, Beview Amer. B. p. 297 (1865); Cory, B. W. Indies, p. 73 (1889). Sirundo {CalUcheUdon) cyaneoviridis, Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Hist. N. Amer. B. i. p. 327, note (1874). Tachycineta cyaneoviridis, Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 121 (1885). T. uropygio dorso coiicolore : subtus albus : supracaudalibus chalybeis : dorso viridescente : cauda valde furcata : uropygii lateribus miuime albis : macula alba supraoculari nulla. Hab. in insulis Baliamensibus. Adult male. General colour above oil-green with a steel-blue gloss, the latter more pronounced on the lower rump and upper tail-coverts; wing-coverts blackish, externally steel-blue or bluish green, the least series greener and more like the back ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, externally glossed with steel-blue, the secondaries rather brighter steel-blue, and green on their edges; tail much forked, the feathers black glossed with steel-blue; head and neck like the back, as also the sides of the crown and upper margin of the ear-coverts; lores blackish, as also the feathers immediately below the eye; cheeks, ear-coverts, and entire under surface of body white, including the under wing-coverts and axillaries, sides of upper breast like the back ; quills dusky below ; " bill and feet black " (C B. Cory). Total length 5'9 inches, culmcu U-3."j, wing 4'6, tail 3, tarsus 0*45. Differs from T. thalassiaus in its strongly forked tail and larger size, in the absence of tlie white spot above the eye, and in the totally different colour of the upper parts, in which tliiTc is an absolute absence of any purplish shade. Young. Brown above with a strong lustre of oily green, a little more pronounced on the back ami wini^- coverts ; head and upper tail-coverts more sooty brown, as also the upper margin of tin- car- coverts ; cheeks, ear-coverts, and under surface of body wliitc, with a patch of sooty brown on the sides of the upper breast. Total length 5-5 inches, culincn (J- 1, wing .'i-'J.'). tail 'J-'.', tarsus 0" 15. Hob. Bahama Islands. This Swallow has as yet not been met with away from the Jialiama^. Its nearest ally is '/'. Ihalassimis of North America, but it dilFers from tliat species in its larL,'er size ami stronij'ly forked tail, in tlic absence of the white spot above the eye. and in Hn' I.ilallv diiFerent colour of the upper parts, from which there is an absolute absence of any purplish shade. The Bahama Swallow was first made known to science by the late Dr. Bryant, who gave the following note upon the s^iecies : — - "This Swallow, which I have been unable to find described, is one of the most beautiful species inhabiting North America. I saw them during the whole of my stay at Nassau, but only on the first mile of the road leading to the west end of the island. They were so abundant there that tliirty or forty could be seen at almost all times. The flight was more like that of H. horreonim than S. hlcolor. They generally followed the road up and down, seldom flying high, but skimming along near the ground. I did not succeed in finding their nests, and could not ascertain Avhether it bred on the island or not. I killed no specimen after the 28th of April ; up to this date the genital organs exhibited no appearance of excitement. The stomachs of those dissected contained entirely small dipterous insects, some of them extremely minute." Mr. C. B. Cory, in his ' Birds of the Bahama Islands,' writes : — " The beautiful little Bahama Swallow seems to be restricted to the Bahama Islands. A few were seen on Andros Island in January, but they were flying high, and we were unable to shoot them. During the month of June they became very abundant in the neighbourhood of Nassau, and I was able to procure a fine series of specimens. In their habits they do not seem to differ from our common species {T. hlcolor), except pei'haps that they are not as quick in their movements. Their food seems to be entirely insecti- VOl'OUS." Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway believe that the species may probably occur on the coast of Florida. Our descriptions are derived from two specimens in the Salvin-Godman collection, to which they were presented by Mr. Cory. The figure is taken from one of the same birds. APPENDIX TO THE GENUS TACHYCINETA. TACHYCINETA ALBIVENTRIS [«»to^, p. 139]. Add :— Tachycineta alhiventris, Lawr. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 450 (1878) ; AUeu, liull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 79 (1889) ; Eiker & Chapman, Auk, vii. p. -KM (1890). Mr. Allen records a specimen collected near Reyes, in Bolivia, in Juue. It was obtained by Dr. Rusby, who says it is common about houses. Mr. Clarence Hiker noticed this species as common about water near Santarem from June to August in 1S87. Mr. Lawrence has given a list of the birds of Guadeloupe by Dr. L'Herminier, and this Swallow is included, but no one has seen it from the island, and there is doubtless some error in the determination. For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 31 [Map]. TACHYCINETA LEUCORRHOUS [«»/.«, p. U3]. Add: — Tachycineta leucorrhoa, Scl. & Iluds. Argent. Orn. i. p. 30 (ISSS) ; Graham Kerr. Ibis, 1892, p. 121; Holland, t. c. p. 195. A MALE was procured at Fortin Page during the Pilcomayo Expedition by Mr. Graham Kerr on the 2nd of September, 1890. Mr. A. II. Holland found it the latest arrival of all the Swallows at Estancia Espartilla, Buenos Ayres, and it was the earliest to depart. It breeds in disused holes of Oeocitta cunicularia, making a nest of liay, lined with feathers at its inmost point. The eggs were six in number. It breeds at the end of October. For the geographical distribution of this species, cide infra, I'lale :)2 | Map]. TACHYCINETA ALBILINEA [antea, p. 149]. Add:— Tachycineta alUUnea, Nutting, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 392 (1883). Since writing our article on this species the following specimens have been received by Messrs. Salvin and Godman :— " Tampico, February to June ( W. B. BicJiardson) ; Vega del Casadero, Vera Cruz, December (Jf. Trujillo) ; Eio Papagaio, 1200 feet. State of Guerrero, October {Mrs. S. H. Smith) ; Cayo, British Honduras {F. Blancaneaux) ." Mr. Nutting, in his notes on the birds of Nicaragua, observes: — "Abundant. Generally seen along the shore of the lake, sitting on the dead trees overhanging the water, whence it makes short excursions after insects much in the manner of Flycatchers." For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 32 [Map]. TACHYCINETA MEYENI [rm^^a, p. 153]. Add : — Tachycineta meyeni, Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 79 (1889) ; Scl. Ibis, 1891, p. 16 ; Holland, Ibis, 1892, p. 196. Dk. Rusbt procured this species at the Falls of the Madeira River, Bolivia, in October. He says it is more of a river Swallow than T. albiventris, frequenting the vicinity of streams. Since writing our account of this species Mr. A. H. HoUand has met with it at the Estancia Espartilla, near Ranchos, on the Southern Railway of Buenos Ayres. It is curious that the species was not met with by Mr. Hudson during his long residence near Buenos Ayres, and it is an interesting fact if the bird is a recent visitor to the neighbourhood. Mr. Holland writes: — "This Martin is the commonest of the family here, arriving late in July and departing in April, although many remain with us all the year round, retiring on the coldest nights to the long paja-grass, from which one revises them as one rides along. In the daytime these birds hawk around travellers, catching the numberless insects roused by them. The nest is placed in Oven-birds' nests, holes in trees, spouts, and under eaves ; it is composed of a little straw, thickly lined with numberless soft feathers. The eggs are six in number, white, and rather blunt. It breeds in the middle of October." For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 35 [Map]. TACHYCINETA BICOLOR [«»^^«, p. 155]. Add :— Tacliyclneta bicolor, Belding, Occ. Papers Calif. Acad. Sci. ii. p. 189 (1890) ; Chapman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. iii. p. 149 (1890) ; Palmer, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xiii. p. 265 (1890) ; Thompson, t. c. p. 610 ; Scott, Auk, vii. p. 312 (1890) ; Eagle Clarke, t. c. p. 322 ; K. H. Lawrence, Auk, ix. p. 16 (1892) ; Dwight, t. c. p. 138 ; Coombs, t. c. p. 206 ; Scott, t. c. p. 213 ; Attwater, t. c. p. 310 ; Hatch, B. Minnesota, p. 351 (1892) ; Cory, Cat. West Ind. B. p. 115 (1892) ; C. Hart Merriam, N.-Amer. Pauu. no. 7, p. Ill (1893) ; AUen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. V. p. 40 (1893). Mr. Eagle Clarke states that a specimen from Port Churchill, Hudson's Bay, is in the Gillespie collection in the Edinburgh Museum. Mr. William Palmer states that he saw this species on the Magdalen and Mingan Islands, though not abundantly. Mr. Hatch gives an interesting note on the species in Minnesota, from which we make a few extracts : — " This bird loses no time in making its northern migrations as soon as there is to be found an appropriate supply of food. Quite early in April, when the sun has driven away the cheerless clouds enough to let his rays begin to warm the recently frozen earth a little, and clusters of tiny forms of insect life begin to occupy the air, the White-bellied Swallows, often accompanied by the Purple ]\Iartins, appear suddenly upon the scene, in limited numbers, as avant-courriers of the hosts to come when the question of food-supply has been assured. Sometimes, after a few hours spent here, as described, in connection with the Purple Martins, they leave as suddenly and as completely as they came, and are not seen for five, ten, or even fifteen days, if the season remains exceptionally backward ; yet there have been years when, all of the conditions referred to being continuously unfavourable, they have come early and remained. The time of average arrival may be set down at about the 12th of April in the southern part of the State, not much time therefore passing before they reach all parts of it. In 188 !• they were not in the more southern tier of counties till the 27th of ^Vpril, \\ hin'oas in 1875, according to my notes, they arrived in the latitiule of Minneapolis hy the "^th, nnd in 1885 on the 7th of the month They retire from the State exceptiDually early, not even Avaiting for the first frost, and they are usually gone by the 2."th of August. In 1870 Mr. W. L. Tiffany, a very competent observer, reported them clean gone, as well as the Purple Martins, on tlie 23rd of that moutli. Tlieir d(>parture on that occasion was noticed by many observers (jf the habits of tlu' l)ir(ls, as ilicrc was an unusual demonstration of preparation by lioth species for many liours lirlur.- I lie Hist movement took place." Mr. Dwin;ht states that in the Pennsvlvanian Allcghanies the \\'liiti>-hi'llic(l 3 J' Swallow was observed by him "only on North Mountain, where one or two pairs were nestino- in a barn.'' Mr. Coombs, in his notes from St. Mary's, Louisiana, observes that it is a spring and autumn migrant, remaining for a longer period in the latter season. He noticed flis:hts as late as the 25th of November. In the Caloosahatchie region of Plorida Mr. "W. C. D. Scott states that the present species is not only a migrant, but that enough remain during the winter to allow the species to be regarded as resident, and not casual, at that season. The same careful observer found this Swallow on the Tortugas off Western Florida, but it was not common. A small flock made its appearance on the 29th of March, and remained near by all that day and part of the next. There were in all about a dozen birds, two of which were procured. Mr. Attwater records it as a common migrant near San Antonio, in Texas. According to Mr. Streator, this species is a common summer resident in the coast- region of British Columbia, and breeds there. Mr. John Fannin found that it was more abundant east of the Cascades. Mr. Belding gives some additional notes on this species in his paper on the birds of the Pacific District : — At San Diego he says that it is " of occasional occurrence in winter; not seen at Campo and 60 miles south in May, 1884. Perhaps none breed so far south as San Diego, where it was abundant in Pebruary, but not seen after the 1st of April." At Santa Cruz, San Jose, and Marysville, it is an abundant summer resident. Near Stockton on the 5th and 6th December he noticed about a hundred specimens. He also saw on December 5, 1878, a large flock. On January 18, 1855, he saw hundreds or thousands in a drive of six miles in the country. The next day being densely foggy, none were seen. It is a very common summer resident of Central California, more especially in the valleys and foot-hills, nesting about buildings as well as in knot-holes of trees in the country. He saw a pair carrying grass into a knot-hole at Stockton as early as March 25, 1879. Mr. Belding's dates of the arrival of this Swallow, derived from many sources, show that it has been noticed in California as early as the 18th of January, and many instances are given of its arrival in Pebruary. In British Columbia its arrival is later, as Mr. Pannin noticed its arrival on the 13th of March, while Mr. Anthony gives the 4th of April as its arrival in Oregon. Dr. C. Hart Merriam's account of the Death Valley Expedition contains the following note : — " White-bellied Swallows were seen in a few places during migration. Several were seen at Ash Meadows, Nevada, March 12, and a number near the Colorado Eiver, March 10-13. At Purnace Creek, Death Valley, it was common about the reservoir, March 23-24, and again in the middle of April. A few were seen in Johnson Canon in the Panamint Ilange, April 4, and Mr, Nelson observed stragglers at the head of Willow Creek, in the same range, the last of May." In his paper on the birds collected in North-eastern Sonora and North-western Chiliualiua, Mr. Allen records the White-bellied Swallow from San Diego, on the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre, from tlie 24th to the 26th of February. Eor the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 35 [Map]. TACHYCINETA THALASSINUS [«»im, p. 175]. Add:— Tachycineta thalassina, Belding, Occ. Papers Calif. Acad. Sci. ii. p. 191 (1890) ; C. Hart Merriam, N. Amer. Pauna, no. 3, p. 98 (1890) ; id. N. Amer. Pauna, no. 5, p. 104 (1891) ; P. H. Lawrence, Auk, ix. pp. 46, 356 (1892) ; Anthony, t. c. p. 367 ; C. Hart Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, no. 7, p. Ill (1893) ; Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. v. p. 40 (1893). In his paper on the birds of Idaho, Dr. C. Hart Merriam writes : — " I found this species abundant along Snake Hiver and Big Lost River in July. Common in Birch Creek Valley until the middle of August ; a few seen afterward." The same author observed the species also common in the parks of the pine plateau of San Prancisco. Mr. P. H. Lawrence, writing of the birds of Gray's Harbour, Washington Co., says that the Violet-and-Green Swallow was a pretty common summer resident on the harbour, especially at Hoquiam. None Avere noticed at Stevens Prairie, but it was common at Acosta in April, and Mr. La^^Tence also noticed two individuals of the species at Astoria in Oregon on the 27th of March. During the Lumholtz ArchE3eological Expedition to North-eastern Sonora and North- western Chihuahua, the present species is recorded by Mr. Allen as having been obtained at Bisbec and San Pedro in South-eastern Arizona, in July and August, and again at San Diego on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre on the 25th of Pebrtiary. Mr. Belding, in his paper on the birds of the Pacific District, has given some interesting notes on this bird's distribution which add considerably to our article given above. He writes : — " Not noticed immediately on the coast abottt San Diego, ■\\ here trees are scarce. My latest Californian record is ' Big Trees, September 25,' though Dr. Cooper saw a large flock, Santa Cruz, Oct. 5. I have never found it breeding in the valleys of the northern half of the State, where it is seen as a rare migrant. Al Murpliy's, breeding in cliffs with Micropus n/elaiioleucus." Mr. Henshaw says that it is an " extremely abundant sturimev visitant in certain portions of Eastern California and Western Nevada, as, for instance, at Pyramid Lake. Thousands resort to the niches and holes in the faces of rocks for nesting-sites. In ihe mountains, where it is also abundant, it selects for tiiis i)ur[)()so tlio deserted lioles of Woodpeckers, giving preference to those in oaks." In the Volcan Mountains, Mr. O. Emerson noticed live birds living]: about for three hours on St. Patrick's Day, when the snow was two inclies dee]). He .-ilso not iced a Hock on the 30th of March, and on the 1st of April tlie birds were IrcMpienting the 3 r 2 6 oak trees, looking for holes for their summer homes. Mr. F. Stephens says that it is a common summer resident in the San Bernardino Mountains, and it is also a common migrant through the valley. The same excellent observer states that he found it abundant at Agua Caliente in the Colorado Desert, where it was seen every day from the 18th of March to the 15tli of April, when he left the locality. In British Columbia, according to Mr. John Fannin, it is a common summer resident, first seen by him at Buzzard Inlet on the 13th of March, and by the 29th of the same month it was common. The following excellent note is published by Dr. C. Hart Merriam in his account of the birds of the Death Yalley Expedition : — " Tlie Violet-green Swallow is a common summer resident among the mountains, and was frequently seen in the neighbouring valleys while searching for food. Two or three were seen near the upper end of Vegas Wash, Nevada, March 10, and many were observed in Death Valley, at Fiirnace Creek, April 10, and at Saratoga Springs, near the south end, April 26. In Nevada, Dr. Merriam found it common in Pahranagat Valley, May 22-26, saw it on Mount Magruder, June 8, and in Oasis Valley, June 1. In Utah it was common in the Lower Santa Clara Valley, May 11-15. Mr. Nelson found it a common species in the Panamint and Grapevine mountains, where it bred in the crevices of the lofty cliffs, from the summits down to the border of the surrounding valleys. In the former range Violet-green Swallows were common, and a specimen was secured on the summit of Telescope Peak, June 23. " In the Argus range it was common aboiit the summit above Matm'ango Spring, May 12-14, and at Coso four or five came about camp, May 28. " Mr. Nelson saw the species from the lower part of the Saline Valley to the summit of the Inyo Mountains, in June ; up to timber-line in the White Mountains, in July ; and at the heads of Owens and Merced rivers, in the Sierra Nevada, in July and August. In Owens Valley this Swallow was common about the lake at Keeler and at Lone Pine during the first half of June. At the latter place it was seen flying about in company with the Cliff-Swallows, White-throated and Cloud Swifts, at the mouth of the canon, and with the Barn-Swallows over the meadows and marshes. Mr. Stephens found it more or less common in other parts of the valley. It was common along the valley of Kern Hiver, July 3-13 ; in Walker Basin, July 13-16. Dr. Merriam and Mr. Palmer found it abundant at Old Fort Tejon, where it was breeding in oaks and crevices of the adobe buildings ; it was very common about the summit of the Frazier Mountain, July 9, and at the summit of Tejon Pass, July 12. In the High Sierra it was common about the openings at Horse Corral Meadows, August 9-13 ; in King's River Canon, August 13- 16 ; Big Cottonwood Meadows, August 25-26 ; at Soda Springs or Kern E-iver Lakes, September 3 ; and above timber-line at Mineral King, and along the route from that place to Three Rivers in the western foot-hills, September 10-13. Mr. Bailey found the species numerous at Monterey, September 28 to October 9, and Mr. Stephens saw several at Eeche Caiion, Sej)tember 22-2i." For the geographical di;>tribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 34 [Map]. TACHYCINETA CYANEOVIRIDIS [anteh. p. 185]. Add :— Calichelidon cyaiieoviridis, Scott, Auk, vii. pp. 265, 312 (1890). CalUcheUdon ci/aneoviridis, Cory, Cat. West Ind. B. p. 115 (1892). Mr. Scott saw two specimens of this Swallow at Gavdeu Key, Dry Tortui^as, olF tlic west coast of Florida, on the 7th of April, 1890, one of which he managed to secure. For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 31 [Map]. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF '1 Migrator)'. A Am Bird of passage. o Pfia Eemains locally during the winter. CI) CI. Transplanted. ^ To "Winter resident. <:5» lie Arctic Sub-Eegion 1. T. albiventris T. leucorrhous 3. T. alhilinea i. T. meyeni 5. T. hicolor 6. T. ihalassinws 7. T. cyaneoviridis Nearctic Region. Cold Temperate Sub-Kegioa. 1. P. horhonica 2. P. madagascariensis 3. P. brazzce Warm Temperate Sub-Region. Humid ProTince. .2 o .&0 Arid Province. ■SPh cPh' Neotropical Region. Central American Sub-Region. 6C 1^ a o o o o f^ p o o o Eurasia: Sub-Eegii .i3 O Q 1 I I [NERA TACHYCINETA AND PHEDINA. y Guest. f Wanderer. I Generally V nesting. In colonies J Ethiopian Region. i:>Asiatic Inon. ^ Pi g H en to o South-African Sub-Region. Indian Region. o u Australian Region. ^■ 3 jr to to W ^ o K jD Z/l CO o <^, o Genus V. PIIEDINA. I'v |JC. Phedina, Bp. Rivist. Conterap. Torino, 1857, p. 4 P. boi-lj()iiic((. Itanye. Islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, and Reunion. Also occurring un the Congo in West AtVica. Clans s^ecierum. a. Guttur et prsepectus fnscescentes. a'. Subtiis omniuo saturate cineracca, nigro obscure striolata ... 1. borbonica, ]). 'JOl. b'. (iuttur et prjepnctus cinerca, nigro striolata: abdoniine albo . . 2. madaffii.scarii'nsis, ]>. '2i)'). b. Gastneum totum album, nigro striolatum 3. br(tzza!,\). 2^)7. A\ -.J - -^-c- \-i^ PHEITINA BORBONICA. Iviinx,K"rri Broa- PHEDINA BORBONICA (Gm.). BOURBON STRIPED SWALLOW. La Grande Illrondelle hriinc a ventre tachete, oil V Kirondelle des Bles, IMontb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 09i (1779). Hirondelle de Visle de Bourbon, Daubent. PI. Enl. vii. pi. 5i4. Wheat Swalloic, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 581 (1783). mrundo borbonica, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1017 (1788) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 58 (181(5) ; Schl. & Pollen, Hist. Nat. Madag., Ois. p. 68 (1868, pt.) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 71, no. 834 (1869). Cotyle borbonica, Bp. Consp. i. p. 312 (1850). Fhedina borbonica, Bp. C. Pt. sli. p. 977 (185-1) ; id. Eivist. Coutemp. Torino, 1857, p. 4 ; E. Newton, Ibis, 18G1. p. 271 ; Maill. Notes Rrunion, p. 13 (1863) ; E. Newton, Ibis, 1862, p. 270, note; id. Ibis, 1863, p. 310, note; Coquercl, Alli. Ileuniou, 1865, pp. 19, 20, fig. 2; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 295 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 45 (1871); A. & E. Newt. Ibis, 1876, p. 284; Hartl. Yog. Madag. p. (13 (1877); Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 122 (1885); E. Newton, Trans. Norfolk Nat. Soc. iv. p. 549 (1888). P. saturate bruimca, anguste iiigro striolata : alls caudrique nigricantibus coiicoloribus : loris et facie lateiali saturate brunneis : suljtus brunnea, latius nigro striolata, gutture, abdomine inio et sul>- caudalibus albicaiitioribus. Hah. in iiisulis Mascarenis, '^Mauritius ■" et ' Reunion ' dictis. Adult. Above dark greyish bronn, the centres of the feathers marked down the sliaft ivitii ;i iiarrciw streak of Ijluck, vei-j- distinct on the rump; wing-coverts dark bhtckish brown: quills lilack above, greyisli underneath ; tail blackish brown above, dark brown beneath, ])aler on tlie inner webj lores black ; cheeks, sides of the neck, and breast greyish brown, with darker sliaft-stri))es ; rest of the under surface of the body white, longitudinally striped with dark brown, tiic u|i|ht part of the breast and flanks somewhat greyish: "bill and feet black: iris brown'" Pollen). Total length u'4 inches, wing 4G5, tail 2. Hull, ^lauritias and La Rcuni on. Fi:OM the notes wbieli ;ire given beluw it will be seen Ibat Ibis Swallow is in il;ni-i'r of iK'CDming extinct, and there cannot be the slightest dould tint it exists now in iiiinlully diminished numbers in places where it Avas common one liundicil ycins au'". Writing of the species in 177!', ]\lontbcillard gave the follow ing n.dc on its habits in 2.V La Reunion : — " The A'icomte de Querboent has frequently observed tbese Swallows flying about in the neighbourhood of a cutting wliieh he had made in one of the moun- tains, and this induced him to believe that the birds roosted for the night in holes in the ground or in clefts of the rocks, like our Sand-Martins and Swifts. They nest in all probability in the same holes, and this is the more likely, as their nests are not known elsewhere in the island. The onlv information which this o-entleman could s-ain respecting the nidification of the species in La Reunion was derived from an old Creole, who informed him that the breeding-season was in September and October, that he had taken many nests in caves and holes in the rocks, that the nests were composed of straw and feathers, and that all the eggs which he had seen were greyish white, minutely dotted with brown." Sir Edward Xewton in his " Ornithological Notes from Mauritius," published in ' The Ibis ' for 1861, wa-ote as follows : — "This very local species is tolerably common. They seem fond of feeding over the sand at low water and sitting on it, after the manner of Sand Martins in England, uttering at the same time a most peculiar whistle for a Martin. When flying they have a notewliich very nuicli resembles that of a Bee-eater, as far as my recollection goes of that bird's cry when passing through Egypt iu 1859. These birds are also given to perching on trees ; and I noticed three that were in the habit of taking up their position on the same bough every day at about the same hour, probably awaiting the falling of the tide. They are, I think, early breeders. In a small cavern on the western face of the east side of the Bale du Cap, I saw several, and, from their manner, I am certain that they either had nests or were about to build. I observed one which had its back of a dark ash-brown ; I had no gun with me at the time, and the individual never showed itself again." In his address recently delivered, as President of the Norfolk and Norwich Natural History Society, Sir Edward speaks of this Swallow : — " Tliat other birds of Mauritius are dwindling in numbers there is, I think, no doubt. Since my residence in the island, a law has been passed which affords them, I trust, some protection, and may possibly preserve them to future generations. Yet there is one which very nearly came to an end in my time, and though not quite extinct in the island, I may just mention the circumstance relating to it. This is a Swallow or Martin belonging to the genus Phediiia, and is one of the few land-birds that is found in Mauritius and Reunion. In Mauritius it seems, so far as my experience goes, to have been always very local, and its numbers were so much reduced by a cyclone which ravaged the island betweeii the 12th and 17th Eebruary, 18C1, that I never afterwards saw but three or four from that time till my departure in 1878." The following note is taken from Mr. Pollen's account of the species in the ' Eaune de Madagascar ' : — " AVitli regard to tlie species in Reunion, M. Coquerel says: — ^'This Swallow, which is found in ]\lauritius and Madagascar, is common in Ptcunion. A very remark- able variety, which is knowu in this country under the name of the Hirondelle des i/alein, and which rests, in fact, on the shiugie of the sea-side banks, constitutes perhaps a distinct species : it is a little larger, with the bill stronger, the tarsus and the toes are more slender, and the claws less stout and longer; the upper part of the body and tail and the larger quills have less buff in the brown, and the uuderparts of the body are clear grey streaked with brown. This indicates a bird similar to that of Madagascar, ])ut it probably does not diifer from true II. borboiiica, except by being in fiilh'r plumage. "This species is becoming every day rarer in the island of Reunion as well as in Mauritius, and, as a matter of fact, it is confined to certain localities; we have (jljservcd it in the mountains situated between La Possession and the town of St. Paul, principally near the manufactory of our good friend Retout. These birds often rest on brandies of trees or on rocks, but it is a mistake when the illustrious BuflFou pretends that they tly round about the ships which happen to be in the roads : their flight is very swift and resembles that of our Swallows. According to M. Jean E^etout, a clever hunter living at Possession, this species is also found in the Savannah which extends bet« een that place and St. Paul, and is known as the Point des galets ; the inhabitants of Reunion pretend that of this species, which they call the Hirondelle des hies, there is found a variety to which they give the distinguishing name oi Hirondelle des galets. I furnished some notes as well as a figure of this species to our friend M. Coquerel, who has inserted them in his memoir in the fourth volume of his album of La Reunion." The description and figure of this species are taken from a specimen in the Britisli Museum. Ai "*» i •■^ '■^^ !—=<. ^3>:a *s- ■^« S-Vf-; PHKDINA MADAG/VSO.RIEI1S1S. M-.r-.torn firos . inip. PHEDINA MADAGASCARIENSIS, iiarti. MADAGASCAR STRIPED SWALLOW. Fragile borbonica (nee Gm.), Cnss. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Philacl. Acad. p. 10 (1853). FhecUna maclac/asearieiisis, Hartl. J. f. O. 1860, ]). 83 ; id. Beitr. Faun. Madag. p. :^7 (1861) ; Vinson, Voy. Madag. p. 201 (1865) ; Sliarpe, P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 295, 388 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 46 (1871) ; id. P. Z. S. 1875, p. 78 ; Hartl. Vog. Madag. p. 65 (1877); Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus, x. p. 123 (1885). Phedina, sp. iudet., Rocli & E. Newt. Ibis, 1862, p. 270 ; E. Xewt. Ibis, 1863, p. 270. Hirti}idoborbonica,Sch\. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 421 (pt.) ; id. & Pollen, Hist. Nat. Madag., Ois. p. 68 (1868, pt.). Fhedina horbomca, var. madagascariensis, Milne-Edwards & Grandid. Hist. Nat. Madag. xii. Ois. p. 395, pis. 150, 151, 164 a (1883). P. similis P. borbonicee, sed magis cinerascens, et subtus albicans minimi fumosa. Hab. in insula ' Madagascar ' dicta. Adult. Above rather pale brownish grey, the shafts of all the feathers being distinctly marked ; ^ving- coverts and quills blackish brown, the latter paler underneath ; tail dark brown, somewhat lighter on the inner webs; lores black ; cheeks, side of the neck, and breast greyish brown, with darker shaft-stripes ; rest of the under surface of the body white, with thin longitudinal stripes : the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts pure wliitc, the shafts of the feathers only indicated by a narrow line of brown ; sides of the breast and flanks greyish brown : " bill black ; feet dark brown " [Grandidier). Total length 5*.5 inches, wing 4-7, tail 2. The greater length of the under tail-coverts in the Madagascar bii'd noticed by us ( P. Z. .^ . 1870, p. 389) does not seem to hold good, on examining the series in the Museum. Tlie wing in the ]Madagascar bird varies from 4"45 to 4"85 inches. The Reunion birds have the wing I'.'ID, tin; Mauritius ones 4"7 to 4' 75. The Madagascar birds are easily distinguished by their lighter and greyer colour, wliitc abdomen, and nearly white under tail-coverts, which have only a black shaft-line; in the Mauritins and Bourbon bird the brown colour overshadows the nholc of the uiulerparts, and there is \w\w of the grey colour on the ujipcr surface; the under tail-coverts, as a rule, partake of tlie dingy colour of the under surface, but they are decidedly wliiler in some s[)cciniens than in otlicrs, and show only brown mottlings and black shaft-lines, but they are never so white as the Madagiusear bird. Hab. Madagascar. By the majority of writers this species is only considered to be a furni or race of p. horhonica of La E,eunion and Mauritius, but the constancy of the characters on which it has been separated from that l)ird convinces us that these two Swallows are really distinct species. The accounts of the habits of P. madagascariensis vary little from those of its relative in Mauritius, concerning which more details have been jiublished by travellers. M. Grandidier, in his splendid worii: on the Natural History of Madagascar, gives the following note : — " The Fhedina of Madagascar, which is common throughout the Avhole island, has the same habits as other Swallows. It is as lively and as graceful in its movements as our familiar European species, and, like that bird, it courses unceas- ingly over the open ground in pursuit of its insect-prey, but it is not so familiar as our //. rustica is with mankind. It is not uncommonly seen perched on the branches of a tree, as well as on rocks. Coquerel says that in La E-eunion Fhedina borhonlca con- structs its nest in caverns, the nest being of plastered earth attached to the face of the rocks. It is probable that the Madagascar race nests in the caverns which are found in the northern parts of the island, or in the fractures in the great blocks of granite which are so frequent in Madagascar. The eggs are white, dotted with clear brown, more abundantly at the larger end. " These birds are called by the same name as the Swifts : IlaiKwiandro (lit. ' Bats of the day ') ; FUUiandro or Voroiiaiidro (lit. ' Birds of the day ') ; or Sldintsidina (lit. ' Something which flies without cessation '). The Hovas call it Kiriodamtra, the Bet- sileo and Antaimorona people Firiringa ; the Bara and the Antanala Firio, words whose root seems to be rioiia or r'mgito, which mean ' galloping through the sky or passing rapidly by without stopping.' " Notes on the osteology of Phed'ma, with excellent figures, are given by Professor Alphonse Milne-Edwards in the work above quoted. Messrs. Pollen and Van Dam remark: — "The habits of the Madagascar bird are the same as those of the La Reunion species. During our stay at Ambassuana on the 7th of October, 186-1, we were witness to the assembly of a large band of these Swallows before tlieir flight, when they formed a formidable crowd. They mounted in the air, crossing hither and thither, before going off in a south-westerly direction, and uttering continuous cries. Among the Sakalava of the north this Swallow is called Manawry. "We have met with it also in Nossi-Be, near the lake of Pombylaba." The Rev. Deans Cowan informs me that he procured eggs of a Swallow in caverns; they are now in the possession of Mr. Stoate of Burnham, who has identified them as the eggs of the present species. The descriptions and figure are taken from s^jeciniens in the British Museum. ">«t!S^ m \,iM& "^ ^ Mintern Broii PHZDIN/v BRAZZAE. PHEDINA BRAZZ^, Oustaht. DE BEAZZA'S STRIPED SWALLOW. Pheclina brazzce, Oustalet, Le Naturaliste, July 1886, p. 300. P. similis P. madagascariensi, sed subtus omnino alba, nigro striolata, gutture miaime cineraceo distinguenda. Hab. in regione Cougica Africse occidentalis. Adult male. All the upper surface of the body silky brown, slightly glossed with green on the wings and tail, and slightly streaked in an in-egular manner with brown on the head and back ; the chin, throat, and abdomen are of a silvery white, with very well-defined brown streaks on the centre of the feathers. These streaks, very fine on the throat and breast, become rather larger on the flanks, and especially on the under tail-coverts; they are also distinguishable, but less distinctly marked, on the under wing-coverts : " bill, feet, and iris bronze " [De Bra^za) . Total length about 7 inches, wing 3*9, tail 2*2. {E. Oustalet.) Hab. Nganciou station. River Congo. The discovery of a species of Pheclina in the Congo Eegion is a very interesting fact, as the genus has hitherto been supposed to be peculiar to Madagascar and tiic Mascarcue Islands. When we were in Paris last we had only time to lake a hurried look at the type of P. hrazzcB, and were not able to compare it critically with P. horhonlca ; but it certainly appeared to be a true Phedina, and quite distinct from P. horhomca and P. y/idch'i/o.s- cariensis. It is a much smaller bird than the two last-named species, and lias no grey on the throat, the under surface being entirely white with blackish streaks. The type specimen, marked a male, was obtained by M. de Erazza at a jiost called Ganciu or Nganciou, on the Congo, on the 19th of July, 1881'. The figure in tiie Plate has been drawn I'ruin a sketcli of llic typical specimen made for us by Mr. Keulemans when he was last in Paris. Tlic description has been translated from the original one of Dr. Oustalet. Eor the geographical distribution of tliis species, cldc iiij'rh. Plate I."! [ Map]. ;? L APPENDIX TO THE GENUS PHEDINA. PHEDINA BORBONICA [««i^«, p. 201]. - Add:— Tor the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 43 [Map PHEDINA MADAGASCARIENSIS [antea, ^. 205]. Add:— Eor the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra, Plate 43 [Map] . J_ ^ c^^V-) ' \j ■-13 u /, 4 L--" s \ Q^^S^JS M ''V. ., .„ ^-^r-^ o to ^\ I i#- V. '/. .^-> ■ " =^l '• C'cn^h ^^, •■X z lu 111 43°- 1 CO ..— -tl " S^f^ S ■■13 5 "Ax-, ^C 14 F\\ :^ .^,- 'A V. 1' u z Pi DO c?) 5^ ~s ri_4 ^V^ ' V ■^ s ? -' ¥^^ /"■ ^ M ^" ^^^^^ 34,.' „7V~^;f^-^ r^:^ , •?£ i . «•■ ■:> -J ,nJi- ^ 5 Genus VI. HIRUNDO. Type. Hb'undo, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 343 (1766, pt.). Hiruudo, Schaeffer, Elem. Oru., Genus 100, pi. xl. (1779j . . . U. rustica. Chelidon, T. Forster, Syn. Cat. Brit. B. p. 55 (1817) II. rustica. Cecropis, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 971 S. capensis. Uromifriis, Bp. Rivist. Contemp. Torino, 1857, p. 4 H.filifera. Hemicecropis, B^). torn. cit. p. 1 S. dimidiata. Lillia, Boie, J. f. 0. 1858, p. 364. M. rufala. Waldeula, Sliarpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 461 E. nigrita. Ranr/e. Nearly cosmopolitan. Clavis speciernm. a. Dorsum posticum eturopygium nitid^ caeruleo-nigra, noteeo reliquo concoloria. a'. Pileiirn cseruleo-nigrum : froas rufa. a". Guttur inteuse rufum. a". Majores : ala4'5-4"8 poll. : cauda longa, alaj apicem vakle excedens : subcaudales rufaj, aut albse rufo tinctEe. a*. Torques prsepectoralis nigra, lata, interdum rufo medialiter maculata, miuime interrupta. a'. Subtus alba, aut liCte rufa ((^ sestiv.) .... 1. rustica, i^. 213. b\ Subtus castanea 2. savignii, p. 237. 6^ Torques prajpectoralis interrupta. c^ Subtus alba, vix rufo tincta 3. gutturalis, p. 241. d\ Subtus castanea 4. tijtleri, p. 249. e''. Subtus cervina 5. erytJirogastra, p. 253. b'" . Minores : ala 4'15— 4"2 poll., cauda; apicem excedens : torques proepectoralis nulla. c*. Rectrices baud albo maculatae G. taliiticu, p. 27j. d\ Reetricum pogonium internum albo maciilatum. /^ Subcaudales fumoso-brunnepe. a'. Reetricum macula; albte parv;e et traus- Tersim positie. a' . Abdomen albidum : pectus et corporis latera saturate fumoso-brunnca : aliu Cauda; apicem cxcedcutes . ■ I '" ./<"'"'"^") !'• ~''>^- ^iS. iHim'njii, [). 287. 3 I- 2 6'. Pectus et corporis latera pallida fumoso - brunnea : abdomen vix dilutius : alae caudte apicem sequantes . . . ■ 9. neoxena, p. 289. 6^ Rectricum maculae albse magnse^ pogonio interne ferfe dimidiatim albo. c'. Abdomen fumosura 10. anyolensis, p. 293. d\ Abdomen album 11. arcticincta, p. 295. /. Subcaudales albae 12. lucida,\t.2Q7. b". Guttur album vel fulvescens. c'". Major : ala 4"9 poll. : torques prsepectoralis nigra, obvia . 13. albigularis, p. 303. d'". Minor: ala 4'0-4!'35 poll.: torques prsepectoralis medialiter interrupta 14. cethiopica, p. 307. b'. Frons nigro-Cceruleaj pileo concolor. c". Abdomen album. e"'. Secundaria; extus albse 15. leucosoma, p. 311. /'". Secundarise primariis concolores 16. dhnidiata, p. 313. d". Abdomen caerulco-nigrum, notteo concolor. g'". Minor: ala 4' 3 poll. : plaga alba gularis conspicua . . 17. nigrita, ^. 2>\7 . h'". Major : ala 4-5 poll. : guttur totum CEeruleo-nigrum, gas- trffio concolor 18. atroctsrulea, p. 319. e". Abdomen castaneum, gastrseo reliquo concolor : subcaudales purpurascenti-CEerulese 19. nigronifa, p. 325. c'. Pileum totum rufum, capistrum exhibens 20. smithii, p. 327. b. Dorsum posticum et uropygium fumoso-brunnea : pileum quoque fumoso- brunneiim 21. griseopyga, p. 335. e. Dorsum posticum et uropygium ru£a. d'. Pileum rufum. /''. Major: ala 5'1 poll. : subtus angustfe nigro striolata ... 22. cucuUata, ^. 2>?>7 . g". Minor : ala 4'2 poll. : subtiis late nigro striolata 23. puella, p. 341. e'. Pileum cseruleo-nigrum, dorso concolor. h". Subtiis nigro striolata, plumarum scapis nigris, obviis, latis vel obsoletis. «'". Subtiis fulvescentes aut albescentes. e'. Uropygium cinnamomeum vel castaneum, postic^ albescens 24. rufula, p. 347. /■*. Uropygium castaneum, concolor, rariiis posticfe albescens. h\ Ala 4-9-5 '3 poll. c°. Uropygium vix nigro striolatum : subtus rufo tincta, vix nigro striolata .... 25. daurica, p. 357. rf°. Uropygium distincte nigro striolatum : sub- tiis albescens, conspicu^ nigro striolata . . 26. striolata, 361. i\ Ala 4-3-4-7 poll. e'. Subtus distinct^ nigro striolata .... 27. nipalensis, p. 365. 3 f^. Subtus indistinct^ striolata 28. enjlhropi/i/ia, i). 371. cf . Subtiis obsolete striolata^ lineolis scapalibus yix ob%'iiSj interdum absentibus. e'. Major : ala 47 poll. : gastraeum vix rufesccnte tinctum : subalares con- colores 29. melanocrissa. p. 379. /'. Minor : ala -i'4 poll. : gastraeum sericeo- album : subalares concolores . . 30. domicella, p. 381. g''. I\Iajor : ala 4'9 poll. : gastrfeum pallide castaneum : guttur pallidius . . 31. e/?H'?zz, p. 383. h!" . Subtiis intense castanere. g\ Minor : ala 4-55 poll. : subtiis distinct^ nigro strio- lata 32. hyperythra, p. 389. A\ Major: ala 4'8-5'3 poll.: subtiis obsolete nigro striolata 33. badia, p. 393. i". Subtiis rufescentes vel pallida Castanet. /"'. ]\Iinores : ala minime 5"3 poll, longa : guttur rufum, gas- f 34. semirvfa, p. 395. f34. I35. traeo reliquo concolor C35. gordoni, i). 397. ml". jMajores : ala 5'7 poll. : guttur albicans. i*. Rectrices baud albo maculatce 36. senegalensis, p. 399. k^. Rectrices albo maculatse 37. monteiri, p. 403. d. Uropygium metallic^ viride^ notseo reliquo concolor : subtiis pure sericeo- albae. /. Suprk aureo-senea 38. euchrysea, -p. 407 . g' . Supra metallice cbalybeo-viridis, vix cuprescens 39. sclateri, p. 409. i^.i*.. ■'a,;'. ■.* "-•,;C^8''^--'- "'- HIRUNDO RUSTICA. (SOUTH AFRICA.) Mmt-e-pn Broa . mp. C WW del. Mmtern Bros ■ imp- HIRUNDO RUSTICA. ( YO U N G .) r"- ■iUj^-'' ^... V \ ) ■' ?T^-\' .''5' ^^■^^'■^'' ^•>'^^^— ~_^ \' 'i 1 iw^^— ' "'-^^£02^-^'^'*-^ '■''^' ' ' C.W.W. del. HIRUNDO RUSTIC A. Mintem Bros , arsp- HIRUNDO RUSTICA, /.. CHIMNEY-SWALLOW. L' Sirondelle de Cheminee, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 486 (1760) ; Daubcnt. PI. Eul. vii. pi. 543. fig. 1 ; Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 591, pi. 25. fig. 1 (1779). Hirundo rtistica, Jjinn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 343 (1760); Tcmm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. i27 (1820) ; Roux, Orn. Proveng. pi. 141 (1825) ; Werner, Atlas, Chelidoues, pi. 1 (1827) ; Menetr. Cat. rais. Cauc. p. 45 (1832) ; Naum. Vog. Deutschl. vi. pi. 145. fig. 1 (1833) ; Gould, B. Eur. ii. pi. 54 (1837) ; Schl. & Susem. Vog. Eur. vi. Taf. 2. fig. 1 (1839); Macgill. Brit. B. iii. p. 558 (1840); Keys. u. Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. 196 (1840) ; Nordm. in Demid. Voy. Euss. Merid. iii. p. 201 (1840) ; Yarrcll, Brit. B. ii. p. 213 (1843) ; Hodgs. Icon. ined. in Mus. Brit., Passeres, pi. 8 (no. 331) ; id. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 82(1814); Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 57 (1845); Huttou, J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 781 (1847) ; Gray, Cat. Fissir. Brit. Mus. p. 22 (1848) ; Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 197 (1849, pt.) ; Thomps. N. H. Ireland, i. p. 374 (1849); Bp. Consp. i. p. 338 (1850); Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 46 (1850); Kjterb. Orn. Dan. Eugle, pi. xiv. fig. 4 (1852); Schl. Vog. Nederl. pi. 57 (1854) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E. I. Co. Mus. i. p. 91 (1854, pt.) ; Hewits. Eggs Brit. B. i. p. 257, pi. Ixv. figs. 3 & 4 (1856) ; Sundev. Sv. Fogl. pi. xvii. fig. 5 (c. 1856) ; Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 35 (1858) ; Jaub. et Barth.-Lapomm. Ptich. Orn. p. 307 (1859); Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 334; Linderm. Vog. Grieclienl. p. 117 (1860); Naum. Vog. Deutschl., Anhang xiii. Taf. 383. fig. 2 (1860) ; Schl. Dier. Nederl. Vog. pi. 6. fig. 4 (1861) ; Hartl. J. f. O. 1861, p. 103 ; Jerd. B. lud. i. p. 157 (1862) ; Gray, Cat. Brit. B. p. 33 (1863) ; Filippi, Viagg. Pers. p. 346 (1865) ; Bettoni, Ucc. nidif. Lonib, tav. 30 (1865-70); Degl. & Gerbe, Orn. Eur. i. p. 587 (1867); Drake, Ibis, 1867, p. 425 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alger., Ois. ii. p. 64 (1807) ; Borggr. Vogelf. Norddeutschl. p. 100 (1869) ; Doderl. Avif. Sicil. p. 143 (1809) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 786 (1869) ; Keuleui. Onze Vogcls, pi. 10 (1869); Ileugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 150 (1869); Godman, Azores, p. 341 (1870); Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. Beng. xxxix. pt. ii. p. 94 (1870); Frilseh, Vog. Eur. Taf. 2. fig. 4 (1870) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 305 ; id. .^ Dresser, t. c. p. 244; Gillett, Ibis, 1870, p. 306; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Alnss. p. 317 (1870) ; Finsch & Hartl. Vcig. Ostafr.p. 134 (1870) ; 1!. Gray, B. W. Sroil. p. 205 (1871); Saunders, Ibis, 1871, p. 205 ; Jerd. Ibis, 1871, y. 351; Salvad. Faun. Ital. Ucc. p. 51 (1871) ; Sliarpc, Cat. Afr. B. p. 45 (1^71) ; llaitin-, ILandb. J5rit. B. p. 35 (1872); Ilohlsw. V.Z.S. 1872, p. 418; (iiinicy, in Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 50 (1872); Sliclk'v, 15. Egypt, ls72, p. 120; Godiu. Ibis, 1872, p. 01; Antin. & Salvad. Viagg. Bogos, p. 72 (1873) ; Heugl. Orii. N.O.-Afr. iv. App. p. Iv (1873) ; Hume & Henders. Lahore to Yark. p. 176 (1873) ; Brooke, Ibis, 1873, p. 237 ; Goukl, B. Gt. Br. vol ii. p. 5 (1873) ; Hume, Nests & Eggs Ind. B. p. 72 (1873); kL Sir. F. i. p. 161 (1873); Adam, t. c. p. 370; Hume, Str. F. ii. p. 155 (1871); Saxby, B. ShetL p. 147 (1871); Bouvier, Cat. Ois. Marche, p. 9 (1875) ; Reichen. J. f. O. 1875, p. 21 ; Shelley,. Ibis, 1875, p. 67 ; Newton, t. c. p. 272; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 477, pk 160. fig. 1 (1875); Blyth & Wald. B. Burma, p. 126 (1875) ; Beichen. J. f. O. 1875, p. 21 ; Harting, Summer Migr. p. 170 (1875) ; Irby, B. Gibr. p. 103 (1875) ; Eallon, Ois. Belg. p. 123 (1875); Hume, Str. E. iii. p. 451 (pt.) (1875) ; Butler, t. c. p. 451 ; Brooks, t. c. p. 230 ; Scully, 1. c. iv. p. 131 (1876) ; Brooks, t. c. p. 254 ; Sharpe & Bouv. Bull. Soc. Erance, i. p. 37 (1876) ; Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p. 188 ; Ayres, t. c. p. 424 ; Barratt, t. c. p. 203 : Blanf. East. Pers. ii. p. 215 (1876) ; Hume, Str. E. v. p. 17 (1877) ; Butler, t. c. pp. 226, 289 ; Einsch, Ibis, 1877, pp. 50, 57 ; Davidson & Wend. Str. E. vii. p. 76 (1878) ; Ball, t. c. p. 202 ; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 587 (1879) ; Eiscber & Reichen. J. f. O. 1879, p. 344 ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1879, p. 16 ; Hume, Str. E. viii. p. 84 (1879) ; Scully, t. c. p. 233 ; Bogd. B. Cauc. p. 115 (1879) ; Butler, Cat. B. Sind, &c. p. 12 (1879); id. Cat. B. Bomb. Pres. p. 13 (1880); Wardlaw-Ramsay, Ibis, 1880, p. 48 ; Vidal, Str. E. ix. p. 43 (1880) ; Barnes, t. c. p. 215 ; Newton, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. ii. p. 340 (1880) ; CoUett, Norges Eugle, p. 286 (1881) ; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 179 (1881) ; Shelley, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 565 ; Giglioli, Elench. Uce. Ital. p. 64 (1881) ; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 47 ; Scully, t. c. p. 427 ; Eeilden, in Markham's Polar Reconn. p. 338 (1881) ; Reid, Str. E. x. 1881, p. 17 ; Davidson, t. c. p. 292 (1882) ; Butler, Eeilden & Reid, Zool. 1882, p. 251 ; C. Swinhoe, Ibis, 1882, p. 100 ; Seebohm, t. c. pp. 210, 374 ; Dixon, t. c. p. 561 ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 42 (1883) ; Gates, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 302 (1883, pt.) ; Davison, Str. E. x. p. 345 (1883) ; Homeyer & Tancr6, Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien,1883, p. 83 ; Rochebr. Eaun. Senegamb., Ois. p. 217 (1883) ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1883, p. 22; id. Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. 171, pi. 17 (1883) ; Severtz. Ibis, 1883, p. 70 ; Irby, t. c. p. 153 ; Eagle Clarke, Ibis, 1884, p. 142; Saunders, t. c. p. 174; Marshall, t. c. p. 408; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 362, 840 (1884) ; Tristr. Eaun. & Elor. Palest, p. 61 (1884) ; Radde, Orn. Cauc. p. 36 (1884) ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) i. p. 120 (1884) ; Murray, Vertebr. Eaun. Sind, p. 102 (1884) ; Eischer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i. p. 357 (1884) ; Biittik Notes Leyd. Mus. vii. p. 158 (1885) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 128 (1885) ; Whitehead, Ibis, 1885, p. 27 ; C. Swinhoe & Barnes, t. c. p. 59 ; Dixon, t. c. p. 83; Zarudn. Ois. Transcasp. p. 32 (1885); Eischer, J. f. O. 1885, p. 128 ; Gigk Avif. Ital. p. 183 (1886) ; Biittik. Notes Leyd. Mus. viii. p. 248 (1886) ; Yerbury, Ibis, 1886, p. 14 ; Parker, t. c. p. 156 ; Ayres, t. c. p. 286 ; Sharpe, t. c. pp. 455, 497 ; Olphe-Gall. Eaun. Eur. Occ. fasc. xxii. p. 36 (1887); Scully, J. A. S. Beng. Ivi. p. 83 (1887); Reichen. J. f. O. 1887, p. 02; Salvad. Elench. Ucc. Ital. p. 82 (1887); Tait, Ibis, 1887, p. 190 ; Reid, t. c. p. 1-33 ; Eadcle, Omis, iii. p. -187 (1887) ; SheUey, P. Z. S. 1888, p. 40; Sliarpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 200; Bligli, t. c. p. 216; Uume, Str. P. xi. p. 21 (1888) ; Pleske, Mem. Acad. Imp. St. Petersb. (7) xxxvi. p. 41 (1888); id. Uebers. Saug. uud Yog. Kola-Halbins. pp. 91, 451 (1888) ; Bfittik. Notes Loyd. Mus. X. p. 68 (1888), xi. pp. HO, 130 (1889); St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. l.j.j ; Lilford, t. c. p. 329 ; Eagle Clarke, t. c. p. 542; Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 155 (1889) ; Reiclien. Syst. Verz. Vog. Deutschl. p. 35 (18.'^9) ; Sbarpe, Trans. Liau. Soc. (2) V. p. 77 (1889) ; Gigl. 1° Resoc. p. 309 (1889) ; id. op. cit. ii. p. (i53 (1890) ; Gates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 277 (1890) ; Whitehead, Ibis, 1890. p. 49 ; Meade-"\yaldo, t. c. p. 429; Brusina, Orn. Croat, p. 58 (1890) ; lleichen. J. f. O. 1890, p. 117; Gigl. 1° Besoc. iii. p. 512 (1891) ; Privaldsky, Av. Hung. p. 72 (1891) ; Brusina, Orn. Jahrb. ii. p. 16 (1891) ; Sharpe, Sci. Ees. Second Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 67 (1891) ; Saunders, Ibis, 1891, p. 169 ; Dresser, t. c. p. 367; Hose Monteiro, Delagoa Bay, p. 47 (1891); Eeiser, Vogels. Landesm. Sarajevo, p. 23 (1891) ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1892, p. 19 ; Eendall, t. c. p. 215 ; Barnes, Ibis, 1893, p. 68 ; Blagg, t. c. 1893, p. 352 ; Sliarpe, Ibis, 1893, p. 561. Chimney-Sicalloio, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 561 (1783). Sirundo domestica, Pall. Zoogr. Eosso-Asiat. i. p. 528 (pt., 1811) ; S\Yinh. Ibis, 1864, pp.414, 420; Wyatt, Ibis, 1870, p. 10; Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 67 (1873). Chelidon progne, Forst. Syn. Cat. Brit. B. p. 55 (1817). C^cro;«"s ?'?^s-f/e«, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 971, et 1844, p. 174 ; Less. Compl. Butr. viii. p. 498 (1837). Cecropis parjorum, C. L. Brebm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 138 (1831); id. Xaum. 1855, p. 271. Cecropis stahulorum, Brehm, Naum. 1855, p. 271. Mirundo cahirica (nee Licht.), Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 26 (1857); Cass. Proc. Acad. N. Sci. Philad. 1859, p. 23; Blasius, Naum. 1859, p. 254; Hartl. J. f. O. 1^61, p. 103; Tristr. Ibis, 1862, p. 278; Gurney, Ibis, 1866, p. 423; Tristr. Ibis, 1867, p. 361 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alger., Ois. ii. p. 67 (1867) ; Saunders, Ibis, 1869. p. 396 ; Salvad. Ibis, 1870, p. 153 ; Saunders, t. c. p. 299 ; Ehves A: Buckley, t. c. p. 200 ; Godwin-Austen, J. A. S. Beng. 1874, p. 152. Sirundo hoissoneauti (nee Tenim.), Linderm. Vog. Griechenl. p. 119 (1860) ; Ki-iiper, T. f. O. 1860, p. 281. niniiido sai-ignii (nee Aud.), Tristr. Ibis, 1R61-, p. 230 ; Salvad. Klenco, p. 82 (1887) : Gigl. 1° Ecsoc. Avif. Ital. iii. p. 512 (1891). Hirundo riistica orientalis (nee Schl.), Wright, Ibis, ls(;|., p. ~u. Hirundo riocouri (nee Aud.), Gurney, jun.. Ibis, 1866, p. 123. Chelidon ruslica, Stejn. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 31 (1SS2). Hirundo ruslica parjorum, Brusina, Orn. Cnnil. y. 5S (1S9()); Eeiser. Angels. Landesm. Sarajevo, p. 23 (1891); Brusina, Orn. Jahrb. ii. p. 16 (1S91). 3 X 4 Adult male in breeding plumage. General colour above glossy purplish blue, the mantle slightly varied with white bases to the feathers ; on the sides of the lower baek a tuft of silky-white plumes, some of whifih are edged with blaek ; lesser and median wing-eoverts like the back ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, externally glossed with purplish blue, with somewhat of a steel-green appearance on some of the feathers ; tail-feathers blackish, washed with steel-green, all but the centre feathers with a large rounded spot of creamy white on the inner web becoming longer and more oblique on the outer feathers ; head like the baek, the nape varied with white bases to the feathers ; forehead deep rufous ; lores deep black ; ear-coverts and feathers below the eye purplish blue ; cheeks and throat deep rufous, separated from the breast by a broad collar of glossy purplish blue, slightly interspersed with a few rufous bars on the centre of the collar ; fore neck and remainder of under surface pale rufous buff, a little deeper on the vent and under tail-coverts, the longest of the latter with a terminal spot of black, repre- sented on some of the others by a blackish shaft-line ; axillaries and under wing-coverts like the breast, the former a little deeper in colour ; quills blackish below : bill black ; feet black ; iris dark brown. Total length 7'3 inches, eulmen 0-35, wing 5-05, tail 4, tarsus 0-5. Adult female. Very similar to the male in colour, and having, when old, the same rufesceut tint on the breast, but generally rather paler below, and having a somewhat shorter tail. Total length 6-6 inches, eulmen 0'35, wing 4'65, tail 33, tarsus O'S. Xestling. More dusky than the adults, and not so glossy nor so purple ; rufous frontal mark very small ; cheeks and throat dark rufous ; remainder of under surface clear rufescent, separated from the throat by a broad black band washed with rufous. In the full-grown young bird the outer tail-feathers have greyish-white edges to the outer webs, and there are light rufescent margins to the feathers of the lower rump and upper tail- coverts. It is somewhat curious that the nesting birds approach the very old birds in their coloration, being not only of a pronounced rufescent colour underneath, but also having some of the feathers of the black collar edged with rufous. On leaving the nest, especially those birds of the first brood, the young Swallows lose this rufescent tint rather quickly and become bleached, the forehead turning to white with exposure, and the throat fading to a pale tawny buff. The upper surface of the body becomes gradually browner and loses the blue altogether. This change of plumage generally takes place after the birds have left England ; but we have seen one specimen, killed at the end of August, which had begun to assume its new ijlumage on the throat, putting on the bright rufous throat of the second season. The forehead is bleached to white. These changes generally take place during the Swallow's sojourn in its winter home, in the months of January and February, and it is very rare to see a commencement of the change in England. The change of plumage and the process of the winter moult have been fully described in the ' Proceedings ' of the Zoological Society for 1870. The Common Swallow arrives in its winter home in the same plumage in which it left in the previous spring, and, of course, by the time that it reaches its winter habitat the bird's feathers are bleached and worn out. The rufous of the forehead and throat becomes nearly white, and the beautiful blue colour of the back turns to a dingy brown, while the wings are rusty brown. Mr. Seebohm well describes the worn-out plumage of tlie Svrallow as he saw it in Katal : — " Our Swallow, as probably every other species of Hirundinida?, only moults once in the year. After having migrated six or seven thousand miles to their bi'eeding-grounds, spent nearly six months in the stormy summer of Northern Europe, again migrated six or seven thousand miles back to their winter-quarters, and spent another six months during the rainy season of Natal, it is a wonder that the poor bii'ds have any feathers left. Some of those which I shot had been in a lamentable condition ; the old feathers that still remained had faded to a rusty brown and were worn to shreds. The plumage of the young birds, thougji they had only run the gauntlet of one journey and one summer, is so much more tender than that of adults, that they were in the worst condition ; the old feathers were no better than rusty rags." In the ' Catalogue of Birds,' Dr. Sharpe has expressed his views with regard to Hirundo rustica and the allied species, and during the eight years which have elapsed since tlic issue of that work, we find no reason to modify the conclusions therein expressed. Since the year wlien the tenth volume of the ' Catalogue ' was published, the British Museum has, through the generosity of Mr. Allan Hume, [Messrs. Osbert Salvin and F. D. Godman, and ]\Iajor Wardlaw Ramsay, become the possessor of the great Hume, Salvin-Godman, and Tweeddalc collections, so that the material which we have been able to compare has been increased nearly tenfold, and yet we adhere in the main to the conclusions which the ' Catalogue ' professes. Taking, therefore, H. rustica as the dominant species, it is evident from the series in the British Museum that the intermediate gradation between that species and its near allies is complete, and the treatment of //. (jutturalis, H. saviynii, H. vnjtlirogadra, and //. lytleri as subspecies of H. rustica is fully justified. Thus between H. rustica and H. (jutturaUs every kind of intermediate specimen can be fotmd, and the purely western birds are often as intermediate as those found in the far East. In tlie Swallows, in fact, we see a repetition of the curious pheno- menon, recorded by Dr. Sliarpe, with regard to the Starlings, Stunius vuh/aris and .S'. menzl/icri (Cat. B. xiii. p. 29), in which the strain of the eastern bird has strongly impregnated the western and typical form, so that two thoroughly distinct species possess an intermediate link whicli lessens the status of both of them. Here we have a justification of the rccoguizablej but clumsy, American system of trinomial names to express a certain fact in nature. Many ornithologists have recorded the occurrence of //. savi;/iili in various cotmtrics of Europe. This is a mistake. H. savignii is a resident form of H. rustica, afiparently confineil to Egypt. Having ourselves seen the birds in that country, we can confidently assert tliat there is no certainty of distinguishing //. sariffuii on the wing from a spring i)lumaged sp(M'inu'n ot H. rustica, unless the eye be accustomed to the dark uiuler surface ol' the l"^gyptian bird. 'I'hc supposed occurrence of the Egyptian Swallow in various countries of llurope, inchiding JCngland, is Ijascd on error of observation, and the biixl wliich does duty for //. sarii/iiii in tiiese records, and is spoken of liy many of our colleagues as //. sarii//iii or //. jKu/orum, is notliiug l>ul ilie ordinary H. rustica in beautiful spring jduniagc. AVe owe to tlu' kindness ol an old Iriend, Mr. Henry ^Vhitely, of AVoohvich, a specimen shot on the I'lunisiead Marshes in .M:iy, which is by far the nearest api)roach to //. sarir/itii of any Swallow which we liavc yet .-ecu from (I real Britain. Dr. Giglioli lias endorseil our o|)ini()n with rr-anl In Italian and Sicilian rec(M-ds. Everytiiing seems to prove that it is only the very old birds that have the rnreseent breast in spring, for we have before us several males killed in spring-time, wiiirli are very jiale uudernealli and have perfectly dclincd black collars on tlirir throats, \\hcnas in the ruluus-hreasted specimens the centre of the black collar has rul'ous bars which break the continuity of the black collar, the ;3 X 2 6 latter beiug always more perfect in the whiter-breasted birds. The rufous mottling of the collar may therefore be a sign of breeding-plumage in certain of the westei'n birds, or it may be the result of interbreeding with one of the darker eastern forms — a supposition which is founded on great probability. As regards the respective ranges of Hirundo rustica and H. gutturalis, we propose to supplement the remarks made in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' by a detailed list of the specimens now in the British Museum, and it will thus be seen how completely the ranges of the two races overlap. In the subjoined paragraphs we have given the localities of the two races, as recorded by competent writers. It is obviously impossible for us to examine specimens from every country, but many of the specimens referred to H. rustica or H. gutturalis in the mass of records of these two species must belong to the intermediate form. Regarding the ordinary European Hirundo rustica as the typical form, it concerns our present purpose only to give a list of specimens from localities where the two species may be expected to overlap in habitat. The following, therefore, are extra-European localities for typical H. rustica in the collection of the British Museum : — Fao ; Bushire ; Yarkand ; Kandahar Gulran; Khelat; Cashmere; Gilgit; Almora; Sambhur; Etawah ; Deesa; Saugorj Khandeish Deccan ; Ahmednuggur ; Ceylon ; Maunbhum ; Calcutta ; Nepal ; Sikhim ; Native Sikhim Oudh; Behar; Dibrughur; Shillong ; Kamroop ; Cachar; Manipur; Elephant Point ; Tonghoo Lower Pegu ; Moulmein ; Thatone ; Mooleyit ; Thouugyeen Valley ; Amherst ; Mergui Khyketo ; Mt. Harriet, S. Andamans; Great Cocos Isl. ; Java; Manila; Mindanao; Kina Balu ; Celebes ; Batchian ; Shanghai ; Amoy. The specimens which may be referred to typical H. gutturalis are from the following localities : — Rajkote in Kathiawar ; Kamptee ; Mhow ; Maunbhum; Dibrughur; Shillong; Sadhyia ; Sylhet; Manipur; Elephant Point ; Tonghoo; Pegu; Mooleyit; Houngthraw River ; Khyketo ; Bopyin ; Moulmein ; Amherst ; Tavoy ; Malewoon ; Mt. Harriet, Andamans ; Malacca ; Klang, Selangore ; Singapore Island; Johore ; Gulf of Siam; Sumatra [C. Bock); Java; Labuan; Baram (C. Hose) ; San Mateo, Luzon; Celebes; Batchian; Halmahera; Bourou {H. O.Forbes) ; Amboina [H. O.Forbes); Amoy; Canton; Formosa; Japan. Birds with a strong rufescent tinge on the under surface, showing an approach to H. savignii or H. tytleri, are from the following localities : — England ; Hungary ; Asia Minor ; Accra, W. Africa; S. Africa; Etawah. All these would be called H. pagorum by recent advocates of that subspecies. Intermediate specimens between H. rustica and its ally H. gutturalis are from the following places : — Cyprus ; Mekran coast ; Gilgit ; Dhurmsala ; Sehwan ; llaipur ; Madras ; Cotta, Ceylon ; Maunbhum; Calcutta; Dinapur; Mynpuri; Sikhim; Darjiling ; Shillong; Kamroop; Mani- pur ; Bhamo ; Pegu ; Bopyin ; Tavoy ; Kaukaryit ; Moulmein ; Amherst ; Malewoon ; Anda- mans ; Klang, Selangore; Penang; Pulo Seban ; Malacca; Singapore; Java; San Mateo, Luzon ; Manila ; Celebes ; Amoy ; Vladiowstock. Specimens from Etawah, Manipur, and Singapore Island appear to us to be intermediate between H. gutturalis and H. tytleri, and between the latter bird and H. rustica are specimens from Gurgaon, Dacca, and Tavoy. Mr. Hume, writing in 1888, on the birds of Manipur, observes: — "The Sylliet male, the finest bird out of a large flock, is undoubtedly H. gutturalis, but the Manipur birds ought, I think, to stand as H. rustica." He then gives measurements, and concludes : — " I have dealt in detail with these two races in ' Stray Feathers,' vol. vi. p. -ll, and can only repeat my doubts as to the propriety of specifically separating these two races, which so perfectly blend into each other throughout the major portion of this empire." It will be seen by the list of specimens recorded above how truly apposite were the remarks of the great Indian ornithologist, and an examination of the series of specimens preserved in the Hume collection amplv confirms his observations. At the same time, if H. rustica and H. (/utturaUs are to be united, so must all the other Swallows of the group also be, for many examples of H. ruslica approach H. cahirlca in Europe and H. tytleri in India, and between these races and H. erythrogastra there is a further link, so that all the Barn-Swallows are really connected together. AVe believe that these results are due to interbreeding, just as is the case with Dippers [Cine/ us) and Wagtails [Motacilla) . Hub. Europe generally, wintering in Africa. Western Asia, as far as the Valley of the Yenesei, and probably further to the eastward, certainly in Central Asia and the Himalayas. Wintering in the Indian Peninsula and in various parts of the Indo-Burmese sub-region, Java, the Philippines, Borneo, and Celebes, even occurring in the ^Moluccas. Occasionally met with in China, probably on migration only. The Common Swallow is abundantly dispersed over Europe in summer, at whieli season it visits the greater part of the Palsearctic Hegiou. It breeds throughout the British Isles, but is rarer in the north, and, according to Mr. Howard Saunders, it decreases in the north-west. It doubtless breeds in most of the Hebrides. Mr. E-obert Gray writes, in his book on the ' Birds of the West of Scotland ' : — " Is a well-known summer visitant over the whole of Western Scotland, extending to both groups of Islands. It does not appear to remain to breed in the Outer Hebrides, but specimens are seen there every year. I have observed it in N. Uist, Benbecula, and S. Uist In the Inner Hebrides its stay extends over the summer; it is common in Mull and lona, in Skye, Rum, Tyree, Coll, and probably all the smaller isles." Mr. Dixon, in his j^aper on the Birds of St. Kilda, writes : — " Mr. Mackenzie informs me that he saw numbers of Swallows on St. Kilda in 1883, but never observed them there before. I never saw the Swallow during my stay. It never breeds on St. Kilda." With regard to the Orkney Islands, Messrs. Buckley and Harvie-Brown state that it is plentiful, and has very much increased in numbers of late years, owing, in Ardnamurchan at least, according to Dalgleish, to the erection of a number of farm- houses. Dr. Saxby says: — "In Shetland this welcome bird comes in aulumii ami spring, though in very small numbers. In June, 18G7, I knew of a nest and eggs in a \t\vc- roof at Petista, in Unst, and have heard of a few other well-authenticated instances of its breeding in Shetland; but such instances are very rare. Notwithstanding the bright sunshine of autumn, the Swallows seem but ill at ease when they pay a visit at that season, sitting among the shrubs or upon the house-roof; and when tliey do venture upon a short flight, they perform it in a listless manner, and very soon return (o their 8 former station." A recent note by Mr. Blagg states that he observed the species on Bressay, May 27th, also at Sand Lodge on June 6th. In Ireland, according to Mr. Thompson, it is " abundant in summer ; much more so than the other species of the family. It arrives the second in order of the Swallows, being preceded by the Sand-Martin. The earliest, appearance of the Swallow that I have known about Belfast was in 1816, when, on the 30th of March, two birds exhibiting the long tail-feathers which denote H. rustica were seen flying on the bay. On the next day a single bird was observed on each side of its shores. On the 6th of April a Swallow was observed betAveen Antrim and Ballymena. But, though individuals arrived so early that year, those which foUow^ed to complete the summer number were remarkably late in coming." In the Eaeroes, according to Colonel Peilden, it appears in considerable numbers in May, but has never been observed nesting there. To Iceland it is also a rare straggler, and never remains to breed. As regards the occurrence of the species in Scandinavia, Professor Bobert Collett, writing to Mr. Dresser, says that it breeds throughout Norway up to about the Arctic Circle, above which it is seen as a straggler, but does not appear to breed. Mr. Di'esser, in his ' Birds of Europe,' summarizes the Swedish records of the Swallow as follows : — " In Sweden it is a common summer visitant, arriving about the 22nd or 26th of April and sometimes not till early in May, and leaving early in October. It breeds commonly throughout the country, and is found as far north as Alton in 70° N. lat., and at Vardo in 70|° N., but does not breed there. It is also said to have been seen at Hammerfest. South of these places, Prof. Sundevall says it is not found in Lapland until about 68^°, at Enontekis, Karesuando, and Iwalajoki, below which it is extremely common." In Spitzbergen, according to Professor Newton, it was noticed by Mr. Campbell ; and the late Mr. George Gillett states that on his way to Nova Zembla a pair was seen flying round the ship as she lay at anchor in a small bay (lat. 70° 10' N.), but no others were seen. In the Kola Peninsula, Dr. Pleske states that tlie Common Swallow is a regular breeder in the southern portion of the district in small numbers ; in the northern part it nests only occasionally, and sometimes appears in pairs in the spring, but these appear to retire to the southern portions to breed. In Einnish Lapland its appear- ance is very rare, as Professor Palmen observed it only at Muonioniska. Professor Malm records the breeding of the Swallow in the Euare district as far as Kyre and Iwalajoki. In every locality, however, it is rare. Dr. Pleske continues :~" With regard to its occurrence in East Einmark, Schrader saw a single bird on the Varangerfjord on the 17th of May, 1849, but makes no observation as to the breeding of the species in that district. Sundevall records it from Vardo, and Esmark found it breeding near Svanevig on the Pasvig Eiver." It has been recorded by Nordvi as breeding in Vadso. During his visit to Lapland Mr. A. C. Chapman observed the Swallow in Gulholmen on June the 10th and near Pulmak on the 18th of the same month. Dr. Pleske states 9 tliat, according to Mr. Enwald's notes, it does not visit Russian Lapland or Kemi- Lappmark and was not observed by him at all during 1882 and 1883. Xikolski remarks on its very rare occurrence on the Varangerfjord. Mela informs Dr. Pleske in a letter that he noticed it in Soukelo. In Archangel Mr. Seebohm found the Barn-Swallow a common summer visitor, and throughout Finland it is plentifully distributed. Everywhere throughout Germany, Denmark, the Low Countries, and Erance +he Common Swallow is a regular visitor in summer. In the soutli of Europe it arrives much earlier than in the north. Mr. Howard Saunders observed the first birds at Lausanne, in Switzerland, ou the 6th of April, but he heard of its arrival at Ouchy some days earlier. He says it was seldom seen as high up as Chaumont, and was never seen breeding there. In the Pyrenees the same observer noticed the Swallow at St. Jean-de- Luz on the 23rd of March ; Colonel Irby found it very abundant at Santander ; and Mr. Eagle Clarke, in his notes on the birds of tlie Eastern Pyrenees, states that it was abundant about Tarascon, Aix, and in the upper valley of the Ariege to above Hospitalet, at an elevation of 5000 feet ; it was also common at Perpignan. With regard to its occurrence in Soutliern Spain, Mr. Howard Saunders writes : — " I was informed tliat the usual date of the appearance of the Swallow at Malaga was the 25th of January ; but I did not actually observe it till 4th Eebruary, 1868 (an exceptionally cold year). I found many broods hatched by April 16th in the herdsmen's huts south of Seville. Amongst the tens of thousands of Swallows that have crossed my eye in Andalucia, where they swarm to a degree unknown in England, I never observed one with the faintest approach to that rufous or huffy tinge on the abdomen so noticeable amongst our new arrivals here, a tint which is lost as the season advances, as I have remarked in a pair which bred in my porch at Eeigate year after year." Colonel Irby observes : — " About Gibraltar the Swallow generally arrives about the 13th of Eebruary, although I have occasionally seen a straggler in December and January. I have seen them crossing the Straits in considerable numbers up to tlie lotli of April ; the latest I noticed were passing on the 21th of that month. I have observed the nest finished on the 23rd of Eebruary, and young birds able to fly on the 21th of May." In Portugal, according to Mr. Tait, it " usually arrives at Oporto between the 8th and 15th of March, but sometimes a stray individual or two may be seen at tlic end of February, and I once saw some as early as the 13th of January, 1878. In tlie soutli of Portugal they arrive in February. The departure southwards from the uci-lilxuirliood of Oporto generally takes place from the middle of September to the iniiKlli- of ( )t'i(il)ci-. l)ut some remain for a few days, or even weeks, longer. I saw oik^ as late as N()\ cnilicr 20th; in fact, December is the only month in which I have not sei-n llicm in lliis country. In the province of tlie Douro this Swallow nests in the suhtiTi-aiican galleries which are cut into the hill-side to obtain water — a rather iiuexpeeled situation for Swallows to choose. Dr. Carvalho has furnished me with a table of observations 10 respecting tlie Swallow as observed by him at Coimbra during tlie last fifteen years, showing that the average date for arrival is the 10th February, and for departure the 13th October." In Tangier Mr. Pavier states that it breeds, and in autumn numbers of migrants join the resident birds and all depart for their winter home. The spring migration takes place in January and February, when great flights pass northward. Mr. Tyrwhitt Drake records the Swallow as occui'ring all the year round in Tangier and Eastern Morocco ; but this, as will be seen, is not Favier's opinion. In Algeria, according to Loche, it is a spring and autumn migrant pi'incipally, but also breeds in the country. In the Province of Constantine, Mr. Dixon records the species as one of the most widely spread of Algerian birds, and quite as late a breeder as the House-Martin. Captain Ptcid states that during his visit to Teneriffe he noticed tlie first appearance of the Swallow at Buena Vista on the 26th of February, and when Mr. Meade- Waldo visited the Canary Islands he found the Common Swallow in thousands. In the Azores Mr. Godman says it is an occasional visitant, and Mr. Salvin states that on the 28th of May some Swallows came on board the ship about 180 miles to the eastward of the above-named islands. In Corsica, Mr. John Whitehead says that the Swallow breeds abundantly. He saw it first on the 16th of March, and noticed a few going south on the 16th of November. Mr. Basil Brooke observed the species in Sardinia, and writes : — " Arrives in smaU numbers about the end of February or early in March, from which time they keep gradually increasing in numbers. Young birds were hatched about the 9th of April." Mr. C. Wright gives the following note : — " Arrives in Malta in great numbers early in March, and may be seen in town and country till May. At the end of August on its return southward it again makes its appearance, and is plentifully spread over the island till October." The Swallow is found everywhere in Italy and Sicily. Count Salvador! says it is a very common summer resident, arriving in March and April and leaving in September and October. Professor Giglioli remarks on the curious way in which the bird is absent in certain parts of Italy and Sicily. Thus Professor Doderlein found very few nesting near Palermo, and Dr. Giglioli himself has observed the same thing at Naples. He attributes the fact to the construction of the houses in Central Italy, which afford no sheltering eaves for the nesting of the species. In Greece it is a summer visitor, breeding throughout the country in small numbers. Professor Brusiua states that it is found in Cattaro and Montenegro generally, but it was not observed at Cetiuje. Messrs. Elwes and Buckley found the species everywhere common in Turkey, and Lord Lilford says that it is exceedingly abundant in Cyprus. Dr. Guillemard saw the first in 1887 on the 24th of February, and in 1888 on the 13th of the same month. The Swallow of Palestine has generally been considered to be H. savignii, the resident species of Egypt. In the British Museum are three specimens collected by Canon 11 Tristram in Palestine, and tbese are not the true H. caliirica or K. savtrjnii of Egypt, but a richly coloured form of S. rustica. T\'hether the dark colour of the Palestine bird is due to interbreeding Avith H. savignii it is difficult to prove; and as Canon Tristram speaks of the bird as resident in the country the T\-hole year, it may well be that H. caliirica was the original inhabitant of the country, and has become modified into an intermediate race by interbreeding with individuals of U. rustica, which settle in the country on its return from its winter-quarters. We give Canon Tristram's note in its entirety, merely recording our opinion that the bird referred to is not the " Oriental Chimney-SAvallow," but only a dark form of R. rustica, which we are prepared to match any day by English specimens. Canon Tristram writes as follows : — " Tlie Chimney-Swallow remains the whole year, and is found both on the coast (in the maritime plains) and throughout the length of the Jordan Valley. No one can observe this bird in the Holy Land without being satisfied of its distinctness from S. rustica. It is true we can give no other diagnosis than the difference of coloration on the lower parts, these being chestnut instead of white or brownish white ; but of the hundreds of Swallows of both sexes to be seen throughout the winter, not one of the common sort could be detected. There is neither fading nor intensifying of the chestnut lower plumage at any time of the year. Specimens shot at all seasons are precisely similar. In spring their numbers rapidly increase, and from the middle of March they become distributed over the whole country, the higher as well as the lower grounds, while along with them a^^pear many of our common species. In the higher grounds these, perhaps, predominate ; in the lower certainly the S. caliirica is most numerous. I never could detect the two sorts interbreeding, though the nest and eggs are precisely similar. Having no chimneys provided for them, rafters of outhouses, where such can be found, but especially ledges in caves, are the favourite nesting-places ; and I took live nests of the JI. caliirica attached to little projecting stones rmder the vaulted roof of a well in constant use, about two feet from the ground, and built in a row. Convenient situations must have been scarce there (it was near Kedesh) ; for we had to stoop under the roof to draw water, and almost touched the nests with our heads as we withdrew." In Southern Paissia, according to von Nordmann, the SwalloAV appears as early as the 8th of April, and he considers that the time of arrival in Southern Ilussia is at least from 16 to 20 days in advance of their advent at St. Peterslmrg. He believes that on migration they do not follow the coasts, but fly across the Elack Sea. Near Odessa he has seen stragglers as late as the end of October. Dr. Iladde states that it is a c('mmon summer resident in the Caucasus as hiuh as 'iOOO feet, but is not so plentiful as in otlicr parts of Europe. In Astrakhan i( Mas found by ]\Ir. llenke to be a very common siunnicr visitor, especially in the slcp[H's. Mr. Blanford says that the Swallow was " common throughout Persia in the summer, and breeds at heights fronr about fOOO feet to about SUOO. At Kala-;in and Jalk the birds appeared to be arriving in ^March, and on dissection it was evident that they were commencing to breed." 3 Y 12 Mr. Cummin"- has sent specimens from Fao in the Persian Gulf, and Mr. Pahner from Bushire. The former gentleman states that tlie species breeds in the huts and telegraph-buildings, in March and April, and he believes that it only leaves Pao in mid-winter — that is, in December and January. , With resard to its occurrence in Turkestan, Dr. Severtzoff states that it is found breeding throughout the country. Dr. Pleske records the species from Tschinas in Central Asia, where it was obtained with its nest and eggs by the late Mr. Pussow on the 21 st and 22ad of April. He also observed it near Tschiraktschi in the Western Tianshan. During the Porsyth Mission to Yarkand, Dr. Stoliczka noticed the Common Swallow as very common about Sarikol in May. He found it breeding at Yarkand in the same month. Dr. Scully observes that it is " found in great numbers in the plains of Eastern Turkestan, from Sanju to Kashgar, for six months in the year. The birds arrive about the middle of April, and migrate tow^ards the end of October, not a single bird of this species being ever seen in winter. They breed during May and June ; many young birds, just able to fiy, being found in the early part of July. The Yarkandis call the bird ' Ui Karlo- ghach' — ' House Swallow,' and say that it always makes a mud nest on the roofs of houses, the number of eggs laid being from three to five, and that two broods are reared in the season. Unlike the Swift, this species was frequently seen perching on trees, and settling on the ground and on sand-banks." The late Dr. Severtzoff, in his notes on the birds of the Pamir range, writes as follows : — " Swallows appear towards the end of August and pass througli uninterruptedly till the end of September. When the weather on the Pamir is bad Swallows return to Gulcha along the Kurshab river, and flying over the mountain-passes, appear on the roads near Osh in Perghana. Probably these are young birds seeking the way to their winter-quarters. One of these birds flew into a traveller's sledge in the Zaalai chain in the middle of September, 1878. It followed his baggage-train daily, and at night sought shelter in the sledge, as far as the Taldit pass. Three others joined it en route." Dr. Pinsch noticed the species on Lake Ala-kul on the 7th of May and also at Berezotf. Mr. Seebohm in his account of his Siberian expedition writes as follows : — " On thelGth May a solitary Barn-Swallow appeared, and I did not see another until we were within a hundred miles of Yene-saisk on the return journey. At that town they were common enough." In the introduction to the present article, we have given a list'of specimens of true //. rustica in the Hume collection and that of the British Museum ; this affords a thorough indication of the range of the Common Swallow in the Indian Region. The following notes refer, we believe, to the European bird. In Afghanistan, writes Colonel Swinhoe, it is " common everywhere during summer. I saw the first Swallow in Kandahar on the 29th January; and five days afterwards one flew into my room, which proved to be a male with testes enormously swollen. In another week they were with us in thousands, making nests in every convenient spot available; one pair built and reared their young inside one of the mess tents, which was ia constant use. The number of these little birds in the city was very remarkable." 13 Lieut. H. E. Barnes found the species l3i"eeding at Chaman in Southern Af2:hanistan, but not in such numbers as at Kandahar. The hite Sir Oliver St. John oljserves : — " First seen in Kandahar in 1879 on the 7th Pebruary. Disappeared entirely l)efore the end of September, very few indeed remaining after the middle of August." Colonel Swiuhoe notes that he saw the first Swallow in 1881 on the 29th January. In Quetta they are later in appearing. Major Yate procured specimens in the Badgis district, Herat, on the 12th of April, and Dr. Aitchison at Gulran. Major AVardlaw Eamsay noticed the species in the Kurrum Valley. By Dr. Henderson the Common Swallow was found in great abundance in Cashmere, in June, where it was breeding. Colonel Biddulph says that in Gilgit it was seen at intervals all through the summer. The earliest date at which any Swallows were noticed was the 14th of jMarch, and all the specimens obtained by him and Dr. Scully appeared to be true //. rustica. This ajjplies to most of their specimens, but we consider one or two to be intermediate. Mr. Brooks states that it was frequently seen by him between Masuri and Gangaotri, as it was at all the hill stations. He inclines to the belief that the Masuri bird is not true II. rustica ; but we are not able to decide this question, as there are no Masuri specimens in the Hume collection, but an Almorah bird in the latter is typical S. rustica. In his paper on the Inrds of Chamba, Colonel C. H. T. Marshall writes : — " They arrive in the spring in numbers, frequently as early as February 1st, and stay here till the autumn. A nest may be found in every third or fourth house during April and May. A Swallow's nest in the house is looked upon as a good omen Mj the householder." Mr. Hume found it " more or less al)undant in suitable localities throughout Siudh from Kussmore to Kurrachee." A specimen from Sehwan, in the Hume collection, is considered by us to be intermediate between H. rustica and S. yutturalis. Throughout Cutch, Kathiawar, and Gujerat, the Swallow is said by Colonel Butler to be a cold-weather visitant. The only specimen collected by Major Hayes Lloyd at Kajkote, in Kathiawar, appears to us to be true H. gutturalis. Colonel Butler states that in the neighbourhood of Mount Aboo and in Xortheru Gujerat the present species is common in the plains diu'ing the cold weather, anivinii: about the 1st of August, and leaving towards the end of February. Mr. Hume states that Dr. King never obtained it on Mount Aboo and it does not apparently ascend tlie hill. He also says that many of the specimens from the above-mentioned region may be referred to H. (juttiiraUs, l)ut that Colonel Butler's specimens from Deesa were undoulitedly true H. rustica; this is confirmed by a specimen from Deesa in ihe 1 1 nine collection. From Xepal we have seen nothing l)ut tlie true IT. rustica. Dr. Si-ully writes: — " Tlic Common Swallow is found in alumdance in the valley nl' .\('|>;>l (hiring scvcmi months in the year. It arrives about the middle of February, and niiurales to ti:e plains about the middle of September. The earliest date on which I noticed it in the valley was on the Sth of February, ami the l:ilcsl on the \'M\\ of Sc|itenil)er. During- the winter it was very common in the 'I'erai and philiis of Nei^al. This Swallow lu-ccds ;; V L' 14 freely about the valley in April and May ; young birds, just able to fly, are often seen about the middle of June." Prom Native Sikbim also vre liave only seen true S. rustica, but in Sikbim not only the latter bird, but intermediate specimens bava been procured, and the same may be said of Assam, Sylhet, Manipur, Pegu, Tenasserim, and the Andaraaus. To all these countries the tyjjical H. (jntturalis is also a winter visitor. The birds which Colonel Godwin- Austen recorded as //. cahlrica breeding near Imphal, the caj)ital of Manipur, in February and March, are S. rustica, as we have determined by an examination of the specimens kindly lent to us by Colonel Godwin- Austen. In his jjaper on the birds of the Lucknow Civil division Mr. George Pteid writes : — " Abundant during the cold season, making its appearance in October and departing at tlie commencement of the hot weather. A few stragglers may even be found in the early part of May. Here, however, it is never the household pet that it is in England, frequenting for the most part open country, especially in the vicinity of jheels, and it is not unfrequently found skimming over water in vast numbers. It sometimes perches on the bare branches of trees and in some localities probably spends the night on them. It also frequents the telegraph-wires, but has not, that I know of, any liking for native villages, though in towns it gets attached to mosques, minarets, and old buildings, about which many may always be found." Colonel Swinhoe and Lieut. Barnes state that it is common near Mhow during the cold season, appearing about the middle of March and leaving towards the end of Pebruary. Their specimens are determined by us to be H. gntturaUs. The specimens in the Hume collection from Paipur appear to belong to the intermediate form, but true H. rustica occurs near Etawah, Saagor, in Kandeish, the Decean, and Ahmednuggur, but H. gutturalis also visits the same localities, as we have examined specimens from Ivamptee and Mhow. Professor Yalentine Ball records Swallows from the following localities : — " Midnapur, Manbhum, Lohardugga, Sirguja, Sambalpur, north of Mahanadi ; Nowagarh and Karial; Godaveri Valley." In Western Khandeish Mr. Davidson says that the Swallows are common cold-weather visitants but local, and the same is said of the whole Decean. They w^ere common near Khandala, according to the Pev. S. B. Pairbank. Mr. Vidal says that they came to Pat- nagiri in large numbers in November 1879. Swallows are found throughout Mysore and the Wynaad as well as in the Nilghiris, but probably do not ascend the hills to any great elevation, according to Mr. Hume, who noticed several at the foot of the Coonoor Ghat. With regard to the Swallow in the island of Ceylon, Colonel Legge writes : — " It arrives usually in the north of the island about the second or third w^eek in September, the young birds coming in first. The period of its arrival is, however, somewhat irregular, and perhaps depends uj)on the break up of the south-west monsoon to some extent. Its numbers are increased considerably in about a fortnight after its first appearance, and it then begins to spread southward, but does not do so always as regularly as might be expected. Mr. Parker has observed it at Puttalam as early as the 20th September one year, when my earliest date noted down at Coloiuho was 15 rot till after tbe 1st of October. At other times I have seen it at Colombo in the middle of September, and I observed it at Galle in 1872 on the 15th of that month. It inhabits the whole of the low country, and likewise ascends into the hill districts to a considerable elevation, bnt does not iuhalnt the higlier regions in any abnndance. It leaves the island completely about the second week in Ajiril, quitting the southern districts a week or two prior to that date. It is, I think, commoner on the west coast than on the east." Mr. Parker also gives the following note from Ceylon : — " Arrives at Tissa from Aug. 30 to Sept. 12th, and leaves at the end of April. These Swallows sleep in immense numbers in the bulrushes there, arriving in flocks before dusk. Before returning, they amuse themselves by rapid evolutions, high and low, in the air, sometimes flying in a wide continuous band or ring over their sleeping-quarters. As it grows dusk they suddenly drop into the rushes. Probably they come from great distances ; very few are visible in the neighbourhood during the day." The curious phenomenon of the migration of the Swallows in the island is thus chronicled by Mr. Bligh : — " At a rest-house about ten miles from Coslanda, where I was detained on account of a ford being impassable, I was attracted by seeing several Wagtails, M. melanope, on the top of a low bazaar building. Swallo^^•s then began to arrive in flocks and commenced sweeping round over a small garden of native coffee. 1 called the rest-house keeper's attention to the birds and he told me that they came there all the last cold season to roost in the coffee. The rest-house keeper sent a boy to frighten up those that had settled ; they went up in a cloud and the rustling of their tiny wings was distinctly heard by me a hundred yards off ; they rose in a cujiola-shaped mass, and were as thick as bees in a swarm ; there must have been 30,000 or 10,000 birds on the wing at that moment, the Wagtails forming, as I estimated, about a third or fourth of that number. The boy w^as called away, and soon all the birds descended before it was quite dark ; when settled, the Swallows kept up an incessant simnnn-iug chirping for some time. The sight was a wonderful one ; at daylight the birds all departed very quickly and quietly." From the British Museum collection it would seem that true Uirundo nistlca and the intermediate form both reach Ceylon, but we have never seen a specimen of true M. ffuttiiralis from that island. Mr. IJavison soys : — "This bird is common both at the Andamans and Xieol)ars; during the day it may be I'ound luiAvking slowly aliout some shady spot, or sitting, several together, on some dry branch or house-top. jS'ow and again one will stai't ell', take a short irresolute flight and return to its perch: sometimes when one starts oil', it is followed by others in rajnd succession ; at others all start off sinuiUaneously, and after taking a more or less extended flight, return, each twittering as it aliglits. T have not lound it breeding either at the Audanians or Xicobars, but I tliink it must do so. as I found them as numerous as ever they were as late as ^lay." Tlu- sju'cimens in the Hume collection show that not only II. ri(stica nnd II. fj/'/lin-dlis visit ihi- i-^lands. hut the intermediate form is found there also. In Mr. Oates's edition of Mr. Hume's 'Nests and Err^'s (;f Imlian lairds' arc L,nvcn 10 the following notes on the breeding-range of tbe Swallow in India, and we believe tbat in every case tbe true //. rustica is intended : — " A few of tbe Common Swallows breed during April and May along the wbole line of tbe Himalayas, from Cabool to Assam, at beigbts of from JLOOO to 7000 feet. Rarely more>tban one or two pairs are found, as far as my experience goes, breeding in tbe same immediate neighbourbood anywbere to the eastward of Cashmere, and, indeed, eastwards of this happy valley it is only here and there that thev are met with. I myself have only seen them breeding near Dburumsala, at two or three bungaloAvs between Sooltanpoor in Kooloo and Simla, and at Simla itself. Cai)t. Cock first pointed out to me tbat they bred near Dburumsala, where he procured their eggs. From Murree I have received a nest, eggs, and both parents ; from Almorab a single egg. Mr. Masson tells me be once noticed a pair building near Darjeeling In Cashmere they breed more numerously, from all I can learn, than in any other part of tbe Himalayas. In Candahar, as Capt. Hutton tells us, they breed abundantly. On the wbole, it would appear that, while a comparatively small number breed here and there everywhere along tbe southern face of the Himalayas, the great majority of tbe vast numbers that during the cold season throng the neighbourhoods of our j heels and ponds seek Cashmere and other more vv^esterly localities to rear their young. "Tbe nests tbat I have seen resembled much those of tbe Wire-tailed Swallow, but were deeper and had tbe pellets of which they were composed larger and a good deal mino'led with grass &c. Tbe nest sent me from Murree is a very perfect, rather deep, half-saucer ; two that I foumd containing young ones, fixed in tbe corners of verandahs, were mere quarters of very Avide and shallow dishes ; another, in a tiny niche in a beam, was a mere mud screen, shutting in the lower half of the niche, with a few mud pellets inside, apparently to round off the corners. All consisted exteriorly of pellets composed of mud, more or less miugled with dry fir-needles, straw, and the like — a coarser and far less tidy structure than that of tbe Wire-tailed Swallow. Interiorly tbe lining appeared to be chiefly soft feathers ; but there was a little fine grass, and in one some grey, very soft fur, which I could not make out. There were four eggs, slightly incubated, in the Murree nest ; but I believe they sometimes lay six. " From Sikbim, Mr. Gammie writes : — ' The Common Swallow arrives in this district in the beginning of February, and remains till the end of October. They commence building about the end of March, and place their nests in coolie-sheds, stables, outhouses, or open verandahs. The nest is the usual mud structure, thickly lined with soft feathers. As tbe soil there is not very adhesive, it is mixed with a good deal of grass. In the stable at Ptungbee, six or eight pairs used to breed regularly ; and tbe Syces, who took an interest in them, used to fix up small boards here and there, at angles with the roof, on which the Swallows readily built. When undisturbed they get very tame, and I have seen a pair coolly feeding their young on the nest when tbe heads of four Europeans were within a foot of it. After ministering to the wants of their family, they would perch within a yard of tbe spectators, and give them a jsleasant little song. They breed at least twice in the season, and, I think, occasionally three times. On the 29tb of April I took a nest containing five bard-set eggs out of a kutcha bungalow, and on visiting the 17 same place on the 26th of June following found tliat tlie same pair, in the interim, had built a rough nest and reared a bj-ood, which had flown about four days before, and the parents were busy repairing the nest for a third batch of eggs. The usual number of eggs is four or five." With regard to Swallows in Manipur, Mr. Hume writes : — " One form or the other is common throughout the region, and in Manipur I found the somewhat larger form { = 11. rustica) common to a degree. In the hills, western, southern, and eastern, chiefly about water, in the Ko^ium Thull and the basin itself it was found passim. In the basin they were building early in March, and in the hills in May." Col. God win- Austen found a Swallow breeding at Asalu, in the Khasia Hills, in April, which was doubtless also the present sjiecies. Mr. Oates observes : — " Found abundantly over the whole of British Burmah. Most of the birds seen are immature, and maybe observed all the year round. The adults apparently visit Burmah chiefly in the winter, from September to April. I have not seen any indications of its breeding in the Province. The Common Swallow, according to my observations, is to be found pretty well all the year through in Burmah. It is always seen in large numbers flying in circles after its insect food, and frequently settling on telegraph-wires, dead trees, bare fields, and stalks of grass. On a cold morning they may frequently be observed resting on the suimy bank of some river in immense flocks," As before mentioned, the Pegu birds are true H. rustica, but S. gutturalls occurs there also, and the intermediate form as Avell. Messrs. Hume and Davison state that, in Tenasserim, Swallows Avere excessively common everywhere throughout the province, wherever there were clearings or open spaces. The ample series collected by Mr. Davi- son in Tenasserim for the Hume collection shows that, as in Pegu, both //. rustica and H. gutturalls, as well as the intermediate race, are found in that country. We have not seen a specimen of the European Chimney-Swallow from any part of the Malayan Peninsula ; but S. gutturalls occurs there, and intermediate specimens are plentiful in collections. We have, however, seen trueiT. rustica from Java, Luzon, Min- danao, Palawan, Kina Balu, Celebes, and Batchian. Doubtless true H. gutturalls likewise occurs in all these localities, and it is certain that intermediate specimens are equally widely distributed. In China, the bulk of the l)irds examined by us have proved to be; IT. gulluralls, and we have also seen some of the intermediate form, but examjiles of the (rue //. rii.stica are in the British Museum from Shanghai and Amoy. It would seem, therefore, lliat the western form of Chimney-Swallow is JI. rustlcn, and the eastern form//, gutturalls. while intermediate forms l)et\\t'(Mi these two are imraerous and occupy an intervcnimj,' habitat. It will be impossible, however, lo define the exact limits of each form till a larger series has been examined. In Africa, tlu> Common Swallow is chiedy known as a nu'grant, spending its winter season in that continent when absent from Europe. Ca])tain Shelley, in his ' WwAs n\' Egypt,' writes : — "This bird is properly only a s])ring and autumn visitant in l",L;y|)t, arriving there on its way north about the middle of April ; but a lew pussiidy remain in 18 the country tlirougliout the year, for we once obtained an immature specimen in the Delta on the 25th Pehruary. In Nuhia it appears to he the only Swallow, there replacing S. savignii, for on our return journey in 1870 we did not meet with a single specimen of the latter bird south of Girgeh, where in the begiiming of May these two S23ecies were equally abundant." The late Baron von Heuglin states : — " In the beginning of March to early in liay, and between August and October, this bird is frequently seen in companies on migration, often mixing with other species along the Nile and the Red Sea, and even on the true steppes. On the 15th of November, 1857, I even observed on the Somali coast a flight of migrating Chimney-Swallows. Amongst the Chimney-Swallows which are found during the summer in the E-ed Sea, I have never observed H. cahlrica." Von Heuglin observed the Common Swallow near Tadjura, and Mr. Blanford says that it abounded on the shores of Annesley Bay in the middle of June. Neither of the above- named naturalists, however, states positively that they found the species nesting. Mr. Wyatt did not notice this Swallow in the Sinaitic Peninsula before the 6th of April, when he sjoent two days by the side of the Gulf of Akabah. He then saw several coming from across the gulf or following it, all of them going in a northerly direction, making for Palestine by tbe Arabah. Colonel Yerbury states that the Swallow visits Aden in rough weather ; it may come at any time in the year, but only remains a few days. Lieut. H. E. Barnes writes : — " The Chimney-Swallow is not very common, and, as a rule, is only found immediately after rough weather ; but some few do remain to breed, as I found a nest containing three eggs under the verandah in the upper story of one of the hotels at Steamer Point. The appearance of these birds is not confined to any period ; I find from my notes that I have observed them in May, July, August, and December." Tlie late Consul Swinhoe states that on one of his voyages to China he noticed a few Swallows near Aden on the 5th of November, " apparently bound for the Indian coast." That one migration-line of the Common Swallow is along the Nile Valley seems certain, as it has been obtained by Emin Pasha at Wadelai on the 30th of September, and at Lado on the 30th of October. Captain Shelley has also recorded it as found by Sir John Kirk at Lamo in East Africa, on the Pangaiii Piver, and in Ugogo. The late Dr. Eischer met with the species at Maurui and Ukaramo, and again at Karatschongo on the 2nd of March, during his last expedition to the Victoria Nyanza. Dr. Bohm records the Swallows as cocurring along the Lualaba in great flocks in October. " To Southern Africa," Mr. Layard writes, " the European Swallow is a regular and common visitant to the Cape Colony, throughout the whole of which it is distributed. In 1867 the first bird arrived in Cape Town on the 27tli of July, and we have noticed a few stragglers as late as the 2ud of April. Although the species stays with us for the greater part of the year, it does not aj)pear to breed, and we believe that all the young birds which are seen in S. Africa are not natives but are visitors from the north." Captain Shelley says that it was by far the most abundant Swallow in Cape Town, and, 19 indeed, wlierever he went it was exceedingly common. Dr. Bradshaw noticed it very plentifully on the Orange Eiver. We have seen a considerable number of specimens from all parts of the Cape Colony and Xatal, and Mr. Ayres has met with the species near Potchefstroom in January. He says : " I found these Swallows, mostly vounc birds, congregating on the mimosas in company with U. cucullata." In the Lydenburo- district of the Transyaal he states that this Swallow " appeared in fair numbers amongst the mountains during the summer months, and yery probably bred amongst the rocks." The following interesting note appears in Mrs. Monteiro's excellent little work on Delagoa Bay : — " It was in the beginning of March, and the rain had poured in torrents aU night, and continued the whole of the next day, the wind blowing a. perfect hurricane, the thermometer suddenly dropping to 63°. About 11 a.m. a drenched miserable Swallow flew into the house and perched himself on one of the partitions of the rooms ; then one flew into the kitchen, and my boy caught it and brought it to me. I held the poor mite in my hands for a little while, to warm him, and then let him fly up to his companion in misfortune, by whose side he at once nestled down. In a few minutes more began to come in, at first singly, then by twos and threes, some fluttering help- lessly among the white window-curtains and beating themselyes against the glass. These I caught and let fly up to their friends, and was surprised to find that they were not in the least alarmed at being touched,' but seemed to like the warmth of the hand, and would perch quite confidingly on my finger, and not attempt to move when I stroked their little heads. "Many were brought me half dead by women and boys, who had picked them up from the ground, and who all wanted a ' pen ' (thi-eepencc) for them ; but for answer I only pointed to my fast-filling house, so they laughed and let me keep the birds, a\ hich soon recoyered ui the dry room. One poor little thing I found suspended in a large spider's web, and, although the wings of a Swallow seem so powerful, it was quite unal)ie to exti'icate itself. They continued to come hi all day, and before 5 o'clock more than a hundred had taken shelter, and the twittering and fuss that went on were most amusing. When it began to grow dark they packed themselyes up for the night on the partitions as close as they could possibly crowd together, two and three deep. ^lost of them went to roost with their tails spread out, perhaps in order to dry them thorouglily, and the round white spot on the tip of each feather bad a yery curious appearance wlien tbey were all asleep and quiet. I fully exju'cted to find the botloiu ruw (Uacl IVoni suffocation the next morning, but only three had fallen yictims, and these I iiuninliatcly skinned. They stayed with me till about noon, one or two oeeasionally llyinn' out and returning, apparently to report on the state of the weather, and tlu'u all leisurely took their departure, no doubt very glad to see the sun again shining brightly. 1 felt quite sorry when my little visitors d(>parted, but was glad they chose their countrywoman's house in their time of need, lor they proved t(j he English Swallows." In the Newcastle district of 2satal Cohniel Butler and Capt. Savile lleid first 20 observed the Swallow on the 19th of October. They were " much more numerous down country, and large flocks were seen both at Richmond Road and Durban." The late Mr. Andersson l)elieved that the Common Swallow nested in Damara Land, as several other European birds are similarly stated to do during their absence from their northern habitat. He gives the following note : — " Pretty common in Damara and Great Namaqaa Land during the rainy season, and I have found it very numerous at Walvisch Bay and in other localities near the coast. In uncivilized parts of Africa these Swallows affix tbeir nests to some projection of a rock or trunk of a tree, or occupy cavities in rocks or banks." Mr. Seebohm, however, doubts the identification of the species, and believes that the bird met with by Andersson was H. albirjularis. It is, however, noteworthy that not a single specimen of the latter species was ever noticed in Mr. Andersson's collection from Damara Land, whereas H. rustica was obtained by him, and Mr. Andersson was further well acquainted with S. albigularis, of which he had collected several specimens in the Cape Colony. Mr. Seebohm's note is as follows : — " Andersson, in his ' Birds of Damara-Land,' remarks of Jlirundo rustica that it breeds in that country ; but there can be little doubt that the Swallow which he supposed to be our species was the White-throated Swallow (Ilirnudo albigularis), which he does not mention, and which he probably mistook for the female of our bird. His further remark that in consequence of the scarcity of houses it breeds in rocks and trees, adds still more doubt to tlie accuracy of his observations. I have seen the Swallow breeding under overhanging cliflPs in the Dobrudscha, but I never heard of its having been found nesting in a tree." There is, doubtless, some mistake as to the species intended by Andersson, as our Common Swallows are too much occupied with their moulting during their stay in South Africa to feel inclined to breed. In West Africa the species is met with in Senegambia. Mr. De Rochebrune records it as a migrant throughout the whole of the region ; but Dr. Bendall only noticed a single bird in October, and we ourselves have never seen a specimen from any part of Senegambia. Mr. Biittikofer has collected a large series in Liberia, mostly in changing plumage. On the Gold Coast it is also plentiful during our Avinter, and some of the specimens killed before the return journey are peculiarly rich in plumage. It has been sent from Old Calabar and Gaboon. A specimen from the Camma River, collected by Du Chaillu, is recorded by Cassin as H. cahirica, Imt was doubtless only a brightly coloured H. rustica. Professor Barboza du Bocage states that Anchieta has obtained the species at Novo Redondo in Angola, and refers to its occurrence at Landana and Chinchonxo on the Low'er Congo. Anchieta has also met with it at Quillengues and Caconda, in Benguela. The following excellent notice of the Swallow and its ways is given by Colonel Vincent Legge in his ' Birds of Ceylon ' : — " Much might be written concerning the habits of the favourite harbinger of our English spring ; but they are well known to the most casual observer, and my space will not permit of any lengthened dissertation on the economy of this interesting bird. Of late years, since the climate of old England has undergone such changes, the saying that ' one Swallow does not make a summer ' 21 is disagreeably true ; but, nevertheless, the first Tvelcome sight of the sweet bird, its shining plumage illumined by the fitful sunbeams of a chilly April day, conduces to the hope that soon the bitter east wind will liaA'e blown itself out, and that Xature must speedily array herself in that joyous verdant attire which makes the warm English May- day so inexpressibly lovely. To the resident in Ceylon the Swallow brings no such pleasant prospect ; it arrives in the midst of the wind and rain with which the south- west monsoon dies out, and foretells nothing but the usual dry Christmas weather of this part of the tropics. Yet its presence on the Galle Face at Colombo, as it skims along just above the turf on a bright though windy morning, or sits in rows of a dozen or more twittering its winter notes on the telegraph-wires at noon, is not without a charm, and reminds one of the home that has been left behind far beyond the western horizon. The time and place, however, in which to see the Swallow to perfection is Avhcn it is careering over a beautiful English lawn on a bright June morning, sweeping round the handsome conifers and beneath the spreading oaks ; or when, glancing out of some rustic barn, it darts like a polished arrow down the tiny brook or round the village green in search of a mouthful for the little brood so snugly housed against yonder beam. In Ceylon we miss the pretty little chattering song of the male in the breeding- season, although it does commence it before leaving in March. Scores of these birds may be seen perched on the telegraph-wire crossing the ' Lotus-pond ' at Colombo, a spot which furnishes a never-failing supply of insects ; and they may frequently, as in other coimtries, be observed seated on roofs or on some little eminence on the ground. As is the case in England, before leaving the island they collect in flocks, but in much fewer numbers, as there are no young birds to congregate together. Few birds enjoy such an immu.uity from persecution as the Swallow ; it is rarely shot except by those who are really in want of skins for scientific purposes." Colonel Legge, who is now living in Tasmania, from the words of his last sentence, evidently does not know of the cruel and senseless war which has been waged of recent years against the ixnfortunate Swallows, for millinery purposes and the decoration of ladies' hats, in Europe. Luckily the tide of public opinion has turned against those thoughtless persons who caused the death of these innocent and useful insect-eating birds, and the Swallow is now more free from persecution. The reason of the protection of the Swallow in most countries is doubtless due not only to its confiding disposition, l)ut also to the vast amount of good which the bird does. " In Morocco," ]\I. Favicr says, '• tlie Moors believe that it oifcnds God to kill these birds, in the same A\ay as they believe it pleases or soothes tlie Evil One to kill the Haven {Corcus comx). The stories on which this superstition is founded arc too long to relate; but I was informed l)y one person that the Swallows and AVliit(> Storks were inspired hy Allah lo protecl the liar\esi and the country from noxious insects and reptiles, aiul that the birds iheniselves (knowing the benefits they confer on man) ask in return protection for Iheir ollsi)ring ])y Ijnildini;- their nests on the walls of towns and houses, and that therefore any one who kills (hem must be a Kaffir, i. c, not a true believer of the Prophet, especially as the birds would only be killed for miscliicf, being useless when dead." 3 z 2 00, The habits of the Common Swallow are familiar to everyone, and have been told and retold in many w^orks on British birds. One of the best accounts appears to us to be that of Mr. Henry Seebohm in his, ' History of British Birds,' from which Ave make the following extract : — " The nest of the Swallow is generally placed on the joist which supports the rafters of a barn or other outhouse, a few inches below the tiles or slates which form the roof. In this position it rests upon the horizontal surface of the joist, and is a ring of mud lined with dry grass and a few feathers. By far the greater number of Swallows' nests which I have seen in this country have been built in this position and on this model. Curiously enough, this is not the case on the Continent. There the Swallow generally builds against a perpendicular wall, but also only a few inches below some horizontal shelf or roof ; in this situation the nest is in the shape of a quarter of a hollow globe of mud. To increase the security of the structure it gladly avails itself of any little projection or nail or peg to begin upon. But the usual nest of the Swallow on the Continent only differs from that of the Martin in having the sides as well as the front open instead of built up to the projecting shelf or roof. At the railway- station at Ptustchuk dozens of Swallows' and Martins' nests may be seen side by side, and differing only in the manner I have described. In the large building where my friend Oberamtmann Nehrkorn stall-feeds his cattle, near Brunswick, the roof is supported by iron pillars, and many Swallows build their nests under the heavy beams which rest upon them, using the iron ring which does duty as a capital to lay the foundation mud upon. The continental system approaches nearest to the habits of the Swallow in a state of nature. When Mr. Young and I were in the Dobrudscha we twice had the good fortune to find small colonies of these birds, so to speak, wild. In one case the nests were built against the perpendicular cliffs under an overhanging ledge of rock, leaving perhaps an inch of space all round for the ingress and egress of the bird. In the other case the nests were built in exactly similar situations on the roofs of caves. In one nest the eggs were nearly hatched, and we watched the birds flying in and out, so that no possible doubt as to the species could arise. One of the nests was in the occu- pation of a Sparrow. Several other instances of the breeding of the Swallow in cliffs and caves have been recorded. Edwards has noticed it so doing on the coast of Banff- shire ; and PJdgway found the American form of the Swallow breeding in caves in Nevada, one of the Pacific States, and also mentions that in America it often builds against a perpendicular wall if it cannot find a suitable horizontal rafter. Otlier localities are also chosen in England. It often breeds in chimneys and occasionally down a well or an old mine, or under a bridge or a doorway, in all of which situations the nest is generally built on the continental model. Dixon has seen its nest in buildings on stones projecting from the wall several feet from the roof or any other shelter. Blyth records one instance of a Swallow building in the hole of a tree about thii'ty feet from the ground ; and Yari-ell figures a nest built in the fork of the branch of a sycamore tree. To make the nest strong, the SAvallow mixes with the mud of which the walls are composed dry grass, straAV, or hair. The mud-made shell or cu]d is neatly lined with dry grass and a few feathers, generally obtained as the bird files through the ( ■ ■ 23 air. In sliajoe the nest is very shalloAV, and, unlike the House-Martin's, is always open, leaving tlie sitting bird exposed to view. Some nests are much more carefully made than others, depending to a great extent on the peculiarities of the chosen site. In some cases little more than a rim of mud is formed, in which the softer materials are placed, whilst in others a perfect saucer is formed of mud, straws, and little sticks before the lining is put in. " The Swallow builds a fresh nest every year, generally close to the one of the previous year, consequently many old nests may be seen close together. The eggs of the Swallow are from four to six in numbei', and vary considerably in shape and markings. The ground-colour is always pure white, and the markings are rich coffee- brown, violet-grey, and light reddish brown ; these are usually distributed over the entire surface of the egg, but most thickly at the large end. The grey underlying markings are far more numerous and larger on some eggs than on otliers. The spots vary considerably in size : on some eggs they are small specks, on others large spots and blotches, sometimes confluent on the larger end, forming a broad irregular zone. The eggs vary in length from 0"9 to 0"75 inch, and in breadth from 0'58 to 0"52 inch. The eggs of the Barn-Swallow very closely I'esemble those of the Eock -Martin (C. riqoestris) ; indeed so much so that they cannot A\itli certainty be distinguished. " The sitting bird is fed by its mate, who constantly visits her with joyous twittering cries during the whole period of incubation. The Swallow usually rears two broods in the season. The eggs of the first clutch are generally laid early in May, and the young are able to fly by the end of June ; those of the second clutch are laid early in July, and the young are, in most cases, fully fledged by September ; but exceptionally late broods are frequently deserted by their parents. The young are tended some little time after they quit the nest, and are often fed on the wing." Eor the followino; interesting note we are indebted to Mr. Edward Bartlett, the late Curator of tlie ^Museum at Maidstone. AVritiug from that place on the 15th of September, 1885, he observes : — " Lately our benefactors Messrs. T. and J. Ilollingworth, ordered the huge Elizabethan chimneys over the Hall and Great Hall of this Institution to be restored, and knowing that the Swallows had bred in them for years, I was anxious to see the positions of the nests. In the first chimney I found a nest of four eggs on tlie 15th June, 1885, at the depth of seven feet from the top of the stack. In liic sccuutl stack of chimneys, with several shafts, and some of them extremely narrow, 1 found a nest of three eggs on the 20th August, 1885, six feet six inches from the top of the stack ; they liad been sat on about Ave days, therefore the young \\\)uld be hatched about the 28th of the same month, and if we allow six days fur llu- young to become fully fledged and able to fly from the ncbt, it wouUl bring the date up to September the 3rd. " In another shaft of the same stack was a nest wilh four unllcdgcd yuuiiL:, which was eight feet six inches from the tup of the stack, and in an cxtrrnicly narrow shalt ; it appeared almost impossible for a Swallow to descend to so great a tlrpth. 1 had oltcn 24 watched them, and noticed the old birds hovering over the top of the stack before descending, and from what I have now seen I am convinced that the Swallow descends to the nest with upraised wings, dropping styaight down to any depth necessary. I have often caught the young birds which had fallen into the rooms from these great chimneys, having no doubt attempted the ascent from the nest before they were able or strong enough. " In the third great stack I found two nests. One was eleven feet two inches from the top, and the lower portion of it was many years old, showing that several nests had been added to it, and this year's neAV work was easily recognizable ; the young had been reared in it." In the ' Times ' for the 17th of September, 1888, occurs the following note from a " Traveller " : — " For scA'cral successive years a pair of Swallows erected their nest on the three prongs of a dungfork (the wooden handle of which had broken off), which was placed horizontally, so as to project from the side of the shed. During the winter of 1886 a gig-lamp which had been deprived of its door was suspended in the shed. Last summer the birds selected it as their residence, which proved so much to their satisfaction as to induce them to adopt it again during the present year. The shed stands in the parish of Pagham, not far distant from Bognor, where the lamp and its recently vacated nest may still be seen." Mr. Hume, in his ' Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds,' gives the following carefully- written account of the eggs of the Swallow as observed by him during his many years' residence in India : — " The eggs of this species," he writes, " vary very much in size and a good deal in shape. Typically they are elongated ovals, a good deal compressed towards the smaller end. The cubic contents of some eggs must be nearly double those of others. The shell is very fine and compact, and has, in some eggs, a slight gloss. The ground-colour varies from pure white to a pale salmon-pink, but in the majority it is white. Typically the eggs are pretty thickly spotted and speckled with brownish red and inky purple, the markings being always most numerous, and at times very dense, towards the large end, where they occasionally form an irregular zone. Sometimes the brownish red is replaced by a slightly reddish olive-brown. In some eggs the markings want the speckly, spotty character of the typical egg, and are merely pale inky-purple and brownish-red clouds. In some, again, the markings are, as a whole, much more minute, and the whole surface of the egg is finely freckled and mottled with pale brownish red. " In size the eggs vary from 0"7 to 0"81 inch in length, and from 0"5 to 0"55 inch in breadth ; but the average of seventeen eggs is 0-76 by 0'53 incli." The'figures of the adult and young birds have been taken from specimens procured by Mr. Wyatt, and the third Plate represents a moulting bird in its winter home in South Africa, showing the contrast betAveen the worn-out plumage of the previous season and the bright blue plumage which the bird assumes before it leaves for Europe. This individual is in. the British Museum. Eor the geographical distribution of this species vide infra, Plate 43 [Map]. r \4j '~^:j0!§^^^^S!u^^::. C W W isl Mirvterrv Eros , imp- H1R.UND0 SAVIGMll. HIRUNDO SAVIGNII {Stephens). EGYPTIAN SWALLOW. Sirundo saxignii, Steph. Gen. Zool. x. p. 90 (1817) ; Dubois, Ois. Eur. pi. oi (c. 1862) ; Dresser, B. Eur. iii. p. 473, pi. 160, fig. 2 (1875) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 42 (1883) ; Tristram, Fauna & Flora of Palestine, p. 60 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 133 (1885) ; E. C. Taylor, Ibis, 1S86, p. 279. Sirundo cahirica, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 58 (1823) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. r)7 (1845) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 328 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Phil. Acad. p. 2(1852); Bp. Bivist. Contemp., Torino, 1857, p. 4; Blasius in Naum. Vog-. Deutschl, Nachtrag, p. 307, Taf. 383, fig. 1 (1860) ; Antin. Cat. descrr. Ucc. p. 26 (1864) ; AUen, Ibis, 1864, p. 237 ; Blytb, Ibis, 1866, pp. 237, 336 ; Taylor, Ibis, 1867, p. 56; Tristram, Ibis, 1867, p. 361; Degl. et Gerhe, Oru. Eur. i. p. 589 (1867); Gray, Haiid-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 789 (1869); Heugl. Oru. N.O.- Afr. i. p. 152 (1869) ; Eritseb, Yog. Eur. Taf. 23, fig. 1 (1870) ; Heugl. Oru. N.O.-Afr. iy. App. p. hi (1873). Hirundo riocouri, Audouin, Dcscr. de I'Egypte, p. 270, pi. 4, fig. 4 (1825) ; Cab. Mus. Heiu. Th. i. p. 46 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Philad. Acad. p. 2 (1853) ; Sharpe & Dresser, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 247 ; Sharpe, t. c. p. 305 ; Wyatt, Ibis, 1870. p. 12 ; Shelley, B. Egypt, p. 121 (1872) ; Guruey, Ibis, 1875, p. 519. Cecropis sacic/iul, Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 316. Hirundo casianea, Less. Traite d'Oru. p. 268 (1831). Sirundo boissoneauti, Temm. ; Schl. & Susem. Yog. Eur. vi. Taf. 2, fig. 2 (1839) ; Temm. Man. d'Oru. iv. p. 652 (1840); Linderm. Yog. Griechenl. p. 119 (1860). Hirundo rustica, yar. oricntalis, Schl. Piev. Crit. p. xyiii (1841); Adams, Ibis, 1864, p. 14. Cecropis riocouri, Bupp. Syst. Ucbers. p. 22 (1815); Heugl. Syst. Ucbers. p. h) (1856). Cecropis boissoneauti, A. E. Brchni, J. f. O. 1853, p. 452. Cecropis cahirica, C. L. Brchm, Xaum. 1855, p. 271. Hirundo rustica orientalis, Temm. A; Scld. Fauu. Jap., Ayes, p. 32 (1850) ; Lcuth Adams, Ibis, 1864, p. 14. Hirundo rufa (ncc Gm.), Swinb. Ibis, 1861, p. 414. Hirutido boissoneauti latirostris, A. E. Brchm, Ycrz. Sanuul. C. L. Jirclun, p. :> (1866). Hirundo boissoneauti laicrurliijiicJius, A. I',. I'lvbni, i. c. [i. '■) (I'^OC)). Jlirnndo hoissoneauti mhwr, A. E. Brehm, t. c. p. 3 (1860). ILirundo rustica, yar. cahlrica, Doderl. Avif. Sicil. 1869, p. 114. Hirundo rustica, var. savignii, Bree, B. Eur. iv. p. 85 (1875). Chelidon savignii, Steju. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mvis. vi. p. 31 (1882). H. similis H. rustica:, sed fascia frontali et corpore subtiis castaneis. Hab. iu terra ^Egyptiaca. Adult male. General colour above deep purplish blue, the liind neck and mantle slightly varied with the rufous-white bases to tlie feathers ; wing-coverts like the back ; quills black, glossed externally with dull greenish steel-bkie; tail-feathers black, also glossed with steel-blue, with a rufescent spot on tlie inner web, larger on the outer feather ; crown of the head like the back, with a frontal band of dark chestnut ; lores and feathers below the eye black ; ear-coverts blue-blaek ; entire under surface of body deep chestnut, the throat richer in colour and separated from the breast by a broad band of deep purplish blue across the fore neck ; under tail-coverts, under wing- coverts, and axillaries like the breast ; quills dusky below. Total length 6'4 inches, culmen 0'35, •wing 4-5, tail 3'6, tarsus 0-4. A specimen from Girgeh, killed in March, is of a more intense chestnixt than any others we have seen ; the rufous bases to the dorsal feathers are very strongly pronounced, and form a very conspicuous feature. Hab. Egypt. This species closely resembles the Common Chimney-Swallow, but is easily distinguished ])y its deep chestnut forehead and nnderparts. The otiier chestnut-breasted Swallows of this group do not have a complete breast-band. It is a resident in Egypt and Nubia, and although it has been recorded from many other countries of Europe, even from England, there can be little doubt that fine males of Hirundo rustica in spring plumage have been mistaken for the Egyptian form . The male of B. rustica, on its arrival in this country, is often beautifully tinged with rufous underneath, but never has such a deep chestnut under surface as H. savignii. Mr. Styan's notice of the species in China (P. Z. S. 1886, p. 268) refers of course to H. tytleri. Captain Shelley writes : — " This species is resident in Egypt and very abundant. It differs from the last species {R. rustica) in not being migratory, and it keeps more exclusively to the neigh- bourhood of houses, usually selecting the inside of some native mud-hut for its nest, which it beo-ius to construct in Eebruarv." Mr. E. C. Taylor states that he found the present species resident in Egypt through- out the winter ; and von Heuglin found it breeding in that country between January and April, but records that it does not occur further south than 25''' N. lat. The nests are met wi th in towns and villages, placed under rafters, in the corners of windows, and elsewhere in inhabited buildings, as well as in tombs, wells, and mosques. He did not - notice the species in Arabia, Lut Mr. Wyatt saw it once in the Sinaitic Peninsula, at Wady Ureit, on the 24th of March. It was no doubt an accidental visitor from Egypt, and as Mr. TTyatt was well acquainted with the species in the latter country, there can be no doubt as to the identification. Canon Tristram states that Hirnndo savlgnii is a constant resident in the Holy Land ; but it should be remarked that wc have examined several specimens obtained during Canon Tristram's expeditions to Palestine, and they were certainly not true //. savignii, but a very dark form of S. mstica. For this reason we believe that the former bird is strictly confined to Egypt. The description is taken from specimens in the British Museum, and the Plate is drawn from a bird shot by Mr. Wyatt near Cairo. 1 1 I i- JF "Mintem Bros . in HIRUNDO GUTTURALIS. HIRUNDO GUTTURALIS, .^coy;. EASTERN CHIMNEY-SWALLOW. V Sirondelle d'Antigue, Sonn. Voy. Nouv. Guinee, p. 118, pi. Ixxvi. (1776). Ij' Hirondelle d'Antigue a gorge couleur de rotiille, Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. G07 (1779). Panayan Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 565 (1783). Ilirundo gutturalis, Scop. Del. Elor. et Eaun. Insubr. ii. p. 96 (17SG) ; Temm. Mau. d'Orn. i. p. 427 (1820) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 57 (1815) ; Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 117 (1817) ; Gray, Cat. Eiss. Brit. Mus. p. 22 (1818) ; Cal). Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 16 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Philad. Mus. p. 1 (1853) ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 365; Swinh. Ibis, 1830, pp. 18, 128, 1861, p. 30, 1863, p. 255, 1867, p. Ill,' 1870, pp. 90, 210; id. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 316; Jerd. Ibis, 1871, p. 351; Dybowski, J. f. O. 1872, p. 351 ; W^ald. Tr. Z. S. viii. p. 65 (1872) ; Swinb. Ibis, 1871, p. 151 ; Wald. Tr. Z. S. ix. p. 181 (1875) ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. ix. pp. 55, 61 (1876) ; Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. Erance, i. p. 133 (1876, pt.) ; Blakist. Ibis, 1876, p. 331 ; Hume, Str. E. iv. p. 286 (1876), v. p. 17 (1877) ; Tweedd. P. Z. S. 1877, pp. 515, 694 ; Prjew. in Dawson Ptowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 160 (1877) ; David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 121 (1877, pt.) ; Hume & Davison, Str. E. vi. p. 11 (1878); Cripps, Str. E. vii. p. 256 (1878) ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. xiv. p. 190 (1879) ; Meyer, Ibis, 1879, p. 128 ; Hume, Str. E. viii. pp. 47, 81 (1879) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 341 ; Seebobm, Ibis, 1879, p. 29 ; Hume, Str. E. ix. p. 215 (1880) ; Tweedd. Bep. Voy. ' Cballenger,' ii. Birds, p. 18 (1880) ; Bingham, Str. E. x. p. 148 (1881); Sclater, Rep. Voy. ' Challenger,' ii. p. 116 (1880); Kclham, Ibis, 1881, p. 372 ; Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 1 (1S81) ; Blakistou & Pryer, B. Japan, p. 130 (1882) ; Jouy, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 290 (lbS3) ; Pleske, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. xxix. p. 528 (1881) ; Meyer, Sitz. Ges. ' Isis,' Dresden, 1881, Abth. i. p. 6; Blakist. Amended List B. Japan, p. 11 (ls81); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 131 (1885); Guillem. P. Z. S. 1SS5, p. 5(i'J; Vorderra. N. T. Nederi. Ind. xli. p. 192 (1882) ; W. Blasius, Zoitscdir. ges. Orn. iii. p. 108 (1886); Styan, Ibis, 1887, p. 227; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1887, p. 112; id. Ibis, 1887, p. 200; Blasius, Ornis, iv. p. 580 (18ss) ; Everett, Journ. Straits Branch As. Soc. 1889, p. 131; Steere, List B. & :\lamm. Exped. Pliilipp. p. IG (1890); Gates, Eaun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. ji. 277 (1890); Scehchui, I his, IS'.H), p. 102; Salvad. Agg. Orn. Pap. ii. p. GO (1890) ; Styau, ibis, Is'.ll, pp. ;;i>3. ;;:)l ; De la Touchc, Ibis, 1892, p. 125. Binmclo panayana, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1018 (1788) ; Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 204; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E. I. Co. Mus. i. p. 91 (1854). mrundojemui, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. S3 ; Jerd. Madr. Journ. xi. p. 237 (1840). Mirundo rustica (nee L.), Meyen, Nova Acta Acad. Cses. Leop.-Car. Nat. Cur. Suppl. Taf. 10. fig. 1 (1834) ; Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 197 (1849, pt.) ; Temm. & Schl. Faun. Japon., Aves, p. 31 (1850) ; Swinh. Ibis, 1861, pp. 254, 328, & 1863, p. 89 ; Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 157 (1862, pt.) ; Sol. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 217 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 786 (1869, pt.); Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 418; Hayes Lloyd, Ibis, 1873, p. 405 ; Sharps, Trans. Linn. Soc, 2nd ser. Zool. i. p. 328 (1876) ; Anderson, Zool. Ynn-nan Exped., Birds, p. 649 (1878) ; Blakist. & Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 320; Gates, B. Brit. Burm. i. p. 302 (1883). Cecroins payana. Less. Compl. Bufi'. viii. p. 498 (1837). Cecropis jeioan. Less. t. c. p. 499 (1837) ; Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 174. Cecropis rusticoides, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 174 (ex Kuhl, MS.). Cecropis panayana, Boie, t. c. Sirundo javanica (nee Sparrm.), Bp. Consp. i. p. 338 (1850) ; Bernst. J. f. 0. 1859, p. 207 ; Blakist. Ibis, 1862, pp. 315, 316 ; Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 196. Sirundo rzistica, var. nifa (pt.), Midd. Sibir. Pi^eise, Vog. p. 188 (1851) ; Schrenck, Beis. Aniurl. i. p. 387 (1860) ; Badde, Eeis. im Siid. v. Ost-Sibir. ii. p. 278 (1863). Hirundo fretensis, Gould, Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 110 (1865) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 815 (1809); Higgles, Orn. Austr. text to pi. 22 (c. 1870). Sirundo frenaia (lapsu cal.), Blyth, Ibis, 1800, p. 330; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 810 (1869). Sirundo andamanensis, Tytler & Beav. Ibis, 1807, p. 310 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 791 (1869) ; Ball, Str. F. 1873, p. 55 ; Hume, Str. F. 1874, p. 155, & 1876, p. 286. Sirimdo rustica, var. gutturalis, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. ii. p. I7l (1883). Sirundo liamtscliatika, Dyhowski, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, viii. p. 356 (1883). Sirundo rustica gutturalis, Dyb. & Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, ix. p. 152 (1884) ; Hartert, J. £. 0. 1889, pp. 354, 389 ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1890, p. 102 ; id. B. Jap. Emp. p. 141 (1890) ; Tacz. Mem. Imp. Acad. Sci. St. Petersb. (7) xxxix. p. 174 (1891). Sirundo rustica borealis, Dyb. & Tacz. t. c. p. 152. CheUdon gutturalis, Stejneger, Bull. IT. S. Nat. Mus. no. 29, p. 271 (1885). Chelidon kamtschatica, Stejneger, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 29, p. 330 (1885). II. siinilis H. rusticce, sed minor, et fascia pniepectorali iuterrupta distiuguenda. Ilab. in Siberia orientali, in peninsula Indicii, in rcgione Indo-Sincnsi et Indo-Malayaua, et in insulis Moluccauis liibernans. Adult male. General colour above glossy purplish blue, streaked with the white bases to the feathers of the mantle ; wing-coverts like the back ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, washed externally with glossy blue ; tail-feathers blackish washed fl-ith blue, all but the centre ones with a large oval spot of white on the inner web, forming an oblique patch on the outer- most feather ; forehead dark chestnut ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts purplish blue ; cheeks and entire throat chestnut ; the sides of the fore neck purplish blue, the collar not complete, but slightly broken with a few blue spots on the feathers ; remainder of under surface from the chest downwards white, including the thighs and under tail-coverts, the flanks with a very faint tinge of smoky brown ; axillaries and under'wing-coverts pale smoky brown, the outer edge of the wings mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; quills dusky below : " bill black ; fcct brown ; iris black " {David). Total length G'" inches, culmen 0-35, wing f-G, tail ;3--i, tarsus O'S. Adult female. Similar in colour to the male. Total length G'2 inches, culmen O-J.., wing 4-7, tail 3, tarsus 0'45. Obs. If one accepts the broken pectoral collar as the best sign of distinction between H. (jtitturalis and H. rustica, it will be found to be so only in the majority of specimens, and by no means invari- ably ; in fact there is as much variation with H. yutturalis in the direction of H. iytkri or H. erythrogastra, as there is between H. rustica and H. savignii, for many undoubted examples of H. gutturaUs are rufescent below, although there is never such a decided tint as in fuU- plumaged H. rustica. Young birds fi-om Amoy are not to be distingnished from the young of H. rustica from England ; and one in Mr. Seebohm^s collection has quite as broad a collar as any English specimen. Hub. Eastern Siberia and Kamtschatka, the Japanese Islands and Northern China, ranging south in winter to India, the Indo-INIalayan Sub-Region, and the IMoluccas as far as Northern Australia. The Eastern Chimney-Swallow is a smaller bird than the true Uirundo rustica of Europe, and is distinguished by the interrupted black collar on the fore neck, wliich is never complete in the Eastern bird ; the under surface of the body is also whiter in fully adult birds of H. gutturaUs, and there is less rufous tinge f n the uuderparts, though many of the old birds show a certain amount of this rufous colour on the In'cast and abdomen. We have already (supra, p. 217) spoken of the intermediate specimens which frequently occur between II. gutturaUs and II. rustica, and it is extremely difficult to apportion the synonymy of tliese two species, as many records of isolated occurrences may belong to the intermediate form, and that only. In the Britisli Museum the specimens of true //. gutturaUs arc from the i'ollowing localities : — Japan ; Amoy ; Canton ; Eormosa ; Siam ; Pegu ; Tenasserim : Andaman Islands; ]\Ialacca ; Java; Sumatra; Labuan ; Sarawak: Luzon; Celebes: l^atehiau ; Halmahera ; Bourou ; Amboina ; Pelew Islands ; and tlie north coast of .Vuslralia. In the Indian Peninsula and (he Indo-13urmese eounhies, examples liav(> been sen! from the following places: — Kalliiawar; Kaniptee; ^lliuw: .Mannliiuun; l)il)rui;hnr ; Shillong ; Sadhyia; Sylhet, and ^lani[)nr. Tlie localities of tin; inlcnnediate spcfinu^ns in the ilritish ^luscnni eulleelion hav(> akcady been enumerated nmlci- llie bi'iuling ui' II. ruslicn, and wi' believe that (lie accounts given below may be taken as uuilouhledly belonging to IL gu.tluratis. 4. A 4 An awkward piece of tangled synonymy lias occurred with regard to tlie Kamt- schatkan Swallows, which has been unravelled by Dr. Stejneger, in his " Results of Ornithological Explorations in the Commander Islands and in Kamtschatka " (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 29, p. 330). Dr. Dybowski and the late Professor Taczanowski have described two Swallows from Kamtschatka as S. kamtschatica and S. borealis. "We find from the posthumous work of Dr. Taczanowski that the former is referred tc H. tytleri, and S. horealis to H. guthiralis; and Mr. Stolzmann kindly sent us the " types " of H. kamtschatica for examination. They are the chestnut-breasted S. tytleri, and it is quite possible that Dr. Dybowski intended to name the rufous-coloured bird II. kamtschaMca, but in his description he says, " Abdomen et sous-caudales hlancsT There can be little doubt but that the form he here diagnosed was the white-bellied a. horealis, for which a similar description is provided. In the work of Dr. Stejneger above quoted, the whole subject is most thoroughly treated, and we fully endorse all that he says. However unfortunate the mistake in the original descriptions, the characters as published must be held to be the responsible ones, and therefore the name of S. kamt- schatica must be attached to the white-bellied Swallow. As both this name and that of II. horealis were afterwards admitted hy Taczanowski to be synonyms of H. giotturalis and II. tytleri, no radical change in nomenclature is involved. An excellent account of the distrilnition of the present species in Eastern Siberia is given by Taczanowski in the work published by the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg after his death ; and from this many of the following facts have been compiled. Dr. Stejneger did not meet with the Eastern Chimney-Swallow in Kamtschatka, but Dr. Dybowski procured a sjoecimen at Petropaulowski on the 4th of June, 1882, and observed several passing northward in spring. In Siberia the species apparently does not extend to the Yenesei, as the specimens procured by Mr. Seebohm in that district were true II. rnstica, and the mtermediate form between the latter and H. guttitralis. In fact Taczanowski declares that after examining a large series of Swallows from Siberia and North-eastern Asia, he finds the white-breasted birds only from the Ussuri country and Amoor Land, but he admits that little attention has been paid by collectors to the different forms, and thus it seems better to regard the bulk of the statements referring to Eastern Siberian Swallows as referring to R. gutturalis, making no distinction between the form \dt\i pure white breast and abdomen and that in which these parts are slightly tinged with rufous. Seeing that in their winter homes both S. rustica and M. gutturalis often occur side by side it would not be surprising that they often iaterbred, after their arrival in their summer-quarters. Although the Russian travellers did not clearly discriminate between the forms of Chimney-Swallow which they met with in Eastern Siberia, yet their various statements have been apportioned to the different forms to which they belong by Dr. Stejneger and Dr. Taczanowski. According to the latter, both Dybowski and Godlewski recognized the Swallow of the Ussuri country as difi:ereut from the form found ia Dauria, the southern Baikal country, and the neighbourhood of Irkutsk. The bird of the latter regions was doubtless H. tytleri. Middendorff found tlie Swallow only an accidental visitor at Tourouklian'^k. Sclircnck states that it is common and numerous in the Amoor country, appearing about the middle of May, as they were building plentifully on the 2nd of June. They are great favourites ■with the natives and are protected by them. Speaking of the work of Middendorff and Schrenck, Dr. Stejneger gives the following interesting note on the distribution of Sirimdo gutturcdls and IL. tytleri : — '' Usually it is nearly impossible to extricate the observations belonging to the different forms, but in this case the difference between Chelidon gutturalis and C. tytleri was too great for even von Schrenck to ignore altogether, though he by no means suspects them of being separable, much less understands the importance of keeping them separate. Portunately his remarks enable us to decide which forms he and Middendorff collected ,at two very important localities. Speaking of the ' ILlrundo gutturalis, var. rufa,' which he found throughout the Amur Valley (Ecis. Amur-Lande, i. p. 387), he observes that it was ' much paler than the old male among Middendorif's specimens from Udskij Ostrog, and only slightly darker than the old male of the European Barn-SAvallow . . . The black band of the fore neck is only narrow and contains some rust^'-brown spots.' This description is quite sufficient to identify the Amur Valley bird as C. gutturalis, while, on the other hand, the remark jjlainly shows that the bird which Middendorff collected at Udskij Ostrog, at the mouth of the Uda Valley, is Chelidon tytleri. This determination is extremely interesting, since the valleys of the two rivers Amur and Uda are close together, only being separated by tlie Bureja Mountaius ; but the direction of the Amui- and Ussuri is southern, while Uda comes from the west. The Stanovoj Mounttiins, which imtil this point run close to the shore of the Okotsk Sea, make lierea sudden bend to the westward, leading over to Dauria and Transbaikalia. According to Middendorlf (' Isepijitesen PlussL' p. 125), Vossnessenski met 'Hirundo rustica, var. rufa, at Ajan.' We also know that Chelidon tytleri is common on the western coast of Kamtschatka. Wc know that it does not travel southward over the Kuril Islands and Japan. It seems, then, a pretty safe conclusion that the Swallow at least crosses the Okotsk Sea from some point on the western coast of Kamtschatka, and that when arriving on the opposite coast of the Okotsk Sea it meets the Stanovoj Mountains, and lollows the eastern slope of that range southwards, turning westwards at Udskij Ostrog, where the mountains also turn westward." Mr. Kalinowski met witli the i^resent species in the Corea, and pvorurcd six speci- mens near Seoul. He says that it is common, but leaves during the winter. Mr. Seebohm states that the Eastern Chimne^'-Swallow is connnon in all the Japanese islands ; and Mr. Jouy gives the following note on the species in that count ry : — "These birds are familiar olyects, flying through the streets and darling iiitn th(> native houses through open doors. Almost every house in a ihipanese town has one or more little wooden shelves, placed just inside the door on (jne of tlic rafters of tlie ceiling, on which the Swallows build tlicir nests and rear their young. >.'or is their confidence misplaced; they are as sacred on lluir hliclf as any of the iKiiu-elKild gods, an oiler of money for which is considered an iiiMilt. 1 In'licvc these Swallows rarely build rlscwhcro 1 A 2 6 tlian in tlie situations I have described." From tlie Bouin Islands Mr. Seebohm records a specimen as obtained by Mr. Hoist on the 3rd of May on Peel Island. Two individuals were seen for a single day on spring migration. During the ' Challenger ' Expedition five Swallows were caught on the ship when she was about four days south of Yokohama, on the 7th of April, 1875. Abbe David states that //. guttiiralis is the common Swallow of China and Mongolia, arriving at Pekin in the beginning of April, and nesting in large numbers in the houses, where they are protected by the Chinese. Prjewalski gives the following note : — " This eastern representative of our Swallow is met with throughout Mongolia, and breeds there on the huts and even inside the tents, especially in the latter. It very patiently hatches its eggs in the nest, which is fastened to the ceiling. The Swallow, however, is alw^ays patronized by the Mongols ; the Chinese also never destroy a Swallow's nest ; consequently they get so tame that they breed inside the Chinese houses. In S.E. Mongolia the first birds appear about the 23rd of April ; but no large migrating flocks were noticed by us. We did not find them in Kan-su ; and everywhere in the Ussuri country, near human habitations, we met with II. rustica, var. riifa, Gm. It arrives about Lake Ilanka in the end of April, and leaves there in the early part of September ; some few individuals, however, stop much later, and I once observed two as late as the 2nd of October in Hun-Chun." In China it breeds in all the coast-towns, as noted by Consul Swinhoe. At Amoy he saw it arrive in the first week in March, and observes : — " It is a summer visitor here and joretty numerous, building mud nests, lined with straw and a few feathers, over the doors of Chinese hovels. The natives protect the Swallow, as they believe that good luck attends it." In his paper on the birds of Hongkong, Macao, and Canton, the same writer says : — ■" A fcAV arrived in Pebruary ; but in March they were to be found everywhere, and soon commenced building-operations. It is the only and prevailing species." In Formosa it is a summer visitor, according to Mr. Swinhoe, but is chiefiy confined in its distribution to the south-west. It is by no means so common as S. daurica, with which it never seems to keep company during the period of nidification. In its habits, its nest, and colour of eggs, &c., this bird entirely agrees with the European R. rustica ; yet in size it is always smaller, and in minor personal features difli'erent. Again, in his account of the birds of Hainan, he writes : — " From the day of our arrival at Hainan, onwards, the Swallow that summers in Canton and up the China coast was frequently seen. Some of them would seem to pass the winter in the island. We saw them at all points of the coast visited. Strangely enough, we met with no other species." In the Lower Yangtze basin, writes Mr. Styan, " these Swallows begin to arrive in the middle of March, and are numerous by the end of the month ; they remain until the first week in November. A great many nest in the shops and huts of the towms and villages, the nests being placed within easy reach of the hand. The natives protect them, and consider their presence of good omen." Mr. De la Touche says that there are Swallows all the year round at Swatow, but the majority leave in autumn. They quit the neighbourhood of PoochoAV about the beginning of October, but he has once or twice noticed a stray bird in winter. Hirundo gutturalis is doubtless a winter visitor to every part of the Indo-Chinese countries. Mr. Gates says that the species visits Burmah, the adult Ijirds chiefly in winter, from September to April, but he has never seen any indication of its nesting there. Most of the birds observed are immature, and may be seen pretty well all the year through. Mr. Davison states that he found Swallows excessively abundant in Tenasserim throughout the province, wherever there were clearings or open spaces. Major C. T. Bingham has met with them in the Thoungyeen Valley from October to February, when it is very common. Specimens from several parts of the Indian Penin- sula are recorded by us above, and one of the most typical is the bird from Kathiawar. Mr. Hume's collection contains specimens of the true //. gutturalis from the Malayan Peninsula as well as from the Andamans. We have seen examples from Perak obtained by Mr. L. VTray, who says that Swallows were very plentiful on the simimits of the hills. Captain Ivelham found them common throughout the Straits Settlements, and says that bis specimens are identical with those he procured at Hongkong. In Java and Sumatra the present l)ird is a winter visitant, and, indeed, occurs throughout the Malay Archipelago. Dr. Vorderman includes it among his bu-ds of Batavia. Mr. Hartert records it from the Preanger Residency, and Sumatran examples are in the British Museum. It visits apparently the whole of the Philippine Archipelago, and was recorded by the naturalists who accompanied Professor Steere's expedition, from Luzon, Panay, Guimaras, Mindanao, and Palawan. Mr. Alfred Everett has also obtained it in several of the above-mentioned islands, and ]\Ir. John Whitehead at Taguso in Palawan. We have seen several specimens from Labuan and other parts of Borneo. It has l^een procured in Sarawak by Doria and Beccari, at Moera Teweh by Pischcr, and at Banjar- massin by Motley. Dr. A. B. Meyer has met with this Swallow near Menado in Celebes in March, at Tello in South Celebes in January, and in the Togian Islands in August. He often noticed them resting on isolated branches of trees in the flooded rice-fields. Both Dr. Meyer and Professor W. Blasius have recorded the species from Great Sanghir Island. Tlie 'Challenger' met with a fcAv individuals at sea on October 21st between the Moluccas and the Philippines. Count Salvadori has given a list of the different places in the Moluccas wlu-rc this Swallow has been found l)y Wallace, Bruijn, Beccari, and Guilleinard, as follows:— Batchiau, Ualmahera or Gilolo, Tifore, Morotai, Amboina, Aru Islands, and Andai in N.W. New Guinea. Mr. H. O. Forbes has also met with it in Bourou. In the J?rilish Museum is a specimen collected by Mr. Cohen in the Pelew Islands. During the voyage of H. M.S. 'Herald,' a specimen of a youn- male SwaUow was captured by Dr. llayner on the nortli coast of Australia, on (he l^th of October, 1S(K). 8 Gould made this the type of his Hirundo fretensis, but, as has already been pointed out in the ' Catalogue of Birds,' this supposed species is identical with //. guttiiralis. No detailed account of the habits of the Eastern Chimney-SwalloAv has been published, but all notes agree, as might be expected, that its habits are precisely similar to those of the European bird. The descriptions are taken from specimens in the British Museum, and the figure is drawn from a fine and typical adult bird procured by Professor Milne near Yokohama. C.V/W. del. .Mixiter-in.IBTOH.TJiip . HIRUNDO TYTLKRI. HIRUNDO TYTLERI (Z..^.). TYTLEE'S CHIMNEY-SWALLOW. Sirimdo rtistlcu, var. rufa (nee Gm.), Middend. Sibir. Eeis. p. 188 (1851). Sirundo riifa (nee Gm.), Kittl. Denkw. ii. p. 19G (1858). Sirundo rustlca (nee L.), Eadde, Eeis. Sibir. p. 278 (1863). Eirundo tijtleri, Jerd. B. Ind. iii. App. p. 870 (18G4) ; Blyth, Ibis, IS6G. p. 330 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 790 (1869) ; Hume, Str. F. iii. p. 11 (1875) ; Wald. in Blyth's B. Bui-m. p. 127 (1875) ; Wardlaw Eamsav, Ibis, 1877, p. 466 ; Hume & Davison, Str. E. 1878, p. 41 ; Hume, Str. E. 1879, p. 81 ; Simson, Ibis, 1882, p. 81; Godwin-Aust. t. e. p. 315; Gates, B. Brit. Burm. i. p. 304 (1883); Seebobm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 171 (1883) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. x. p. 110 (1885); Hume, Str. E. xi. p. 26 (1888); Gates, Eaun. Brit. Ind,, Birds, ii. p. 278 (1890). Sirundo gutturcdis (nee Scop.), Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. Erauce, p. 385 (1882) ; Dybowski, op. eit. p. 351 (1883). Chelidon eryihroyaster (nee Bodd.), Stejn. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 72 (1883). Einmdo americana, Blakist. Ibis, 1876, p. 331 ; id. & Pryer, Tr. As. Soc. Japan, viii. p. 211 (1880). Einmdo o-ythrogastra (nee Bodd.), Blakist. & Pryer, Tr. As. Soc. Japan, x. p. 139 (1882) ; Blakist. Amended List B. Japan, p. 47 (1884). Eirundo satumtu, Eidgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 95 (ex Stcjneger, MSS.). Eirundo rusiica saturala, Dybowsk. & Tacz. Bull. Soc. Zool. Erauce. ix. pp. 116, 152 Eitmiulo haicalcnsis, Dybowsk. & Tacz. t. c. p. 151 (1881). Eirundo rusticahaiccdcnsis, Dybowsk. & Tacz. t. c. p. 152 (ISSl). Chelidon tytlerl, Stejueger, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 29, pp. 269, 330, 346, 351. 352 (1885) ; id. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. p. 113 (1887). Eirundo savignli (ncc Aud.), Styau, P. Z. S. 1886, p. 268. Eirundo rusiica lylleri, Tacz. Mem. Acad. Imp. Sei. St. Pctcrsb. (7) xxxix. p. 180 (1891). //. similis //. ijiitliirali ct tnr(|uc pcctonili intcrnipt;'i, sod gastra^o vinacoo-castanco clistinguoiula. Uab. ill Karatscliatku ct in Silrcria oricntali, in terra Assainica, ct in re-ionc Lulo-C'Iiincnsi Inbcrnan^. In America nici'idionali iju()(|nc, ut vidclur, rariiis liilicruaus. Adult male: General colour above ^dossy purplish blue, tlic nianllc and scapulars streaked with reddish white where the bases o£ the leathers show through ; lesser aud median wing-eovcrts like the back ; greater coverts and secondaries blackish^ edged with the same purplish blue as tlie back ; innermost greater coverts ashy on their inner web, tinged with rufous ; bastard-wing, primary- coverts, and quills blackish, externally glossed with steel-green ; tail-feathers blackish, glossed with steel-green, all but the centre feathers with a spot of pale rufous on the inner web, becoming laro-er towards the outermost, where it is in the form of a large oblique mark ; frontal band deep chestnut; lores black ; ear-coverts and sides of neck glossy purplish blue; cheeks and throat deep chestnut, with a half-collar of glossy purplish blue coming down on the sides of the fore neck, but not forming a band across ; remainder of under surface of body bright chestnut, not so deep as the throat ; the under tail-coverts equally bright chestnut like the breast, and having slightly indicated spots of purplish blue at the ends of the feathers ; axillaries and under wing- coverts exactly like the breast, the coverts near the edge of the wing slightly mottled with ashy bases to the feathers ; quills dusky below. Total length 7-8 inches, culmenO-4-, wing 5-9, tail 5-7, tarsus 0"4. Hab. North-eastern Asia from Irkutsk to Kamtschatka, visiting Pekin and probably breeding there. Wintering in the lowlands of Dacca, the Burmese provinces, and Tenasserim, and even extending to South America. Tytlee's Chimney-Swallow bears the same relation to Hirundo giitturalis that H. savignii does to H. riistica. It is an intensely rufous bird without a perfect collar. We know that the species nests in Kamtschatka, and it has been said to breed in the hills of Assam and Manipur ; but this statement is, in our opinion, erroneous. "We identify with //. tytleri specimens in the British Museum from the following localities : — Kamtschatka, Irkutsk, Sadhyia, Khasia Hills, Cachar, Dacca, Pegu, and Tavoy, as well as three American specimens from Brazil, Para, and Duenas in Guatemala. That all the specimens from the Indo-Burmese countries are typical H. tytleri, we would not, however, assert, for some of them incline to the possession of a throat-band, and both from Dacca and Tavoy we have seen specimens which we regard as intermediate between H. rustica and H. tytleri, while an individual from the Gurgaon district near Delhi appears to fall within the same category. The northern range of Tytler's Swallow has been well discussed by Dr. Stejneger in his celebrated work on the ornithology of Kamtschatka and the Commander Islands, and he agrees that the rufous-breasted Swallow of these localities cannot be specifically distinguished from typical //. tytleri. In Kamtschatka, according to Dr. Stejneger, the " Brown-bellied Swallow," as he calls it, breeds abundantly in and about Petropaulowski, where he met with it during the months of June and July 18S2. He adds : — " When, in 1883, I left the town on one of the latter days of May they had not yet arrived from the south, and at my arrival there in the middle of September the last one had already disappeared, so that their Avhole sojourn lasts less than three months. Mr. Joseph Lugebil informed me that the Swallows arrived on June 3, and disappeared on August 19. During the migration in spring a few stragglers sometimes pay a flying visit to Bering Island." Thus two were reported to Dr. Stejneger from the North Eookery on June 19, 1893, and another was observed at Ladiginsk three days later. A single egg left in the nest was procured in the fall ; it was white, heavily spotted with lilac and sepia-brown, resembling those of S. erythrogustra and S. rustica. Dr. Dybowski procured three nests with eggs near Petropaulowski, and Dr. Taczanowski describes the latter as similar to those of the European species with the same variations. The present species has been considered as, at best, a variety of JI. rustica and n. (julturalls by the Siberian explorers MiddeudorfF, Schrenck, and P^adde, and it is therefore difficult to determine the ranges of each species in their works. Dr. Stejneger has made some clever deductions, and shows that it is Tytlcr's Swallow which was found by Middendorff at Udskij Ostrog at the mouth of the Uda Valley, whence its migration to and from Lake Baikal and Dauria extends along the southern line of the Stanovoj Mountains. The other references to the Siberian Swallows are very confusinij, and we fancy that Taczanowski's ideas as to the two rufoi;s-breasted Swallows, K. tytleri and R erijihro- gastra, are somewhat uncertain, and would have been revised if he had lived to publish his own book. He refers Middendorff's bird from Udskij Ostrog to S. erythrogastra, which he allows on the same authority to nest on the Yenesei. There seems to be a thorough muddle regarding these Siberian specimens, and the matter will never be cleared up till some competent naturalist re-examines the original specimens in the St. Petersburg Museum. This will doubtless soon be done by Dr. Pleske, but until then our surmises are likely to be incorrect. Suffice it to say that an example from Irkutsk in the British Museum is identical in every respect with the birds from Kamtschatka, and doubtless the bird breeds in the former locality. In China the present species has only been seen near Pckin, where Abbe David records having noticed specimens with peculiarly dark underparts, as well as in Upper Mongolia. The only authentic record, however, of the capture of a specimen of //. tytleri has been furnished by Mr. Styan, who describes two specimens killed near Pekin; and as a friend of his noticed several dark-coloured specimens, it is possible that Tytler's Swallow is not uncommon in the vicinity. Ty tier's Swallow was first described by Dr. Jerdon from Daccn, where it was first brought under his notice by that excellent naturalist Mr. P. B. Siiuson, ^vho thus describes the discovery of the species : — " In April 1SG3 I observed, for the first time, that a groat number of Swallows Hying about the low marshy land to the east of Dacca and near the river Lukya. wliich lies southward from Mymensing to Naraiiigunge, where it mingles with tlie niiuierous streams from Sylhet and the eastern outlets of tlie Ganges, Jiad red bellies. >»o such bird was descril)ed in the first volume of Jerdon's ' Birds of India,' at that lime the only work on Indian Birds publislied. I Avrote to Jerdon about it, aiul he told mo that the l)ird had l)oon ol)served before by Tytler, and tiiat ho would outer it in ,111 appiMulix, wliich he accordingly did unchn' 1 bo iiauio of Hiriiiido tyllcri. .lonlon says tlicy wore abundant at Dacca in .Juno, but wore absoul ia (Jctolior; I iiavo, 1io\m-\ rr, si'on thcui near Dacca towards the end of Oofolicr. I saw them in tlirir ^rcali'sl uuiuIxts in I I', f November 1867. These birds were closely looked for by me for eight years in various parts of Eastern Bengal. I never found that they bred there ; and it was very seldom that I observed them far from Dacca, and there only in very scanty numbers. I observed them at Mymensing, the next district to Dacca, once, but only for one day. They visited Dacca regularly, certainly twice every year, from the end of April to June, and again after the rains. They seemed only to stay a few weeks, and then to disappear. For months I had been looking out for them in vain ; of a sudden they would appear in considerable numbers, and then disappear as siiddenly." Dr. Jerdon writes : — " I found this apparently new Swallow in abundance at Dacca in June. It had evidently finished breeding, for there were many yoimg birds. It had entirely left the place in October." Mr. Hume, writing in 1875, says : — " It is a mystery where //. tytleri, which is only seen at Dacca for a month or two at a time and that often after an interval of some years, comes from. Mr. P. B. Simson, the late commissioner of Dacca, who first pointed out the species to Dr. Jerdon, watched vainly for them for tliree successive years ; then they came in great numbers, and he sent me a very large series. A couple of months later they had entirely disappeared ; this was in the early part of the I'ains. It Avas in June also that he first drew Dr. Jerdon's attention to them." Colonel Godwin-Austen procured a Swallow in Manipur, which he found nesting near Imphal, the capital, in February and March ; it was then commencing to breed. He has specimens in his collection from the Manipur Hills and the Lhoto Naga Hills, Assam, and he remarks : — " It would appear that Ibis species breeds in the neighbouring hilly districts, migrating soon after into the plain country." He has kindly lent us these specimens for examination, and we find that they are only H. rustlca, though rather hia-hlv-coloured individuals of that form. Mr. Hume believes that he observed the species in Manipur, but did not procure a specimen. He writes : — " This is tlie more remarkable as Godwin-Austen says that during his visit it was the only form seen in Manipur during February and March." Mr. Gates writes : — " Tytler's Swallow visits British Burmah in considerable numbers every winter, but is much more common in some years than in others." Major WardlaAv Eamsay records it as common in the plains of Karennee, but no specimens from this locality are in the Tweeddale collection. Mr. Davison says : — " I only met with this race at Tavoy ; they appeared for a few days in the latter end of April and the early part of May in great numbers, and then disappeared entirely ; but whether moving north or south I am unable to say." Occasionally Tytler's Swallow appears to visit the American continent and to accompany II. erythrocjastra in its migrations south. Three specimens, from Dueuas in Guatemala, from Para, and from Brazil, are referable to this form. Tlie description of the bird is taken from an Irkutsk specimen in the British Museum, and the figure has been drawn from a specimen from Petropaulowski in the same Institution. For the geographical distribution of this species, vide infra Plate 44 [Map]. C.W.W.del. HIRUNDO EPriTTHR-OG ASTRA Mmterr. Rro3 imp. HIRUNDO ERYTHROGASTRA, ^of/./. AMERICAN CHDINEY-SWALLOW. Hlrondelle a ventre ronx de Cayenne, Daubent. PL Eul. vii. pi. 72i ; Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. vi. p. 607 (1779). Hufous-helUed Swallow, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. part 2, p. 566 (1783). Rirnndo erythrogaster, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 45 (1783) ; Sclater, Cat. Amer. B. p. 39 (1862) ; Baird, Pteview Amer. B. p. 295 (1861). Chimney -SwalloiD, Penii. Arctic Zool. ii. p. 429 (1785). Rirundo rufa, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1018 (1788) ; Vieill. Ois. Amer. Sept. p. 60, pi. 30 (1807) ; Bp. Comp. List B. Eur. & N. Amer. p. 9 (1838) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p 57 (1845) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 339 (1850) ; Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 46 (1850) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Mus. Philad. Acad. p. 2 (1853) ; lleinh. J. f. 0. 1854, p. 438 ; Burm. Th. Bras. iii. p. 148 (1856); Cass. B. Calif, p. 213 (1856); Brewer, N. Amer. Ool. p. 91, pi. 5. figs. 63-67 (1857) ; Reinh. Ibis, 1861, p. 5 ; Leot. Ois. Trinidad, p. 88 (1866) ; Lawr. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 450 (1879). Sirnndo Iwrreorum, Bartr. Eragm. Nat. Hist. p. 17 (1799) ; Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 308 (1858) ; Sol. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 13 ; A. & E. Ne^vt. t. c. p. 67 ; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 317 (1861) ; Sol. Cat. Amer. B. p. 38 (1862) ; Blakist. Ibis, 1863, p. 63 ; Scl. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 173 ; Scl. & Salv. t. c. p. 347 ; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. Tiii. p. 97 (1864) ; Baird, Review Amer. B. p. 294 (1864) ; Coues, Ibis, 1865, pp. 159, 537 ; Baird, Ibis, 1867, pp. 273, 275, 283, 289 ; Brown, Ibis, 1868, p. 420 ; Dall & Banu. Trans. Chicago Acad. i. p. 279 (1869) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 788 (1869) ; Sumicbr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 547 (1S09) ; Cooper, B. Calif, p. 103 (1870) ; Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 184 ; Allen, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. iii. p. 176 (1872) ; Gundl. J. f. O. 1872, p. 431 ; Coues, Key N. Amer. B. p. 113 (1872) ; id. B. N.-West, p. 85 (1874) ; Maynard, B. Elorida, p. 73 (1874) ; Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 271 (1874) ; id. BuU. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 17 (1876) ; id. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 455 (1S7S) ; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Hist. N. Amer. B. i. p. 339, pi. 10. fig. 9 (ls71) ; Hensh. Rep. lOOtb Merid. p. 216 (1875); Sennett, Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey, iv. p. 14 (1878) ; Hume & Davison, Str. F. vi. p. 43 (1878); Cory, B. Bahamas, p. 78 (1880); Zeledon, Cat. Av. Costa Rica, p. 5 (1882) ; Gates, B. Brit. Bunu. i. p. 303 (1883). Uirundo americana (uec Gin.), AVilson, Anun-. Oru. v. p. 34, pi. 38. tigs. 1, 2 (1812) ; Swains. & Richards. Eaun. ]'.oi'.-Aiuer., Birds, p. 329 (1831) ; J5p. Consp. i. p. 339 (1850); Lembeye, Aves Cuba, p. II, pi. 7. lig. (1850) ; Leith Adams, Ibis, 1878. p. 423 ; Blakist. t. c. p. 386 ; Law r. True. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. pp. 155, 487 (1879j. 4 15 2 Hirundo ci/anojJi/rrJta, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 510 (1817). Mrunclo rustica (nee L.), Audub. B. Amer. fol. pi. 173 (c. 1826) ; id. Orn. Biogr. ii. p. 413 (1831) ; id. B. Amer. 8vo, i. p. 181, pi. 18 (1810) ; Jones, Nat. Berm. p. 34 (1859). mrundo fnmaria, Lieht. Preis-Verz. Mes. Vog. no. 58 (1830) ; Cab. J. f. O. 1863, p. 58. Cecrojyis americana, Less. Compl. Buff. viii. p. 498 (1837). Ceo'opis riifa, Less. Compl. BuflP. viii. p. 498 (1837) ; Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 175. Cecropis americana, Boie, t. c. p. 174. Cecropis cyanopyrrha, Boie, t. e. p. 175. nirnndo erythrogastra, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 57 (1845) ; Scl. Cat. Amer. B. p. 39 (1862); Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 569; Pelz. Orn. Bras. pp. 18, 402 (1871); Layard, Ibis, 1873, p. 378 ; Sel. & Salv. Nomenel. Av. Neotr. p. 14 (1873) ; iid. P. Z. S. 1873, p. 185 ; Tacz. P. Z. S. 1874, p. 510 ; Coues, B. Color. Vail. p. 407 (1878); Hoffman, Bull. U.' S. Geol. Survey, vi. p. 220 (1881); Steams, New Eug]. Bird-Life, i. p. 181 (1881) ; A. & E. Newt. Handb. Jamaica, 1881, p. 107 ; Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 148 (1882) ; Salvin & Godman, Biol. Centr- Amer., Aves, p. 232 (1883) ; Tacz. Orn. Perou, i. p. 238 (1884) ; Salvin, Ibis, 1885, p. 205 ; Drew, Auk, ii. p. 15 (1885) ; Beckham, t. e. p. 141 ; Agersb. t. c. p. 278 ; Antbony, Auk, iii. p. 170 (1886) ; Wells, Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 612 (1886) ; Berl. J. f. O. 1887, p. 5 ; Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 256 ; Gates, Eaun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 279 (1890) ; Eeilden, Ibis, 1890, p. 483 ; Evans, Ibis, 1891, p. 61 ; Schalow, J. f. 0. 1891, p. 254 ; Peters, J. f. 0. 1892, p. 117 ; Graham Kerr, Ibis, 1892, p. 123. Hirundo erythrogastra, j3. horreoriun, Ridgw. Rep. 40th Parallel, iv. p. 441 (1877) ; Belding, Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 408 (1879). Kirundo erythrogastra horreorum, Coues, Bull. Geol. Surv. iv. p. 578 (1878) ; id. Check-list, p. 42 (1882) ; id. Key N.-Amer. B. 2nd ed. p. 322 (1884). JUrundo rustica, var. horreorum, Men-ill, Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 125 (1878) ; Cooper, op. cit. ii. p. 246 (1880) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 171 (1883). Chelidon erythrogastra, Stejn. Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 31 (1882) ; Turner, Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 239 (1885) ; id. A. O. U. Check-1. p. 292 (1886) ; Cory, Auk, iii. p. 59 (1886) ; Everm. t. c. p. 183 ; Smith, t. c. p. 278 ; Eox, t. c. p. 317 ; Thomps. t. c. p. 325 ; Turner, Contr. N. H. Alaska, p. 176 (1886) ; Towns. Auk, iv. p. 13 (1887) ; Dwight, t. e. p. 16 ; Lloyd, t. c. p. 291; Beckham, t. c. p. 304 ; Blake, t. e. p. 330 ; Nelson, Eep. Nat. Hist. Coll. Alaska, Birds, p. 197 (1887) ; Ptidgw. Man. N.-Amer. B. p. 461 (1887) ; Richm. Auk, v. p. 23 (1888) ; Scott, t. e. p. 31 ; Merrill, t. c. p. 360 ; Brewst. t. c. p. 389 ; Towns. Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus. X. pp. 221, 236 (1887) ; Ridgw. t. c. pp. 576, 579 ; Beckh. t. e. pp. 632, 682; Warren, B. Pennsylv. p. 243 (1888) ; Cory, B. W. Ind. p. 73 (1889); Everm. Auk, vi. p. 26 (18S9) ; Cory, t. e. p. 31 ; Eaxon, t. c. p. 45; Rives, t. c. p. '53; Paxon, t. c. p. 102 ; Brittain & Cos, t. c. p. 118 ; Dutclier, t. c. p. 130 ; Lawr. t. c. p. 201 ; Pindar, t. c. p. 315 ; Scott, t. c. p. 325 ; Beldiiig, Occ. Papers Calif. Acad. Sci. ii. p. 188 (1890) ; Eiker & Cliapm. Auk, vii. p. 267 (1890) ; Thomps. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. xiii. p. CIO (1890) ; Scott, t. c. p. 312 ; Clierrie, t. c. p. 335 ; Merriam, N. Amer. Paima, no. 3, p. 98 (1890) ; id. op. cit. no. 5, p. lOi (1891) ; Hagerup, B. Greenl. p. 60 (1891) ; Cory, Auk, viii. p. 352 (1891) ; Cherrie, Auk, ix. p. 22 (1892) ; Lawr. t. c. p. 16 ; Cory, t. c. p. 48 ; Dwight, t. c. p. 138 ; Coombs, t. c. p. 206 ; Scott, t. c. p. 213 ; RidgAV. t. c. p. 307 ; Attwater, t. c. p. 310 ; Lawr. t. c. p. 356 ; Anthony, t. c. p. 366 ; Hatcli, B. Minnesota, p. 352 (1892) ; Cory, Cat. W. Ind. B. p. 115 (1892) ; Fislier, N. Amer. Faun, no. 7, p. 110 (1893) ; Dwight, Auk, x. p. 12 (1893) ; Todd, t. c. pp. 40, 45 ; Scott, t. e. p. 181 ; Yfhite, t c. p. 226. Hirundo rustica erijthrogastra, Ilartert, Ivat. Vogels. Senckenb. Mus. p. 99 (1891) ; Tacz. Mem. Acad. Imp. St. Petersb. (7) xxxix. p. 178 (1891). H. similis H. gutturali et torque praepectorali eodem modo internipto, sed gastrseo pallide cerviuo dis- tinguenda. Hah. in America boreall et in Siberia orlentali testivans, in regione Neotropicii fere tot;!, ct in subregioue ludo-Burmanic^ hibernans. Adult male. General colour above glossy purplish blue, varied with white on the mantle and back, where the white bases to the feathers show through ; lesser aud median wing-coverts like the back ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, with a purplish-blue gloss on the outer web, inclining more to steel-green on the outer webs of the bastard-wing and primary-coverts ; the innermost greater coverts ashy on their inner webs, w'ith a strong rufous tinge ; tail-feathers blackish with a steel-green gloss, all but the centre ones with a large rounded white spot increasing in size towards the outermost, where it is a large oblique mark; forehead deep bay or chestnut, extending slightly backwards over the eye; lores black; ear-coverts purplish blue like the iiead; cheeks and entire throat deep bay, of a diflereut colour to the rest of the under surface, but not separated from the chest by a complete band ; the sides of the neck glossy purplish blue like the back, this colour impinging on to the sides of the fore neck in a half-creseent-shape, but not forming a band across ; under surface from the chest downwards, including the under wing-coverts and axillaries, clear rufous, deepening into chest- nut in the region of the vent; the under tail-eoverts with blackish shaft-lines; some of the lesser wing-coverts near the edge of the wing mottled with ashy-brown bases ; quills ashy brown below. Total length (i'S inches, culmcn 0'35, wing I'ou, tail 3'45, tarsus 0' 15. Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length G'7 iuclics, culmen Q-'6~), wing I'j, tail o'23, tarsus 0"4. Yourif/ birds are much duller in colour than the adults^ beiiip: dusky l)r()\vn above with a liluc gloss ; on the rump remains of narrow rufous margins; i[uills with n;ui\iw whitish edges at the ti])s; frontal band very small and pale rufous ; throat also pale rufous ; the rest of the under surface very light rufescent buff, deeper on the nuder tail-coverts ; ou the lower throat some remains of blackish mottliiigs, but n(jt forming a cross band. 4 The young bird described is from Guatemala^ and shows thatj as in H. rustica, the plumage of the young gets completely bleached before it puts on the full spring dress in which it retiarns to its summer home. The remains of blackish markings on the lower throat indicate an approach to a complete band. There would appear to be some considerable difference in the depth of the rufous colouring of the under surface, some specimens being so richly coloured that they can scarcely be distinguished from H. tytleri, but, as a rule, the rufous under surface has a more vinous tinge in the latter species. Hab. Eastern Siberia in summer, visiting the Burmese countries in winter. Nearly the whole of North America in summer, wintering in South America. The present species is distributed over nearly the whole of North America, and is an occasional visitor in South Greenland, according to Mr. Hagerup. Professor Reinhardt gives the following note: — "Nearly thirty years ago a specimen was obtained at Fis- kensesset by the late botanist Dr. Vahl, and sent to the Royal Museum. A second was shot at Nenortalik and procured for the Eoyal Museum in 1856. As far as I am informed, these two specimens are the only ones ever met with in Greenland." In Labrador, Mr. L. M. Turner says that it breeds at Hamilton Inlet. It apparently extends across the northern part of America, as it is said by Sir John Richardson to breed within the Arctic Circle in May, and to leave early in August. He writes : — " When Fort Fi'anklin was erected, on the shores of Great Bear Lake, in the autumn of 1825, we found many of its nests in the ruins of a house that had been abandoned for more than ten years. Towards the end of the following May the birds themselves made their appearance, and immediately commenced a survey of the different buildings ; but the storehouses having been repaired, without reference to the poor Swallows, they found no entrance, and after lingering about their old haunts for a week, they flew off in search of other quarters. At Fort Chepewyan, lat. 57°, the Barn-Swallows have regularly, about the 15th of May, for a number of years, taken possession of their nests of mud and straw, constructed within an outhouse, and we observed numbers of them in the same month at Fort Good Hope (in lat. &1^°), the most northerly post in America." It has been found at Fort Rae, on the Great Slave Lake, but is said by Mr. Ross to be rare there. Mr. MacFarlane did not meet with the species in the Mackenzie River, nor does it seem to reach Point Barrow, as it is not included in the list of birds observed there by Dr. Murdoch. Mr. Turner writes : — " The distribution of the Barn-Swallow in Alaska is well made out. It is a regular visitor to aU littoral Alaska, as far along the northern coast as Unalakhlit in lat. 05° N., while in the interior it is found all along the immense Yukon River. Along the peninsula of Alaska it is sparingly found. It appears in scanty numbers at Iliuliuk, on Unalaska Island, and breeds there. During the spring of 1879 not one was seen at this place, neither were there any seen during the summer or fall. It was an exceptionally boisterous year, and a succession of gale after gale possibly deterred the usually venturesome bird from coming there. This is the only species of Swallow found on any of the Aleutian chain proper and is not known Avcst of the island of Unalaska. While at Atkha Island in 1S79, and at Atlu Island in 1880 and 1881, I made special inquiry regarding this bird and only those persons who had visited Unalashka Island and had seen the bird there knew of its existence. The absence of knowledge of this bird in both of these places shows conclusively that neither the Barn-Swallow nor its congeners visit the islands in question. At Nusha"ak (Bristol Bay) the species is found in considerable numbers, and breeds there, as I saw a nest in June 1878." Mr. Townsend says that it was a common bird on the Kowak River in Korthern Alaska, breeding there. Mr. Nelson's note is as follows : — "(Esquimaux Tu-ln-kugh-u-nd-guk) This Inrd is the most common and widely distributed of the Swallows throughout the north. In Alaska it is found along the south-eastern coast, extending thence over nearly the entire Aleutian chain, and north along the coast of the mainland to Kotzebue Sound, and thence east throughout the Territory wherever suitable situations occur. It arrives at St. Michaels from May 17 to 26, and leaves toward the end of August. At Port Clarence, in Bering Straits, Dr. Adams found them breeding in the summer of 1851. At Unalaska, June 2 and 3, 1877, I saw a number of these Swallows skimming about and over the village. Dall found them at various points on the Aleutian Islands, and they nest at Unalaska. The latter reports seeing a Swallow at Atkha Island, at the extreme western part of the chain, which was undoubtedly this species. About the middle of May they arrive at Nulato, where they breed, as they do also at Fort Yukon and the other fur-trading stations along the Yukon." The late Dr. Adams gave the following note in a paper on the birds of Miclialaski : — " Early on the morning of the 31st of May, 1851, eight or ten of these birds arrived at Michalaski. I had been wandering about the neiglibourhood the whole of the previous day, and did not meet ■nith one of them, so that they must have journeyed in a flock. They immediately set to work about repairing their old nests, which were placed in an outhouse, under the eaves of the buildings, and in some of the loopholes for musketry in the block-houses. When they find a horizontal surface on which to build, the nest is very slight and shallow ; but those under the eaves are large and well-built. \^\-\ much resembling those of H. tirhica, but open at the top. There were so many oUl nests that very few of them built new ones, merely rejjairing and relining the old ones. The nest is built entirely of mud lined with a tliick bed of featliers. One pair that had been fre- quently disturbed whilst building in an exposed situation left their unlinished nest and built another in the root of a tuft of long grass whicli liung down iVoni the inside of the roof of an outhouse. This one they concealed so avtrully, by suspendinL;- Iuhl;- st raws iVoiu its outer surface, that it Avas only by watching tii(> l)irils thai l discovered it. At thi- time of the arrival of these birds the weather was line and wai'in, and their iiunil)crs were soon greatly increased; but in a ^cvc days the weather Ijci-amc cold and wet, and all the Swallows left off building. One pair left their half-Iiuishcd nest, and built upon a rafter close by it a large loose nest of straw and feathers, well lined with the latter (there was no mud), and partly arched over with straw. In this nest the two birds used to sit, side by side, the whole day long. As soon as the warm weather returned they left their warm retreat, and I never saw them use it afterwards. It was evidently built as a temporary resort during the cold weather, and it was the only one I saw ; the other birds sat luuldled together on the rafters. The favourite place for building was under the eaves of two outhouses wliicii were only a few feet apart and the most noisy place in the redoubt, the constant resort of Avomen, children, and dogs. They often build in old deserted native huts, and at Port Clarence, in lat. 65° 20' N., the furthest north that they appear to go, they were breeding in a cliff at some little distance from the sea. Most of the nests had eggs in on the 19th of June, when my observations on tliem ended. They are said by the Russians not to leave until the middle of September." Mr. Ernest Thompson sends us the following note : — " Distribniion in Ontario : " I^ondon and vicinity. Always and everywhere abundant {3IS. of W. E. Saunders). "Hyde Park. Summer resident [John A. Ilorden). '■'■ Listowel. Common {W. L. Kelts). " Ilatchlij, Brant Co., Out. Occurs ( W. Yates). " Hamilton. Xoted there by myself; given by T. Mcllwraith, in his book on ' Birds of Ontario ' (Hamilton, 1886), as follows : — ' They arrive in Ontario early in May and are generally distribvited over the country during the summer ; but about the end of August they begin to move towards the south and soon have all disappeared.' " Toronto. Noted by myself as follows : — ' Common summer resident, breeding about barns and outhouses. In 1885 it first appeared April 30. On Sept. 12, while on Toronto Island, two miles south of Toronto in the lake, I saw a small flock migrating southward ; two, apparently young ones, alighted on a building, and one, an old one I suppose, set about catching flies and fed them.' In 1887, Aug. 11, I find note : ' Barn-Swallows passing southward in flocks.' In 1888, April 20: 'Barn-Swallow arrived.' " Sjyrlngfield, on the Credit Biver about 18 miles due loest of Toronto. In this vicinity and southward towards the lake the species is common. Here on the Lake shore is Lome Park, where most of my specimens were taken. " Ellora. Summer visitant, abundant {Hon. C. Clarke). "Bruce Co., Central region about Mildmay. Summer resident, common {TF. A. Sclioenau) . " Lindsay. During my residence there ten years ago this sj^ecies was abundant in the barns. It was protected by the farmers. We often found the Cliff-Swallow and the White-breasted Swallow nesting in the same barns with this species. During a heavy thundershower I have seen the whole colony of a barn fly forth in a flock and perch on a bare tree, there to sit in the drenching rain until the shower was over ; I suppose for the sake of the hath. This may be connected Avith the popular idea that Sn^allow-tenanted barns are safe from lishtnino- for the withdrawal of the Swallows during the storm when some barn has been struck may have engendered the idea of the thunderbolt being a consequence of their absence. " Cohoconh. During my visit there, in June 1885, I found the species common. ' " Peterhow\ Common {Bev. V. Clementi). " Tarker, Addington Co. Summer resident, April 17th to May 10th {J. G. Ewart). " Belleville. In 1881, arrived May 9th {Prof. J. Macoun). "Kingston. Common {Br. C. K. Clarke). " Distribution in Province of Quebec : "Montreal. Summer resident, common {W. W. Bunlop). " Point de Ilonts. Eai'e, and not known to breed. 3Ir. Comeau shot one, May 29, 1882 {Br. C. Hart Jlerriam). " Count!/ of Quebec and North to Bake St. John. Summer resident, abundant {J. Neilson). " In the list of birds observed by Mr. Jos. M. Macoun at Lake Nustassini, this species is not mentioned. " Bistribution in Manitoba and the North-west : " Carberry. Rare ; in 1882 it arrived May 11th. Its absence remarked for same year on Aug. 30th. In 1881', first noted May 5th. The species did not breed about Carberry, possibly for lack of suitable nesting-places. " Winnipeg. Abundant ( IV. B. Hine). " Eastern Manitoba {i. e., I understand, in neighbourhood of Winnipeg and the near east). Summer resident, abundant {B. H. Blunter). " South-western Manitoba, near Souris Bicer. I have it noted for this region as common. " Qu'Aj-jpelle. Summer visitant, about May 20th, and breeds {Geo. B. Guernsey). " North-icest (by this I understand him to mean the region immediately to the Avest of Manitoba). Occurs {Prof. J. Macoun)." Professor Elliott Cones, in his paper on the birds of Montana and Dakota, writes : — " I find no specimens of this species entered in my register from Pembina, where, according to my recollection, it was not breeding at the time of my visit, though the family was there well represented by numbers of Clifi' and White-bellied Swallows. Nevertheless, Barn-Swallows were commonly observed during July and August at Aarious points along the line, nearly to the Rocky Mountains. Eligible breeding-places lor tliis species being few and far between in this country, it is correspondingly uiu'Dinnioii, at least in comparison with its numbers in most settled districts. A small colony of the birds which had located for the summer on a small stream west of the Sweetgrass Jlills •1 c afforded me an opportimity of observing a curious modiiication of their nesting-habits, which, I believe, had not been known until I published a note upon the subject. The nest was built in little holes in the perpendicular sides of a ' cut-bank,' whether dug by the birds themselves or not I could not satisfy myself, though I am inclined to think that they were. My assistant, Mr. Batty, seemed to feel quite confident in the matter ; and the probability is, that if the holes were not wholly made by the birds, they were at least fitted up for the pu.rpose." Mr. Hoffman writes : — " Although a species of general distribution, its occurrence in many portions of Nevada has yet to be recorded. Mr. Ridgway found it most abundant around Pyramid Lake, while Dr. Cooper reports its passing Fort Mojave for the north during the last week in May. In the timbered hills south of Eureka, along a short range of cliffs, were found great numbers of Cliff-Swallows (P. limifrons), who had constructed their nests in every available spot. Specimens were noticed amongst the latter supposed to be H. erythrogastra, but none were secured so as to definitely settle the question." Throughout the greater part of the United States the Barn-Swallow appears to be a plentiful summer resident and breeds everywhere, and it is very common in the Eastern States, but, like most of the Swallows, is less abundant further to the northward. Thus Mr. Dwight speaks of it as a fairly abundant summer visitant to the Bras D'Or region, Cape Breton Island, while in Prince Edward's Island it was abundant and generally distributed in summer. Messrs. Brittain and Cox state that it was rare in the Hestigouche Valley, New Brunswick. On the Pennsylvania AUeghanies, Mr. Dwight found it common on the north mountain, where several pairs were nesting in the hotel barn. In Louisiania, Mr. Coombs found it fairly common only as a spring and autumn migrant. Mr. Beckham, in his list of the birds of Bayou Sara, says that the Swallow was several times seen but was not common. Although only noticed as a migrant by Mr. Scott in the Caloosahatchie region, Elorida, the same observer says that on the Gulf Coast it is a common spring and very abundant fall migrant. He adds that " a few are met with in warm days in the vicinity of Tarpon springs. Some few breed at or near the same point. Mr. Atkins's observa- tions at Punta Rassa and Key West coincide with what I have written above, except that he has not observed the birds breeding, though he has seen them at Key West on June 11, and again on August 6-10, in numbers." On the western side of North America we find that, according to Mr. Jolm Eannin, the Swallow is an abundant summer resident in British Columbia, arriving at Buzzard Inlet at the end of March or the beginning of April. Dr. Eobert Broun records the species from Vancouver Island; and at Gray's Harbour, in Washington county, Mr. Law- rence noticed the species on the 3rd of May. Mr. Anthony found it rather rare and says it is only seen for a few days in spring and fall ; while at Port Klamath, Oregon, Mr. Merrill speaks of it as common. 9 With regard to its appearance in Idalio, Dr. Hart Merriam says : — " Mr. Bailey saw one near the foot of the Black-foot Movintains, July 12, and found a pair breeding- at the ranche at Big Butte. A few were seen nearly every day in August in Birch Creek and Lehmi Valleys. They breed at Scott's ranche, near Nicholia, and at the Lehmi Indian Agency. During the early part of July, 1872, I found Barn-Swalloffs in great numbers at Fort Hall." Professor Coues writes : — " The Barn-Swallow occurs throughout the Missouri re^-ion, especially during the migrations, and breeds in suitable localities, although it is much less numerous than it is in most wooded and settled parts of the country. It appears to withdraw altogether from the United States in winter, though a few Swallows are usuallv among the earliest arrivals, in southern portions, even in February. Their great powers of flight enable them to pass rapidly from one country to another, according to the exigencies of the weather." Mr. Henshaw says : — " The Barn-Swallow has a very general distribution throuo-hout the middle region, but it appears to be nowhere very common. Specimens were secured both in Nevada and Utah at various points, most in close vicinity of settlements, where, secure in the protection of man, it builds its nest under the roofs and in the outbuildings. Individuals of the species were quite numerous at Fort Garland, Colorado, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and also on the road between here and Fort Wingate, where they were seen by Mr. Newberry. This is the most southern point at which we have seen it. It has been detected in Arizona only at Fort Mojave by Dr. Cooper." Dr. Cooper's note on the species in California is as follows : — " This well-known and beautiful bird is less abundant along the western than the eastern coast, its place being filled in great part by the H. lunifrons, and perhaps also because it does not find so many suitable places for building in. As settlements multiply they seem to be gradually increasing about farms near the coast, building in the barns, and living in perfect harmony with their cousins, which build under the eaves. In wild districts they build in caves, which abound in the bluffs along the sea-shore, from San Diego to the Columbia River. " Their nest is built of mud, plastered up against a rafter, or on some supporting shelf; it is cup-shaped, and lined with fine hay. The saliva of the bird is supposed to render the pellets of mud more adhesive. The eggs are five, white spotted with reddish brown, and they usually raise two broods in a season, but often leave the last to starve, in their sudden departure south in August or September. "I noticed their arrival at San Diego, March 25th, and have fouud llicni far more frequent along the sea-coast than inland, probably from the fact tliat they preler the vicinity of water, and delight to hunt insects over its surface, soun'linu's even loucliiug it as they skim along. At Sacramento they were fmnul liy Dr. I Icciinaun. and I liavo seen them near there as late as September 8th. They arrived al Sania Cniz .March iMsl, 186G, shoAving a remarkable regularity in com})arisi)u wilii fs(;2, though llie ialler was a much colder spring. They left Santa Cruz about September 1.")tli."" I c 2 10 Mr. Beldino-, in his paper on the birds of the Pacific District, gives the following list of the occurrences of the Swallow throughout the region :— " Soleclacl. Rare summer resident, arrives about April 4 (i. B.). " San Diego. One seen March 26, 1884. A few seen afterwards, especially after cool storms with snow in the neighbouring mountains ; a few seen on April 8, 1885. " Foioay. Usually a common summer resident; none this spring, 1884 {F. E. Blaisdell). " San Bernardino. E-are migrant in the vaUey {F. Stephens). " Santa Cruz Island. Breeding (Eenshaio) ; common summer resident, arriving in March {Joseph Skirm). " San Jose. Common summer resident, arriving at the end of March and beginning of April (7F. L. Farkhurst). ''Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Tolerably common summer resident {W. B. Bryant). " Eaytoards. Common summer resident, arriving in March {TF. 0. Emerson). " BerJceley. Tolerably common summer resident, first arriving in March and April, common in May {T. S. Fahner). " Nicasio. March 31, 1884, first seen (C. A. Allen). " Olema. Common summer resident {A. M. Ingersoll). '' Murphy s. March to September {J. J. §' J. F. Snyder). " Stockton. March 19, 1870, arrived and began to repair their old nests (Dr. Eud- son) ; rare in 1885, arrived March 17 {J- J- Snyder). " Central California. March to the beginning of October ; breeding up to about 3000 feet {L. B.). " Soqiiel near Santa Cruz. Nesting; Sept. 14, young half-fledged {W. 0. Emerson). " Marysville. Common summer resident ( TF. F. Peacock). " Sehastopol. Common summer resident, arriving in March [F. E. Eolmes). '' Beaverton, Or. Occasionally seen (A. W. Anthony). " Walla Walla. Arrive in May ; breeds {Er. Williams). " Camp Earney, Bendire. A few pairs breed about the buildings of the Post ; they arrive about the same time (May 1), but remain much longer than the Cliff- Swallow, which leaves about the middle of August. " Although inhabiting the same localities as the Cliff-Swallow, everywhere much less numerous. Several nests were found in caverns on the eastern side of the Ruby Mountains. It arrived at Carson, April 8, 1868 [Bidgway). " Cape Flattery Light. Arrived May 7, 1885 {A. Simpson). " Whidley Island, W.I. Arrived May 24, 1886 (Lawrence Wessel)." The following note occurs in Dr. A. K. Tisher's memoir on the Death Valley Expedition: — "The Barn-Swallow was found nowhere common except in Owen's 11 Valley, California. It was first seen at Ash Meadows, Nevada, where two were noted, March 19. In the same State, Dr. Merriani saw one at Mount Magruder, June 8 ; one in Oasis Valley, June 1 ; a number in Pahranogat Valley, May 22-26, where it was doubtless breeding; and several near Bunkerville, in the Virgin Valley, May 7-8. He saw a single bird near St. George, in the Lower Santa Clai-a Valley, Utah, about the middle of May. " Mr. Nelson saw it as a migrant on the divide between Panamint and Saline valleys, the last of May, and at the head of Willow Creek, in the Panamint Mountains, about the same time. He saw Barn-Swallows at the head of Owen's Valley in the White Motintains, at the head of Owen's River, and also in the Yosemite Valley. Mr. Stephens found it common all through Salt Wells and Owen's Valleys, and the writer found it common in the latter valley at Keeler, near Owen's Lake, and at Lone Pine, in June. At Keeler a male was noticed every day during our stay. He sat for hours on a wire in front of the signal-station, and produced a series of notes which were well worth the title of a song. The sounds were more or less disconnected, but the writer does not remember hearing so perfect a song from any Swallow, and, as Mr. Bicknell states (' Auk,' i. p. 225, 1884), the notes suggest those jn'oduced by the Marsh Wren." Mr. Blake says that the Swallow is very common on Santa Cruz Island, California, and nests in caves there. Mr. Anthony states that in South-western New Mexico the species was seen by him on one or tivo occasions at Apache and Deming ; a few were nesting at the latter place, where large numbers were seen flying south as late as the 1st of October. Mr. Scott, in his paper on the birds of Arizona, writes : — " Common migrant throughout the region, and breeds rather sparingly in the Catalinas, at an altitude of 5000 feet. The species seems much more abundant as a fall than as a spring migrant. On October 12th, 1884, they were abundant in the Catalinas, at an altitude of 4000 feet." In Western Texas, according to Mr. Lloyd, it is a common summer visitant, breeding about the settlements, and rearing two broods during the season. He found a nest with four eggs on the 1st of August, at Paint Eock, Concho County. Near San Antonio Mr. Attwater regards it is a common migrant ; he has remarked it early in June, but has found no nest. Mr. Sennett did not notice the bird on the liio Grande, but says on the 22nd of May, when the steamer was about opposite (ialvaston, "several of the species flew about us, almost in our faces, sometimes alighting on the deck. They kept us company ibr hours." Dr. Couch has recorded the present species from San Diego in Nuevo Leon in Mexico, and otlier localities are given by Messrs. Salvin and limlnian, in the ' Biologia Centrali-Americana,' as follows : — Guadalajara and Ti'iiic (6';v///ay;//), (inana- juato and Pucbla (Duges), Y alley o[ Mexico ( /r///'/t'), Plateau of Mrxlvo [S/n)i I, ■/n;is/), Tchuacan and Tehuantepec {Simiichrad). Tlicy have also in lluii- colh'riions addilional examples, sent during recent years by several travclhn-s, of which ihc luHowing is a summary :—Va(]U('ria, Nucvo Leon, May 17 (/•'. L. Amid run y) ; llui|nih'j (Tlaliiaui i. 12 Valley of Mexico, April 23 (Ferrari-Ferez); Coapa (Tlalpam), March 14 (Ferrari-Perez) ; Chimalapa (Tacubaya), April 2i {Ferrari-Peres); Las Vigas (Jalapa), Sept. (Ferrari- Perez) ; Sola and Juchateiago, Oaxaca, April (31. Trujlllo) ; Topic, June 4< (TF. JB. Richardson); Mesquite, Jalisco, July (IF. B. Bichardson). The late Colonel Grayson found this Chimney-Swallow very abundant in May and June at Tepic, where it breeds under the roofs of houses, in the corridors, but it was only seen on the sea-coast in September and October, apparently naigrating. According to Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, the species also breeds on the Plateau of Mexico, and Mr. Le Strange informed Messrs. Salvin and Godman that it resorts to the houses in the city of Mexico for this purpose. Mr. G. F. Gaumer has obtained it in Ruatan and Cozumel in April. Messrs. Salvin and Godman further remark in the ' Biologia ' : — " In Guatemala we only know it as a migrant, arriving as early as the first days of September, and leaving again in April ; but in the former month adult birds are to be seen with young ones in their first plumage. The only record we have of its occurrence in Costa Pvica is from its name being included in Mr. Zeledon's list of the birds of that country. Prom the State of Panama, however, we have many skins of both adult and young birds. The latest spring record we have of the appearance of this Swallow in this district is the 7th of May, when a bird was seen at sea by Salvin about 100 miles from Colon." Mr. Cory records the species from the following islands in the Bahamas : — Mara- guana; Little Inagua ; Great Inagua ; Cay Sal; Anguilla. In the Greater Antilles, according to the same authority, it occurs in Cuba, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brae, Jamaica, Porto Pdco, and St. Croix. In the Lesser Antilles it has been observed in St. Bartholomew, Guadeloupe, Grenada, and Barbados. Sir Edward Newton, in the paper written by himself and Professor Newton on the birds of St. Croix, gives the following note : — "I observed two individuals of this species for the first time, Sept. 13, 1858, and I continued to see some almost daily up to my departure from the island on the 28th of that month. They were generally hawking after the manner of our own familiar bird //. rustica, and, I think, could hardly be distinguished from it on the wing. On one occasion I saw several hundreds flying over a lagoon, intending probably to pass the night in the tliick mangroves on its margin. Prom what I could learn, they do not winter in the island, nor are they seen there on their passage northwards in spring." Colonel Peilden states that in Barbados it is " an annual and abundant visitor, arriving in the end of August or the loeginning of September, and some remaining till Pebruary ; they haunt the meadows near the shore. On the 10th of September I observed them at Chancery Lane flying by scores, both old and young. I have also many notes of having seen them in numbers in other parts of the island as late as December." Mr. Hartcrt writes with regard to its occurrence in tlie island of Cura9ao, where it had also been obtained by Mr. Peters: — " I saw a specimen which had been obtained by Herr Ludwig which undoubtedly belonged to this species. I think it is only a 13 visitor from the noitli, because Peters tells us that it was numerous at the end of August, while it was so rare during my visit that I only saw a few in the town, and was not able to procure a specimen." Cassin mentions a specimen from Cayenne in the Philadelphia Museum, and the late Mr. Henry "VThitely procured a specimen at Bartica Grove, in British Guiana, in April, and met with it on Uoraima at 3500 feet. He also procured a specimen at Aunai in March. Mr. E. L. Layard observed the species at Para, but only in the town, where it kept about the church-towers. Natterer procured four specimens at Maral^itanas in April. Three specimens were procured by Mr. H. H. Smitli at Corumba, in Matto- Grosso, on the 23rd of March. Professor Baird records tT\o specimens from the Vermejo River in Paraguay. It is not included in Sclater and Hudson's ' Argentine Ornithology,' but Mr. Graham Kerr says that during the expedition to the Lower Pilcomayo he observed immense numbers of this Swallow at Puerto Juarez Celmen, on the Eio Parana, opposite Corrientes. Dr. Piohde obtained two young birds on January 12th ; and Count von Berlepsch seems to hint that the species may breed in Paraguay, but this is not likely to be the case, in our opinion. The Philadelphia Museum possesses a specimen from Bolivia, and the late Mr. Henry "VA'hitely procured specimens at Cosnipata in Peru, and Dr. Taczanowski says that he has received numerous specimens from the vicinity of Lima. Dr. Taczanowski also says that the American Chimney-Swallow is spread over tlie greater part of Eastern Siberia, and is common in the neighbourhood of Irkutsk, on Lake Baikal, and over the whole of Dauria ; according to Mr. Godlewski it arrives in the latter country during the latter part of May, and migrates towards the end of August. Dr. Eadde gives a fall list of the dates on which he observed the species in the Baikal country, Avhere he says that the second broods sometimes remain till tlie beginning of September. We do not reproduce the whole of his note, as considerable doubt exists as to the correct determination of the Swallows in Eastern Siberia. In the ' Catalogue of Birds ' we identified some specimens from Burmah and Cochin China as being identical with the true H. erijthrogastra ivom. North America, and we are glad to see that Mr. Gates confirms this identification. He writes : — " The only specimens of this species I have seen witliin Indian limits are two procured by myself in Eebruary. one at TounEjoo and one at Pea'u. The former is adult and the latter voung. There are two typical adult specimens from Cochin China in the British ]\Iuseum." In its habits the American Chimney-Swallow resembles the species of thr old World. One of the best accounts of the Inrd appears to be that of Professor Elliott Cones in the 'Birds of the Colorado Valley': — "In the case of this Swallow, whose name is a ' household word ' alike with the learned and the ignorant of oruiihology, it is unnecessary to rehearse the items which have formed staples of biograpiiy since Wilson wrote truly 'that the light of heaven itself, tlie sky. ihc trees, or any otlier common objects of Nature, arc not better known than the SwaUows. We welcome their first appearance with delight, as the faithful liarliiiigers oi' llowery sjjrini^- and ruiUly 14 summer; and wlieu after a long, frost-bound, and boisterous winter we hear it announced that " the SAvallows are come," what a train of charming ideas are associated with the simple tidings.' But almost all the written history of the bird has the savour of home: we think of Swallows and the city street, the farmyard, the bursting barn,- the new-mown hay, the flocks and herds, and all the changes of the seasons that come to us w'hen comfortably housed — forgetting, perhaps, the trackless waste of the West, where Swallows are still as wild and primitive as any birds, bounden by no human ties and no associates of civilization. Let us see the Swallow as he was before there were houses in this country — as he still remains in some parts of the world ; we shall find him living in caverns, like the primitive cave-dwellers of our race ; in holes in the ground, like the foxes of Scripture ; in hollow trees, like the hamadryads of mythology — so lowly is the habitation of this winged messenger of the changeful seasons. And yet, no sooner does the sound of the woodman's axe in the clearing foretell the new day, than the twitter of the Swallow responds like the echo, and the glad bird hastens to fold his wings beneath a sheltering roof. " Along the parallel of 49° I occasionally observed Barn-Swallows at various places from the Red E,iver of the North to the Bocky Mountains, during July and August of 1873-74. Excepting at Pembina, Dakota, where, however, I do not think that any of these Swallows were breeding among the numbers of Eave and White-bellied Swallows that I saw during my visit, there were no human habitations for the birds to occupy ; and as eligible breeding-places were few and far between, Barn-Swallows were comparatively rare. A small colony which had settled along the stream near Sweetgrass Hills gave the opportunity of observing one of the many modifications of their breeding-habits. Here the nests were built on the ground, in little holes and crevasses in the perpen- dicular face of a cut-bank. I could not satisfy myself that the holes were dug by the birds, though my assistant thought so ; but they were pi^obably refitted for the reception of the nests. " PJdgway found it most abundant about Pyramid Lake, Nevada, where it nested among the tufa-domes, each nest being attached to the ceiling of a cave among the rocks, and each cave having generally but a single pair. He also found nests in caverns of the limestone-cliffs on the eastern side of the Buby Mountains ; and others elsewhere, attached, as usual, in the East, to rafters of buildings. These ' tufa-domes,' as described by the same writer, are rocks of remarkable form and structure, usually having rounded or domed tops, being thickly incrusted with calcareous tufa, and honey-combed beneath with winding passages and deep grottoes, in which various birds nested, such as the Burion, Say's Pewee, and the Barn-Swallow. Various other advices which we have from the West, particularly from the Pacific coast, attest that this Swallow is primitively a troglodyte, or cave-dweller; and even in the East we have similar evidence in the ' Swallow Cave ' at Usliant, which Dr. Brewer mentions as once a favourite resort. In thus rehearsing the nestings of the Barn-Swallow, aside from its now liabitual choice of rafters, I may finally note that it sometimes takes forcible possession of the nests of 15 other species, for Mr. Allen lias known a pair to turn Cliff-S wallows out of doors, and occupy the premises. " I suppose I hardly need describe the nest itself — an object as familiar to most persons as a cobweb or a pitchfork — an untidy mass of raw material, fresh from the bosom of mother earth, witli ' hay-seed in the hair,' and a smell of the stable, like the typical Granger himself. These nests are composed ordinarily of little pellets of mud stuck together in layers, with hay intervening ; for these birds have never learned it seems ' to make bricks without straw,' like their more ingenious cousins of the eaves. Outside, the hay hangs unkempt; inside these stout adobe Avails there is a good soft stuffing of fine grasses, and a thick warm bed of feathers. The nests vary endlessly in size, shape, and degree of finish, according to the character of the site selected, the kind of materials most available, the facility of gathering them, and doubtless also the stress of impregnation under Avhich the female may be labouring. " One point about this Swallow's nest-building, however, may not be generally known. I give it in the words of our respected friend Dr. Brewer, with whose life-long observation of our birds I have too frequent occasion to differ; — 'A striking peculiarity of these nests is frequently an extra platform built against, but distinct from, the nest itself, designed as a roosting-place for the parents, used by one during incubation at nights or when not engaged in procuring food, and by both when the young are large enough to occupy the whole nest. One of these I found to be a separate structure from the nest, but of similar materials, three inches in length and one and a Jialf in breadth. The nest had been for several years occupied by the same pair, though none of their offspring ever returned to the same roof to breed in their turn. Yet in some instances as many as fifty pair have been known to occupy the rafters of the same barn.' " Under ordinary circumstances these Swallows raise more than one brood each year, and usually four, five, or six are a nestful. Notwithstanding the notorious regularity of their migration, their breeding is rather an arbitrary matter, and it is not uncommon to find at the same time nests containing; fresh egtrs and others with fledoiiu2:s. At this season, the activity of the parents is at its maximum, and their eirergy is taxed to sap])ly voracious throats with insects captured on tireless wings. The rate of speed in flying, the distances traversed in a given period, and the numbers of insects destroyed, ]ia\c all been the subjects of some curious calculations, — or rather speculations, for these matters scarcely admit of mathematics. Wilson supposed a Swallow to liy about a inile a minute, for ten hours a day, for ten years, — equivalent to more than eighty-seven times around the world ! However this may be, let us trust that these matchless wings mav lu'ing the Swallows again next year, as they have this ; and let us lonk Icniintly. r\('n encouragingly, upon the various superstitions of folk-lore, which feml to ])ix)tccl niul foster these amiable, these charming and useful creatun^s — even tliongh we may nut IV'ar that to kill them is to make the cows "ive l)loodv milk ! " Mr. L. M. Turner gives the following interesting note on the species in Alaska : — " The Barn-Swallow arrives at Saint ^[ichael's about the 7th of June. A r('\\ df the 16 more iutvepid ones may arrive some few clays earlier. By the loth of the month as many as forty pairs have been counted in the dusk of the twilight, which is light enough to see to read by at midnight during this season of the year. The earliest arrivals dart into the usual places occupied hy them as though they were the identical birds hatched there the preceding year. On their arrival they are loud in the manifestations of joy for the termination of the long journey lately winged to the distant north. " In the spring of 1876 snow-squalls and frosty weather held until late in June. The poor birds had had no opportunity to recover their exhausted condition, resulting from their long flight. Many of them succumbed to the chilling weather, while others, benumbed by the cold, permitted themselves to be handled and seemed to enjoy the warmth given out l)y tlie hands, as they nestled closely between them, without evincing any fear. "They build their nests on the beams projecting from the old houses and under the eaves of the other buildings. Nidification begins as soon as the sun thaws the ground sufficiently to allow them to obtain the mud with which to construct their nests. Alter that the yard is searched for feathers with which to line it. At this season of the year many game birds are killed for food ; hence the yard has various kinds of feathers in abundance. The Swallows appear to delight in picking up a feather, carrying it high in the air, and drop it to catch it again as it flutters downwards. Oftentimes two or more Swallows will join in playing with a large feather, from the breast of a Swan. I have seen one Swallow chase another, which was carrying one of these large feathers, snatch it from him, only to be followed in most wonderful aerial evolutions by the one from Avhich it was taken. This sport continues for an hour at a time. " The Russians protected this bird ; hence it seems to have less fear of man in that reo'ion than in warmer climates. " ]My window was a favourable situation from which to observe these birds collect mud for their nests. I never before knew how it was done, but supposed that they picked the mud-pellets up between their beaks. I have watched them for hours at a time, and when my eyes were not four feet distant from the birds at work. They flew to the puddle of water and mud, stepping over the ground until they found a jilace having the proper consistency, when they would look up at me as if to say that this would do. The neck is stretched out to nearly its full length and the head kept with the bill at a right angle to the neck. A slight pressing of the beak into the earth and a tugging twist of the body gently pulls towards the bird a small pellet of mud. The bird then lowers its neck to the ground with the beak on tlie opposite side of the j)ellet (or on the side nest the bird). The beak is now thrust under the pellet until the mass of mud is pushed on to the top of the bill and rests against the forehead. This is the manner in which it obtains the mud and is in position to enable the bird to deposit it. The mud is also plastered on with the top of the beak. " The Swallow frequently rears two broods in a single season. The first brood is fully fledged and on the Aving by the 15th of July. The second brood is ready for flight by the 25th of August. They remain around the Redoubt until the ISth or 20th of September. Previous to tlieir departure they assemble on the buildiDgs, in the evenings and the early morn, filling the air Avith their twitter. The late young are sometimes not ready to undertake their long journey, but the older birds gather round them and actually push them from the building to make them fly, as they seem to fear to trust themselves^ to their wings. " Their arrival in spring is always welcomed by the people who live in the Redoubt, while in the fall some will remark : ' It has been some time siuce I saw a Swallow.' Each person fully understood the thought that occupied the other's mind during the momentary silence that followed the remark. It meant that winter Avas near ; how Avill it be, and AA'hat shall we do ? " Mr. E. W. Nelson also writes : — ■" Before the advent of the fur-traders these birds nested in the deserted huts of the natives, as, in fact, they do, in many instances, at present, and sometimes tliey even shai'e Avith tlieir OAATiers the summer-houses on the Lower Yukon. On the north coast of Kotzebue Sound, in the autumn of 1881, I found two nests of these birds in a large cleft of the rocks, into Avhich the Avaves beat. Tlieir nests were seen in deserted huts on the same shore. " This SAA'allow arrives as soon as mild spring Aveather sets in, generally from the 18th to the 23rd of May. The sea is still covered with an unbroken surface of ice as far as the eye can reach, and Avinter appears to be hardly gone when the iirst arrivals reach Saint Michael's and come fluttering about their former nesting-sites. Those Avliose nests Avere in the old outhouses, the Avindows of Avhicli are left open in summer, but are now closed, try vainly to enter and flutter just before the glass, until exhausted and driven to perch on the roofs of the buildings, or upon an adjoining fence. AVithin a few davs thev are seen arlancina; all about the place or G'lidiuir in Avide circles over the broAvn tundra, Avhich at this time is still marked here and there by heavy snow-drifts. Their arrival may be followed by frosty nights, and CA'en snoAV-squalls are by no means rare, while raw misty rains are common. Still the birds appear to endure the unpleasant weather Avithout harm, and shelter themselves in old nests or other places until the sun shines once more. These old nesting-sites are re-occupied after being repaired, mid all manner of sheltering nooks are chosen as building-sites for the new-comers. Usually a number of pairs raise two broods in a season, if autumn does not come too early. A\ luii August arrives young and old are seen sunning themselves in noisy parties upon the loAV roofs of the log-houses, which form a favourite chattering-placc. Day by day passes in teachin"' the vorms- the use of their rmcertain Avinas, and sad Avork some of tlicni make of it at first, affording amusement to the dAvellers of tin- houses. Before hmu'. hoAvever, thev ilv as Avell as th(> old ones, and some fine morning' we waki'to I'nul a lilank in ])lace ol' llu^ vivacious llirouL;-, that, like many another soui-cc of ph'a'~ur(\ is iml fully appreciated until lost. The .sky seems to assume a sadder and more dreary as]u'cl, the brown earth looks duller, and the presence of a gloomy autumn is made nu)re ajipareut by the cheerless silence. Many days shall not ])ass before the snow-ca]i])iMl hill-lops. like the tents along the coast, announce the rapid a})proach of a long wcarisonu' Avintcr. Occasionally a pair lune their unlledged yuuug still in the lu'st, or just com- f 1)12 IS mencing to take flight, at tlie time the other birds leave for the south, and I have known a pair or two to remain a week or so behind the main migration in order to prepare their yonng for the journey before them. But this is uncommon, the nesting being usually ended and all tlie young on the wing about the same time. Their first eggs are laid on the last days of May or first of June." Mr. Stearns, in his ' New England Bird-Life,' gives a note on the Swallow in the Eastern States : — " A common summer resident, especially in populated places. The regular return of the Swallows occurs in April, and usually during the latter part of tliat month ; but the time is very variable, depending much upon the weather, and individuals may sometimes be observed in March, or even in Eebruary. Such instances, however, no more represent the normal migration than ' make a summer.' The return movement is in September, and rather early than late in that month, but largely determined by the weather, as in spring. The Swallows are very assiduous in their household affairs, nesting for the first time usually by the middle of May, reariag another family late in June, and sometimes managing to dispose of a third before the end of the summer — using, if not making, miich hay ' while the sun shines.' The well- known nest of pellets of mud lined with hay and often also with feathers is placed upon the rafters or under the eaves of a barn or other building, which serves these accommo- dating birds in good stead of the holes in trees they used to occupy before the country was settled. The eggs are three to five or six in number." The following note on a curious nest was contributed by Mr. Hugh M. Smith to the ' Auk ' for 1886 : — "A nest of the Barn-Swallow having no mud or dirt in its com- position may be something of a curiosity. Such a nest was found by me on Cobb's Island, Virginia, July 7, 1884, under the eaves of the porch of the main house in the settlement. It was rather compactly made up of rootlets and grass, and was thickly lined with downy chickens' feathers. It was four and a half inches in diameter and one inch in depth. In it were four ncAvly laid eggs. The writer is wholly at a loss to account for this departure from the visual style of architecture adopted by the Barn- Swallow ; there was certainly no dearth of mud out of which to construct a nest of the more approved type." We are indebted for the following note on the bird in Canada to Mr. Ernest Thompson, who has sent us much useful information regarding the Swallows of North Ameiica : — " Dr. Wm. Brodie, of Toronto, relates to me the following : — He was on one occasion teasing a large Polyphemus moth to make it fly ; at length it started away, flying straight upwards. It had attained a considerable elevation when a Barn-Swallow came dashing over ; it seized the moth and w^ent on, and immediately afterwards the wings of the insect came fluttering down. The question is, how were they detached ? there is no reason to suppose that the feet were used to assist the bill." The descriptions of the species are copied from the British Museum ' Catalogue of Birds,' and the figures in the Plate represent an adult and a young bird drawn from specimens in the Salvin-Godman collection in the British Museum. Eor the geographical distribution of the present species, vide infra, Plate 43 [Map]. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBU:i( Migratory. Bird of passage. Remains locally during the wiuter. Transplanted. Winter resident. niatizK A Adr O Pea. (X) Chtsii -^ Vitot =%sJ Ac( e-itali 1. H. rustica 2. H. savi gmi 3. II. gutturalis 4. H. tytlcri 5. U. eryfhrogastra Nearctic Region. Arctic Sub-Region ^ D SCh EB Cold Temperate Sub-Eegioii. Warm Temperate Sub-Reffion. Humid Province Arid Province. ■SP-i O 3 Neotropical Region. Central American Sub-Region. -/-.- « D Eura-sian Sub-Region. B B 5 S )F THE GENUS HIRUNDO. V Guest, f Wanderer. I I Earel}- ^ Generally >- nesting. ■ I In colonies J co-Asiatic •gion. Ethiopian Region. Indian Region. Australian Region. a to 5 W I?. D!" ffl ^H :?^v^ •* 'Iff * v i u /^' ^ 1 ■! I ^ r-s 4' '^h^^ r '\ >- 'I \ ^^?/-"^ jo> u :-. -^ ^ •s ^ 5^ .,,,•;>* '^i;^ii;^\^ -'^^ -"- •\v--, CiT'i^fv 1^\ '■<.- -t/-. <^ /y.^Wo^^,/.'" V Yv^' 2< •< J ^ «■ I 1- r.^ .j^^ It ^^ '1 sS^-^i 1 i?. \>i? a- I u • .ii \ ^ ,i:y,inrxx' ^- tr i-<,--&^'^ DDD m^ '^:ma-.cs tn tlic fcatlii'l's ; lesser and nicdian wing-coverts like tlic iiacli ; f^roaler coverts, bastard-wiiii;, primarv-eoverts, and (piills blackisli, sliglitly glossed witli steel-blue on tlie outiM- web ; tail-leathers und'orm blaelusli, 3f 2 2 with a slight steel-blue gloss on the outer webs; forehead deep chestnut; lores blackish; ear- coverts dull steel-blue like the head ; cheeks, throat, and fore neck deep chestnut, with a half- crescent of steel-blue descending on the sides of the latter ; remainder of under surface of body uniform smoky brown, with a few mottled feathers in the centre of the breast, some of the feathers being washed with steel-blue near their ends ; under tail-coverts smoky brown, edged with rufous, with a distinct subterminal spot of steel-blue ; under wing-coverts and axillaries dark smoky brown ; quills dusky below, rather lighter brown on the inner webs : " bill and legs black; iris dark brown" {Layard). Total length 5 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4-15, tail 2, tarsus 0-3. AdiiU female. Similar to the male in plumage. Total length 5 inches, culmen 0'45, wing 4"2, tail 2, tarsus 0'4. Hab. Tahiti; Tonga group; Fiji Islands; New Hebrides; Solomon Islands; New Britain ; New Caledonia ? The principal difference between this species and its ally H. javanica has hitherto been considered to consist in the absence of white spots on the tail-feathers, these being always a noticeable feature in H. javanica. Mr. Seebohm has, however, recently pointed out to us that white spots on the tail are often present in H. tahitica, though in a reduced form ; and a re-examination of the specimens in the British Museum, along with the series in the collections of Mr. Lister and Mr. Seebohm, has convinced us that the latter gentleman is quite correct in his statements. As will be seen below, the presence or absence of white spots on the tail is not a character which is accompanied by any coincident feature of peculiar geographical distribution, nor are the spots on the tail-feathers always to be found equally developed on each side of the tail, as the following list will show : — «. Specimens without any trace of white on the tail-feathers. a. J". Ovalau (E. L. Laijard). b. cJ. Ovalau {E. L. Layard). c. ^ . Matula. {Voy. H.M.S.'Challenffer'). d. ^. Kandavn {E. L. Layard). e. ? . Api, New Hebrides (l^oy. H.M.S. 'Challenger '). /. Ad. New Britain [Dr. Klein s chmi dt) . g. ? . Guadalcanal', Solomon Islands [C. M. Woodford) . I3. Specimens with faint spots of white on the inner web of the tail-feathers. a. ? . Ovalau [E. L. Layard) . — An indistinct spot on penultimate feather on both sides of tail. b. ^ . Levuka {E. L. Layard). — White spot indistinct on right penultimate feather, indistinct on penultimate feather of left side, but quite distinct on second and third feathers of left side. c. 5 . ]Matnka [Voy. H.M.S. 'Challenger'). — Spot distinct on right penultimate feather of right side, but scarcely visible on left penultimate feather. d. ? . Kandavu [Voy. H.M.S. 'Challenger'). — A small spot visible on right outer feather. e. 5f . Moala (7*. M. Rayner). — A tiny spot on outer feather. /. (J. Nomuka-iki (./. J. Lister). — A white spot faintly indicated on the three outermost feathers of right side and on the penultimate feather of left. g. ? . Nomuka-iki (./. J. Lister). — -A white spot scarcely visible on the two outside feathers of right side and on the penultimate feather of left. h. ^. Nomuka-iki (J. J. Lister). — Sj^ot very plain on penultimate feather of right side and on penultimate and third feather of left. i. (^ . Nomidva-iki (./. J. Lister). — Spot very plain on penultimate and third feathers of both sides. k. ^ . Nomuka-iki (J. J. Lister). — Spot distinct on penultimate feather of both sides, with a faint trace of a white spot also on the third feather of the left. I. Aneiteum (J. Macgillirruy). — An obsolete whitish spot on the outer feather on both sides, a spot also traceable ou the penultimate and third feather of the right side and on the penulti- mate feather of the left side. m. ^ . Vate, New Hebrides (L. C. Layard). — Only a slight indication of a whitish spot ou the third feather of the left side. As its English name implies, tlie present species is a bird of the Pacific Islands. It was first recorded from the Society group, is widely distributed in the Fiji Archipelago, the Tonga group, and certainly occurs in the New Hebrides, in the Solomon Archipelago, and in New Britain. From all of these localities Ave have examined specimens ; but it is quite probable that in the eastern limit of the bird's range it meets with its ally H.javanica, an undoubted specimen of which species we have examined from Duke of York Island. That the specific characters which separate the two species are not of the most constant character will be seen by our notes on the variation which occurs in tln^ present bird. The occurrence of the species in the Sandwich Islands, as recorded by Cassin, wh'.) notes a specimen received from the Eivoli collection, requires confirmation, and the New Caledonian record is not satisfactory. Mr. E. L. Layard and his son saw a bird in the latter island on the 26th of November, 1879, which they believe to have been a Pacific Swallow, but they were unable to procure it. The present species was first discovered in the "mountainous parts" of Otaheite, or Tahiti, in the Society Islands, during Captain Cook's Voyage, and the specimen described by Latham was said by him to be in the collection of Sir Joseph Banks. It was ])r(i- bably the actual specimen figured by Forster in his 'Drawings,' and called liy liiiu H. pijrrholcenia in the ' Descriptiones Auimalium.' Mr. J. J. Lister has recently met with the species in the Tonga group at Nomuka-iki. In the Fiji Archipelago the following islands are given as the abode of tlie species by Mr. E. L. Layard: — Ovalau, "Wakaia, Mokani, Taviuni, Loma-Lonia, ]\[ango. Vitu Levii, and Kandavu. It was also obtained on Moala Island by Dr. Ivayner during tiie voyage of n.M.S. 'Herald.' The 'Challenger' E.vpedition likewise obtained spccinu-us at Matuka and Kandavu. Writing from the Fiji Islands, Mr. I]. L. Layard says :— " This Swallow is very local, but, I tliiiik, widely spread tlu'ougliout the inlands. It is said to nest in rocks ; and I feel eonlideut that a pair nested this year in the cracks and crannies of 'Brewer's Hock,' as they were visible almost every evening during in\ residence in my present liouse, fiitting over the little puint u\ land im tlie other side ol' the creek, and in front of my verandah. They are very crepuscular in their hahits. I saw them in the hills as far up the Uewa River as Naruku-ruku, mingled with the Swifts, also at Kandavu, Loma-Loma, and Taviuni." Mr. L. C. Layard, in his account of tlie birds observed by him in the New Hebrides, says that only six individuals of this Swallow were seen — one pair on Santo and two pairs on Vate, out of which last three birds were procured. These were in a maize-field, attracted by the insects put up by burning the grass. They perched on the tops of the stalks. In Santo they were on trees overhanging water. The late John Macgillivray obtained the species on the island of Aneiteum, and it was also met with at Api by the 'Challenger ' Expedition. Canon Tristram recorded the present species from the Solomon Islands, wdiere it was obtained by Commander Richards at San Cristoval and St. Geoi'ge. Count Salvador! was inclined to doubt the occurrence of R. taliitica in the Solomon group, but Mr. C. M. Woodford has obtained perfectly typical examples in Guadalcanar and Alu. In New Britain Dr. Finsch states that the bird is a migrant, and he does not appear to have collected specimens, but the sjjecies has been obtained in the island by Dr. Kleinschmidt. Mr. L. C. Layard has given the following note on the breeding of the species in the New Hebrides : — " I found one nest on a ledge under an overhanging rock, made, as usual, of mud, the depression lined with feathers. This was during the last week in August, and the three eggs were just on the point of hatching. They are of a very pale pink ground- colour, generally spotted throughout with brown-madder spots, which run very thickly together, and form a ring at the greatest diameter. The only specimens obtained are all more or less damaged in extracting the embryos, bat measure about, axis 10'", diam. 6i"'." The descriptions of the present sjiecies have been taken from a pair of birds in the British Museum, Avliile the figure has been drawn from a sj)ecimen in Mr. Seebohm's collection. r^'^'Ssnrf-- ^^^^^ ■ij^v^ ' ' ^ 4s Mil s % HIRUMDO JAVAT-UC^.. Mintem Bros. imp. ■■a^L.. HIRUNDO JAVANICA, Spamn. TROPICAL SWALLOW. Mirundo javanica, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, ii. pi. 100 (1789); Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xiv. p. 523 (1817) ; Temm. PI. Col. iv. pi. 83. tig. 2 (1823) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 57 (184.5); Temm. & Sclil. Faun. Jap., Aves, p. 32 (1850); Cab. Mus. Heiu. Th. i. p. 16 (1850); Wall. Ibis, 1860, p. 147; id. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 485; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 813 (1869) ; Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 137, note (1870) ; Walden, Tr. Z. S. yiii. p. m (1872) ; Swiuh. Ibis, 1873, p. 231 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 126 (1874) ; id. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 767 (1875), ix. p. 23 (1876), X. p. 130 (1877) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 43 ; Bourd. Str. F. 1876, p. 374 ; Fairb. Str. F. 1877, p. 392 ; Sliarpe, Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xiii. p. 498 (1877) ; Tweedd. Ibis, 1877, p. 316 ; id. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 760, & 1878, pp. 109, 342, 615, 709; Salvad. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 95; Hume & Davison, Str. F. 1878, p. 43; Bamsay, Proc. Liim. Soc. N. S. W. iii. p. 275 (1879), iv. p. 98 (1879); Finsch, P.Z. S. 1879, p. 10; Meyer, Ibis, 1879, p. 128; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. xiv. pp. 492, 647 (1879); Hume, Str. F. 1879, pp. 47, 84; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 344; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 597 (1879); Hume, Str. F. 1880, p. 120; Salvad. Report Voy. 'Challenger,' ii. Birds, p. 78 (1881); id. Orn. Papuasia etc. ii. }). .") (1881) ; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xvi. p. 430 (1882) ; :\[iiller, J. f. O. lss2, p. 361 ; Davison, Str. F. x. p. 345 (1883) ; Yorderm. Xat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. xlii. p. 209 (1883); Meyer, Sitz. Abhandl. Gesellsch. ' Isis,' Dresden, 1884, Abth. i. p. 22; Sharpe, Ibis, 1884, p. 321; Forbes, P. Z. S. 1881, pp. 426, 433; Pleske, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. xxix. p. 528 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. X. p. 142 (1885) ; Nehrk. J. f. O. 1885, p. 32 ; Guillem. P. Z. S. 1885, pp. 261 , 119, 553; Yorderm. Nat. Tijdschr. Ncderl. Ind. xiv. p. 326 (1886) ; Salvad. Ann. .Mus. Genov. (2) iv. pp. 520, 538 (1887); Seeb. Ibis, 1887, p. 176; Yorderm. X:it. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. xlvi. p. 228 (1887); Ramsay, Tab. List Austr. B. p. -1 (1888); W. Blasius, Ornis, iv. p. 580 (1888); Everett, Journ. Straits Hrancli A^. Soc. 1889, p. 131; Sharpe, I])is, 1889, p. 430; Yorderm. Nat. Tijdschr. xli. ].. :;;)(; (1890) ; Salvad. Agg. Orn. Papuasia, pt. ii. p. 69 (1890) ; AVliiteliead, Ibis, ls«)(i, p. 49; Sccb. B. Japan Emp. p. 142 (lb90) ; Gates, ed. Hume's Nests ct l^ggs Ind. B. ii. p. 186 (1890); id. Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 279 (ISOO) ; Yorderm. Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. 1. pp. 414, 451 (1891); Salvad. Ann. .Mus. Cenov. (2) xii. p. 49 (1891) ; Stccrc, List B. & Mamni. Pliilipp. p. IC (ls«)l). Javnn Sioalloio, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppb ii. ]). 250 (isol). Jlirumlajrontalis, Quoy ct Gaim. Aoy. dclAstroL, Zool. i. p. 2(1 k pi. 12. Jig. ] (1830) ; (iray. Gen. B. i. j). 57 (1845) ; Scl. Proc. Linn. Soc, Zool. ii. p. 155 (1S5S); (ir;iy. p. Z. S. 1858, p. 189, 1859, p. 154; id. Cat. Mamm. etc. N. Guin. pp. 18, 54 (1859) ; id. P. Z. S. 18G1, p. 433 ; Pinscli, Neu-Guinea, p. 162 (1865, pt.) ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 812 (1869, pt.) ; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. p. 179 (1878). Jlerse frontalis, Less. Compl. Buff. viii. p. 497 (1837). Ilerse javaiiica, Less. t. c. p. 497 (1837). Cecropls javcmica, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 174. Cecrojyis frontalis, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 174. Hirundo domicola, Jerd. Madr. Journ. xiii. p. 173 (1844); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 198 (1849) ; Kelaart, Prodr. Cat. p. 118 (1852) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xii. p. 170 (1853) ; Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 264 ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.I. Co. i. p. 381 (1854); Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 158 (1862); Scl. P. Z. S. 1863, p. 217 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 336 ; Bulger, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 568 ; Gray, Haud-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 814 (1869) ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 418; Elvves, Ibis, 1870, p. 527 ; Jerd. Ibis, 1871, p. 351 ; Morgan, Ibis, 1875, p. 313. Hirundo pad fica (nee Lath.), Motl. & Dillw. N. H. Labuan, p. 10 (1855). IJirundo neoxena (nee Gould), Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 189, 1861, p. 433 ; Eosenb. Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. xxv. p. 234 (1863). Ilijpiirolepis domicola, Gould, B. Asia, i. pi. 32 (1868); Hume, Nests ^ E^'gs Ind. B. p. 73 (1873) ; id. Str. F. 1874, p. 155. Hyprirolepis javanica. Gates, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 308 (1883). Hirundo fretensis, Hamsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. p. 179 (1878, nee Gould). //. minor : pileo et uropygio dorso concoloribus : fronte rufa : cauda conspicue albo maculata : subcau- dalibus fumoso-brunneis, albo marginatis. H(il>. in Peninsula Indica meridionali, in insula Zcylonica, in regionibus Indo-Burmanicis et per totam regionem Indo-Malayanam et in insulis Moluccanis et Papuanis. A// 11 It male. General colour above dull steel-blue; lesser wing-coverts like tbe back ; tlie median and greater coverts edged with dull steel-blue ; inner greater coverts ashy towards the end of the inner web ; primary-coverts and quills black ; upper tail-coverts like the back ; tail-feathers black, slightly glossed with steel-blue, all but the two centre featliers with an ovate spot of white on the inner web ; crown of the head dull steel-blue like the back ; a broad frontal band of ])rick-red ; lores blackish, as also the feathers round the eye ; ear-coverts brick-red like the sides of the face, but blue along their upper margin; cheeks, throat, and fore neck brick-red; sides of the neck dull steel-blue : breast dull ashy brown, the sides of the upper breast with a dull blue patch like the sides of the neck ; abdomen ashy whitish ; sides of the body and flanks dull smoky brown ; thighs smoky brown, tipped with ashy ; under tail-coverts smoky brown, margined conspicuously with ashy white, before which is a bluish-black shade, broader on the longer coverts and producing there a strongly marked appearance ; the longest ones entirely blackish with ashy white tips ; under wing-coverts and axillaries smoky brown, with a slight shade of rufous ; quills below dusky brown, inner edges rather more smoky brown : " bill blackish, the base of the lower mandible reddish ; feet brown, the edges of the tarsal scales whitish ; claws black " {Jr. V. Leyijc). Total length 4'5 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4-15, tail 1 8, tarsus 0-35. Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length 4-5 inches, culmen 0'3, ^ving 4-1, tail IT.", tarsus 035. We have described a pair of birds from the Xilghiris, though from this part of India the specimens are decidedly darker in colour than many birds from other localities. This Swallow varies considerably in the colour of tlie under surface; but we have not been able to trace a definite character by which actual races or subspecific forms can be recognized. The connection between H. javanica and H. tahitlca is much closer than has been generally supposed. If a specimen of typical H. javanica from Java be compared with one of H. tah'itica from Tonga, the two species seem to all appearances to be quite distinct. In H. tah'itica the rufous forehead and throat appear much darkei', and the under surface of the body is also darker and almost entirely uniform, with the exception of some blue-tipped feathers in the centre of tlie chest, which form a streak. The tail also is entirely uniform, without any white spots on the inner web. Thus, were these characters constant, there would be no difficulty in distinguishing the two species; but, as a matter of fact, the white spots on the tail vary to such an extent, that it is even doubtful whether absolute specific characters can be drawn between these two supposed species. Under the heading of H. tahitlca we have alluded to the variation in the spotting of the tail-feathers, and we need not further allude to the subject here; but in H. javanica the shade of ashy brown on the under- parts is also a variable character. Specimens from the Malayan Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, and Lombock are very similar to one another, and are nearly as uniform below as //. tahitica, tliis being especially the case with the Lombock birds ; but in none of them is there any trace of the mesial black plumes on the centre of the chest. The under tail-coverts are somewhat rufescent on the margins. In specimens from Southern India the under surface is dark, and the under tail-coverts are margined with whitish, as a rule. The birds from the Philippines and Palawan are much whiter on the abdomen, and specimens from North-eastern Borneo and Labuan I'csemble them in the white abdomen and white-edged under tail-coverts ; but other examples from Sarawak and Banjarmassing are of the same dark-breasted form as that which inhabits Java and the Sunda Islands generally. The only specimens from South-eastern Xew Guinea in the British Museum are exceptionally pale in colour and have the abdomen conspicuously white, while the under tail-coverts also appear to be paler and to have only subterminal black markings, without any long black central coverts, as is often the ease with specimens from other localities. Thev approach, in fact, H. neoxena, but of course have not the elongated tail-feathers of that species. The present species belongs to tlic section of the genus H/'/'iii/do Avliich cnnfains our Common Swallow and its allies; but it is one of the short-tailed seclinn of tlu^ i;vnus, which, though strongly represented in tlie Indian Region, has several near allies in Africa. The range of IT. jaranica is interesting, as it is one of those species of birds which occur in Southern India and Ceylon, but avoid the Indian Peninsula in general. and then reappear in the islands of the ]?ay of ]?engal and extend throughout the Malayan Uegion. In tlie case of the present species the range is eontiniied tliroiiglioul the [Moluccas and Papuan Islands as mcU. "The present species," writes Colonel Legge, "is a rc^sidenl inliabilant id" the mountains of Ceylon, and is, as in the south of India, restricted to liiuli elevations. Though common as low down as the \alley of I)und_)ara, it appears resolulel\ to decline 3g any descent into the hot regions round the base of the mountains, for I have never seen it, or heard of its being observed, in the low country. It is found in the open districts formed by the great valleys in the Central Province, about estates, and on the plains of the upper regions, being very common at Nuwara Elliya and in the neighbourhood. I observed it at Ilorton Plains, and in the southern ranges met with it in the Morowak and Kukkul Korales ; and throughout the high tract formed by these and the adjoining Korales it is found down to the same altitude as in the Kandy country." On the Indian Peninsula it is known from Travancore, the Nilghiris, and the Palani Hills. Mr. H. J. Elwes procured the species on the Cardamum Hills; and Mr. P. Bourdillon states that it is a resident in Travancore, " travelling but little, two or three persistently frequenting each sheltered ravine in an open clearing." The Hev. S. B. Pairbank, in his paper on the birds of the Palani Hills, states that it was obtained on the summit of the range, and also at Semiganur at an elevation of 5500 feet. In the Xilghiri Hills it is a resident species and very common, according to Mr. Davison, commencing to breed about the last week in Pebruary. The late Dr. Jerdon believed tliat it was this Swallow which he found breeding at Bangalore ; but it has not been recorded from that place by Major Wardlaw Ramsay or by any other ornithologist who has collected of late years in that vicinity. Mr. Hume writes : — " This species appears to be common in the Andamans, at any rate from the beginning of June to tlie end of September, as a number of specimens have been sent to me, procured on different dates during these months. We none of us saw this species anywhere about the islands between the beginning of December and the end of April. It is therefore apparently only a monsoon visitant." Colonel Legge also observes that, judging from the dates recorded of the appearance of the species in the islands of the Bay of Bengal and Tenasserim, it would seem that the species " migrated with tlie south-west monsoon from Soutli India or Ceylon across to the last- mentioned localities, not straying above 13° or 14° N. lat." In Burma proper the present species has not yet been observed, though Mr. Gates considers that it is not unlikely to occur within the limits of the province. Mr. Hume believes tliat it Avill be found only in the more southern provinces of Tenasserim, as Mr. Davison only met with the species in Mergui in June. There they were by no means numerous, and Mr. Davison concluded that they were migrating ; but as Mr. Theobald found the species nesting in Tenasserim, Mr. Gates concludes that it is really a resident in that province. The Tropical Swallow is apparently, as Mr. Gates justly oljserves, a resident bird in all the countries which it inhabits; but Mr. Hume's evidence as to its migrations in the Andamans must not be overlooked. Further to the south Mr. Darling procured the present sjiecies at Kossoum, and at the mouth of the Poongah Ptiver, in the north of the Malayan Peninsula, in August. Dr. Miiller has recorded it from Salanga Island ; and long ago Dr. Cantor met with it in Penang. Here, says Mr. Swinhoe in 1873, it was the prevailing Swallow, and he found it nesting. Mr. Davison has also obtained it in Johore in March. Dr. A. Pt. AYallace procured specimens of this Swallow in AVest Java, and Dr. Vorderman has recorded it from the Salak Mountains. At Batavia, aecordinii: to the last-named naturalist, it breeds. He also records it as nesting in the Island ot Billiton. Dr. Wallace met with the species in Sumatra during- his travels in the Malay Archipelago, and more recently Mr. Buxton found it in South Lampong ; while Signor Modigliani has procured specimens at Siboga in April and September, and at Balige in October. He also found it in the Island of JS^ias. In the Philippines Mr. A. H. Everett vas the first to meet with the species, viz. in the Island of Cebu, in April. He after- wards procured it in South Leyte in September and October, and in Diuagat in September and North Bohol in October. Dr. Platen also met with it in Mindanao. By the Steere Expedition it was recorded from Negros, Samar, Mindoro, and Basilan. Mean- while Mr. Lempriere had also collected a specimen at Marasi Bay in Southern Palawan : it was subsequently noted at Puerto Princesa by Mr. Everett and Professor Steere, and Mr. John Whitehead remarks that it was " fairly common " near Taguso. Dr. Guilleinard met with the species in the Island of Cagayan Sulu, " flying about the vicinity of the crater-lakes in the month of April." He also found it in the Sula Islands. In Labuan it breeds, and, according to Mr. John "Whitehead, it is common throughout Northern Borneo. Dr. Wallace met with it in Sarawak, and Mr. A. H. Everett procured some specimens at Sibu in October. It was also found at ^loera Teweh by Dr. Pischer and by Mr. Motley at Banjarmassing. Dr. W^allace states that this Swallow is common in Celebes, and he also met with it in the Sula Islands. Dr. Meyer has received it from Tabukan in the Sangi group. It is widely spread throughout the Moluccas, having been found in Lombock and Timor by Dr. Wallace and by Mr. Riedel in Timor Laut. Count Salvadori gives the following- list of its locnlities in his ' Ornitologia della Papuasia ' : — Batchian, Morotai, Ternate {Bernstein), Bouru {TT^aUace; Hoedl), Amboyna {Hoedt), Matabello {Rosenberg), Ive Islands {Rosenherg), Aru Islands, Salawati [Rosenberg], Dovey {S. 3IiUler ; JFallacc), Sorong (B'Albertis), Jobi (Rritijn). It has also been met with on the Island of Waigiou by Dr. Platen, and it was procured at Dobbo in the Aru Islands during the ' Challenger ' Expedition. In South-eastern New Guinea Signor D'Alliertis mrt w ith 1 he species on Yule Island, Mr. Stone in the neighbourhood of Port Moresby, and Mr. Liuldic on the Astrolabe Eange. It was likewise procured by the late John ^Maegillivray on the Iledscar Islands olf the south-east coast of New Guinea; and the .Salvin-Godnian collection contains three specimens said to have been obtained by .Mr. J. T. Cockcrcll in the islands in Torres Straits. These islands arc indocd a vci-y ])rnl)aliK' haliital I'or lln- species; but the locality requires some cdiillrnial ion, as .Mr. C'ockcrcll uoloriously mixed up his collections from the Aru Islands and .NOrlhcni Auslralia. The most eastern habitat of the species seems tu be ?M'u lidand and llie Diike-nf- York Island, where it was met with bv Dr. Hiibner and !Mr. L. C. Lavard, ihe laller of whom found it brcedini!'. 6 Tlie following account of the habits and uidification of the species in Ceylon is given by Colonel Legge : — "To the resident in the beautiful mountains of Ceylon this little bird has much the same interest as that which the Common Swallow possesses for the occupants of the many English homes to which it is so welcome a visitor ; with this difference, however, that it is a constant attendant about the Ceylon bungalow^ throughout the year, flitting in and out of the rose-covered and trellised verandah, gliding over the spacious barbecues bestrewn with the rich produce of the estate, or settling on the roofs of the pulpinf- houses, from the tops of which it utters its merry little twitter while it prunes its glossy 2)lumage in the rays of the morning sun. No wonder, then, that it is a general favourite Avith the planter, reminding him of scenes far away, and bringing back to hiin recol- lections of those from Avhom he is so widely removed. In the mind of the author this interesting bird is connected with pleasing memories, not easily forgotten, of much kindness received, and, moreover, of the glorious mountain prospects viewed from the verandah of many a hospitable bungalow, round which he has often seen it flying while resting after the exertions of a long toil up the zigzag paths of the estate. It is found about the villages of the Kandyans, and havyks for its food over patnas and cleared hill-sides, as well as round the stores and buildings of tlie estates. On some bare STDot or on a pathway in the open it may sometimes be seen resting, and I have occasionally seen it perched on a dead branch or stake ; but its favourite jjost is the eave of some building. Its flight is very buoyant, but not at all swift, and its twitter is not unlike that of the Common Swallow. "The breeding-time of the Hill-Swallow is in April, May, and June; it nests in the verandahs of bungalows and outbuildings of estates and under the eaves of native houses, building sometimes beneath the ceilings of rooms Avithout evincing any fear of the inmates. Such a nest I once observed in the sitting-room of the old Banderawella P^esthouse. It is usually placed against the side of a beam or projecting baulk of timber, and resembles in its construction that of H. erythropygki, though somcAAliat smaller. It is composed of mud and lined AAdth feathers, thread, small pieces of rag, and such materials as it may pick uj) about its adopted residence. The eggs are usually three in number, stumpy ovals in shape, and of a white ground-colour, spotted pretty evenly with brownish red. " I once found a Swallow's nest in a small cavern or recess in the face of a cliff in Haputale, and it no doubt belonged to this species. In some eggs there is a tendency in the markings to form a zone at the large end. They measure about 0'77 by 0"5 inch." The folloAving notes on the uidification of 11. jacanica will be found in Mr. Hume's ' Xests and Eggs of Indian Birds' (2nd edition, edited by Mr. E. W. Gates) : — "The Nilghiri Ilouse-Swallow," says Mr. Davison, "breeds on the AA^estern side of these hills from Eebruary to April, rearing (from what I have observed) two broods in immediate succession. The nest is composed of pellets of mud, thickly lined Avith feathers, open at the top, with the saucer-like depression rather deep ; it is usually placed in some building, cave, or against some well-sheltered rock. The eggs, usually three in number, are white, spotted with brown and reddish brown, with a few larger markings of a purplish colour. Occasionally four eggs are laid ; but when this is the case I have found that invariably only three hatch. " About a week after the first brood have flown the old birds begin to remove the topmost feathers of the nest, replacing them by fresh ones. Three eggs are then again laid, and a second brood reared. After this brood have flown, the old birds still continue to occupy the nest at night, or, more correctly, to occupy the edge of the nest, for they do not get into it, but merely sit close together on its edge. The same nest is occupied the following year, the upper feathers being ouly removed and replaced by fresh ones. Should the nest have been destroyed, a fresh one is built on the same site. The birds do not begin to sit till the full complement of eggs are laid, and both birds take part in tlie task of incubation." Mr. "Wait, writing from Coonoor, to the eastward of Ootacamund, observes that they "breed from April to June, building under eaves, bridges, open sheds, &c., and generally against the sides of the rafters. The nest, composed of mud-pellets worked together and lined with soft feathers, is somewhat irregular in its external shape, and has a rather shallow cup-like egg-cavity some 2i inches in diameter ; they lay from two to five eggs, very round ovals, Avhite, spotted with reddish brown." Miss Cockburn, writing from Kotagherry, remarks : — '•' They are fond of returning to the same places in which they build every year, and appear to j)refer erecting their little nests in verandahs and eaves of outhouses. Many years ago I remember watching for some days a battle between a cock Sparrow and a pair of House-Swallows. The latter had finished their neat nest in our verandah, when the Sparrow discovered it, and never left it except for the purpose of satisfying his appetite. The poor Swallows saw they could do nothing, so they disappeared, and told their friends the sad tale in Swallow language; and as ' in the multitude of councillors there is wisdom,' some time after, to our surprise, we saw a great number of House- Swallows, each with a wee lump of clay in its bill. They flew up to the nest, and succeeded in building up the sides, the Sparrow inside doing his utmost to stop their work ; but tliey, being accomplished artisans in their own masonry, did iiol take a scr ond to fix each piece of clay. It became a most exciting scene, and we fully cxpt'ctcd the Sparrow would have been imprisoned for life; but no, he was much too crafty to allow that. With one eff"ort he burst through the vory small hole which was unclosed, and escaped, being attacked by all the Swallows at the same instant. This conllict ended l)y the rightful owners having possession of their nest. They build liere in the month of April, and lay two white eggs with dark specks and spots." Mr. W. Tliefibald makes the followin- remarks on llic breedin- of this bird in Tenasserim : — "Lays in the second week of April, i'.u-s three in numhiT, Ion-, ovato- pyriform; size 0-"7 inch 1iy O-.'^ inch ; eobuii- while, spoiled and rin-ed with umber. Nest a saucer of mud; imier part coarse routs, profusely lined with fealliers and •8 vegetable down, attached to the under part of snags projecting some four feet above the water." The eo-o-s of this species closely resemble those of //. rustica, but are decidedly smaller, and are, we think, somewhat less glossy. They are moderately broad ovals, slightly compressed towards one end, have a pinky-white ground, and are very finely speckled and spotted, thinly at the small end, more densely at the large end, where there is a tendency to form a zone, with different shades of dull purple and brownish red. In some all the markings are comparatively large and coarse, in others excessively minute, and the intensity of the colour of the markings varies much in different specimens. In length the eggs vary from 0-64 to 0-77 inch, and in breadth from 0-48 to 0-57 inch ; but the average size is about 07 by 0-5 inch. Mr. Rhodes Morgan also observes : — " Breeds in the Neilgherries in the roofs of houses and verandahs, also on large rocks and cliffs. In shape the nest resembles a pocket or the half of a teacup. It is formed of small clay pellets agglutinated together with the saliva of the bird, and is very firmly cemented to the face of the rock. The lining consists of feathers. The eggs are generally two in number, minutely speckled with claret-coloured spots on a whitish ground, the spots being gathered together in a zone at the larger end. Average length "77 inch, breadth -5." In Northern Borneo Mr. John Whitehead says it is often found " nesting under the verandahs of houses, but I once saw a nest in an old tree-stump, which was standing up in the middle of a river. The nest is made of mud and grass, and contains two eggs in May and other months. The eggs are w^hite, spotted and marked like those of S. rustica." The following note was sent by the late Governor Ussher from Labuan : — " Is seen everywhere ; affects the sea-shore, and even the open sea at times ; builds about houses, but also in old trees ; frequently perches on old stumps on the sea-beach ; and is fond of swampy localities towards evening, when it flies very low." According to j\Ir. Treacher, the native name is " Layang layang kuckie." Sir Hugh Low sent a quantity of eggs taken in May 1873 in Labuan. He says that it also breeds in fissures of rocks. The eggs are white, covered with small reddish-brown and purple spots, chiefly near the thicker end ; one of the eggs is very thickly clouded near the thicker end with reddish and purple ; axis 0-7-0-75, diam. 0-5-0-55. Some of the eggs are much less thickly spotted than others, tlie spots being quite tiny in many of them ; in most the reddish shade predominates ; but in a few the dots are nearly all pale purple, with some tiny specks of red. The descriptions are from specimens in the British Museum, and the figure is taken from an individual procured by Mr. Wyatt in Johore, in the Malay Peninsula. HIRUNDO NAMIYEI (».>.)■ LIU-KIU SWALLOW. Cheliclon namhjei, Stejn. Proc. U. S. Nat, Mus. ix. p. 646 (1886). Sirundo javanica namiyei, Seebohm, Birds Japan. Emp. p. 142 (1890). H. similis H.javanicce, seel major. Huh. in insulis 'Liu Kiu' dictis. "Adult male. Above, except forehead and anterior portion o£ crown, black, with a strong gloss of steel- blue somewhat inclining to greenish; forehead and anterior half of the crown deep chestnut, the feathers of the latter being bluish black in the centre; lores deep velvety black ; cheeks and lower ear-coverts, chin, throat, and fore neck bright tawny hazel, inclining slightly to cinnamon, and becoming somewhat lighter towards the breast ; upper lialf of the ear-coverts and sides of neck bluish black, like the back, this colour descending on the side of the breast, forming a distinct semilunc on each side, which partly separates the hazel of the neck from the rest of the under surface, which is of a nearly pure drab, each feather near the middle line of the body broadlv, though not very distinctly, margined with white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries of a drab colour, similar to that of the breast, but darker ; wings and tail above black, with a faint o-loss of steel-green ; the tail-feathers, except the middle pair, with an oblique oval white spot in the inner web towards the tips, those on the outer pair being the smallest. Total length, according to Namiye, 145 mm.; stretch of wings 3.25 mm.; wing 118 mm. ; longest tail-feathers 58 mm.; furcation of tail 14 mm.; exposed culmen 8-5 mm.; tarsus 10 mm.; middle toe and claw 15 mm." Hah. Liu Kiu or Loo Choo Islands. We have not seen this species, which has been described by Dr. Stejneger from a sin"-lc specimen obtained by Mr. Namiye in tlie Liu Kiu Archipelago at Ih-assoimafiri on tin- island of Okinawa Shima. As Mr. Seebohm has already pointed out, it appears to he merely a somewhat larger race o'i II. javanica, wifii a wing of lO inches instead of {[, which is supposed to be the limit in H. javanica. Di". Stejneger gives the following note: — " Our n(>w species is nmcli nearer r(']at((l to H.jaKaiiica than to iZ. ncoxcna, but ditl'ers from it not only in si/.(\ hein"-, as it is, consideraI)ly larger, but also in coloration. The gloss of tiie upper surface is niore greenisli; the brown of tlie throat is more chestnut; tlic gi-ey ol' the nnderparts deeper and less tinged with rusty; the under tail-coverts darker and tij)ped with a pure whiU; niai'O'iu, not tinirecl with rustv as iu the ,1 avail bird. It should be remarked, however, that ill the unsexed si)ecimeii in the Philadelphia Academy these tips are nearly white. 'J'he tail of the present species is somewliat more furcate, but, in spite of this, the outer itH'trices are less attenuated at the tip." The greener shades of the upper surface may be due simply to the wearing of the plumage, and the other characters given bj^ Dr. Stejneger do not seem to indicate a race markedly distinct from If. jaranlca. The description of this Swallow" is copied from the paper of Dr. Stejneger (/. c). ^•sj-tK MiriLeTTv Bros ■ imp- HlRUl-lDO NEOXENA HIRUNDO NEOXENA, Gould. AUSTRALIAN SWALLOW. Sirundo javanlca (nee Sparrm.), Vig. & Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 191 (1827) ; J. E. Gray in Griffith's An. Kingd. ii. p. 95 (1829). Sirundo pacifica (nee Lath.), J. E. Gray in Griffith's An. Kingd. ii. pi. to p. 96 (1829). mrundo neoa;ena, Gould, P. Z. S. 1812, p. 131 ; id. B. Austr. fol. ii. pi. 13 (1848) ; Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 198 (1849) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 338 (1850) ; Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 46 (1850) ; Diggles, Orn. Austr. pi. 22. fig. 1 (1870) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 144 (1883). Sirundo frontalis (nee Q. & G.), Gray, Cat. Fissir. Brit. Mus. p. 22 (1848) ; Cass. Cat. Hirund. Philad. Mus. p. 2 (1853) ; Gould, Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 107 (1865) ; Ramsay, Ibis, 1868, p. 275 ; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 70, no. 812 (1869, pt.) ; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. p. 179 (1878). Sirundo rustica, yhv. frontalis, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 172 (1883). H. minor : uropygio et pileo dorso concoloribus : fronte ruf a : gutture quoqiie rufo : rectricibus intus albo notatis : subcaudalibire pallide fumosis, subterminaliter uigro cordatim fasciatis. Hab. in Australia. Adult male. General colour above glossy blue, the mantle slightly varied with greyish-white bases to the feathers ; lesser and median wing-coverts like the back ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, externally washed with steel-blue, more distinct on the inner secondaries ; tail-feathers blackish, slightly glossed with green, tlic two centre feathers and the outermost on each side without any spots, the others with a small rounded spot of wliitc on the inner web ; frontal band deep brick-red, extending from above each eye ; lores dusky blackish; ear-coverts glossy blue like the back; cheeks and throat brick -red, remainder of under surface of body smoky brown from the fore neck downwards; the lower abdomen iiu'lining slightly to ashy whitish; under tail-coverts pale smoky brown witli dull whitish edgings and tips, with a heart-shaped subterminal spot of black ; under wing-eoverts and axilhiries pale smoky brown, all edged with pale rufous ; quills dusky brown below : " bill and legs black ; iris dark brown " {Gould). Total length 5'8 inches, culmen ()'.'5, wing l-.'i,"), tail 2-75, tarsus ()-;3.'j. Adult female. Does not dilTer from the male. Yovnff. Similar to the adult, but duller in colour, the rufous of the forehead and throat paler, and the white spots on the tail-feathers much more rounded and not so obliciuc. The tail likewise is not nearly so forked. Hal). Nearly the whole of Australia and Tasn>ania. The neai^est ally of the Australian Swallow is Hlrundo jacanica, a widely spread species over the Malayan subregion and the Moluccas. The Australian bird, however, is a somewhat larger and paler bird, the rufous of the throat being of a brick-red colour and not so deep chestnut, while the smoky brown of the sides of the body has somewhat of a ruddy tinge, and is not nearly so dark as the deep mouse-brown colour of the sides in H. javanica, which has also very dark under wing-coverts. H. neoxena is apparently confined to the continent of Australia, in nearly every part of which country it is found, though its migrations have not yet been strictly accounted for. The following are Mr. Gould's notes on the sj^ccies : — " The arrival of this bird in the southern portions of Australia is hailed as a welcome indication of the approach of spring, and is associated with precisely the same ideas as those popularly entertained respecting our own pretty Swallow in England. The two species are in fact beautiful representatives of each other, and assimilate not only in their migratory movements, but also most closely in their whole habits, actions, and economy. It arrives in Tasmania about the middle or end of September, and, after rearing at least two broods, departs again northwards in March ; but it is evident that the migratory movement of the Swallow, and doubtless that of all other birds, is regulated entirely by the temperature, and the more or less abundant supply of food necessary for its existence; for 1 found that in New South Wales, and every country in Australia within the same latitude, it arrived much earlier and departed considerably later than iu Tasmania ; and Mr. Caley, who resided in New South Wales for several years, and whose valuable notes on the birds of that part of the country have been so often quoted, states that ' the earliest jieriod of the year that I noticed the appearance of Swallows was on the 12tli of July, 1803, when I saw two ; but I remarked several towards the end of the same month in the following year (1801). The latest period I observed them was on the 30th of May, 1806, when a number of them were twittering and flying high in the air. When I missed them at Paramatta, I have some- times met with them among the north rocks, a romantic spot about two miles to the northward of the former place.' A few stragglers remain in New South AVales during the winter, but their numbers cannot for a moment be compared with those observed in the summer, which have passed the colder months in a warmer climate. "The natural breeding-places of this bird are the deep clefts of rocks and dark caverns ; but since the colonization of Australia it has in a remarkable degree imitated its European prototype, by selecting for the site of its nest the smoky chimneys, the chambers of mills and out-houses, or the corner of a shady ver^mdah ; the nest is also similarly constructed, being open at the top, formed of mud or clay, intermingled with grass or straw to bind it firmly together, and lined first with a layer of fine grasses, and then with feathers. The sliajie of the nest depends upon the situation in which it is built, but it generally assumes a rounded contour in front. The eggs are usually lour in number, of a lengthened form ; their ground-colour pinky white, with numerous fine spots of purplish brown, the intersj)aces with specks of light greyish brown, assuming in some instances the form of a zone at the larger end ; they are from eight to nine lines long by sis lines broad. At Swan lliver the breeding-season is in September and October. In the spring of 1S62 two nests of this species were sent to me by George French Angas, Esq. These very closely resembled those of our own bird, both in form and materials ; they were, however, somewhat more square and more stoutly built. The interior was composed of the usual plastered mud strengthened with a little liair, and thickly lined with the downy feathers of various domestic birds. These nests are now in the British Museum. The following note by Mr. Angas Avas attached to one of them : — ' Built on a rafter of my stable at Collingrove, South Australia : taken Oct. 3, 1861.' " Mr. E. Pierson Ptamsay has published the following account of the species in the neighbourhood of Sydney : — " Although the present species is strictly migratory, yet it is no easy task to deter- mine the exact date of its arrival or departure, owing to the number of stragglers whicli remain with us during the whole of the year. " I believe, however, that the visitants arrive early in July, or perhaps late in Jime, and leave us again in the end of January and February. After their arrival, and again just before their departure, they may be seen in great numbers Hying to and fro over the fields, and often skimming the water-holes and lagoons, but keeping very high, sometimes almost out of sight, during the middle of the day. " I have frequently obsej'ved them, in company with the Fairy Martin {Petrochclidoii ciriel) flying over the lawn of the inner domain in Sydney. Tree-Swallows {Pelrocl/clidoii, Difjricans) also accompany this species in search of food. We met with all three species mixed up in one immense flock, during December 1864, at Lake Bathurst ; here they were following in our wake as we walked through the rushes on a small island, obtaining a rich feast on the small LihellulcB which flew up in countless numbers at every step we took. The pupa-cases of these insects were lying piled up between the rushes to the height of two, and even three feet, while the edges of the island at dusk were alive Avith the pupae crawling out of the w aler. " The proper breeding-season of Hirundo neoxena is during the months of August and throughout to the end of December ; stragglers, however, may be found l)reoding almost at any time. I have found them building in the Dobroyde stables, both in the months of February and June; and on April ITtb, 1861, I took a nest with fresh eggs from the same buildings. " In choosing a site for the nest they seem to be li'ss particular tlian in their lime for l)reeding. Abnost any building Avill serve tliem wIutc tht>_v can oljlaiii a hori/.onlal beam or hMl^v. On tliis they place tlieir round liowl-shaped nest, tlie wall of which is composed of pellets of mud, mingled Avitli grass, and securely fastened on llu' lic-am. As soon as the mudwork is dry, it is warmly lined with grasses, horscliair, or IV;illitn-s ; and the nest is then ready for the eggs, wliicli are usually IVoni llir.'c lo li\.' m nnnilicr, •73 inch in length, by -5 in breadth. The ground-eulonr is of a ilelicalc while-, having X 4 numerous dots and freckles of yellowisli brown and faint lilac sprinkled over tlie whole surface, but more thickly at the larger end. The nests are 4 to 6 inches wide, by 2-5 iiiches deej). " Sometimes a band of this species and the Fairy Martin will take possession of the ui)i)er story of some deserted house, the latter building their long flask-shaped nests in clusters under the eaves, while the former enter at the windows and take possession of the cross beams and rafters. I have seen both species breeding under the same roof at the Glebe, Sydney. " In 1858, while fishing off a small steamer, which, having been out of use for some months, was moored a few hundred yards from the north shore, in the Sydney harbour, I observed a pair of these Swallows fly rouod the boat, and frequently dive underneath the paddle-box. After a long search I discovered their nest, which w^as composed of black pitchy mud, lined wdtli seaweed and feathers. It was placed upon one of the horizontal beams of the paddle-box, and contained three young ones, about half -fledged. The man in charge informed me that the nest had been made when the steamer was lying lower down the harbour, and upon its being tugged to where it then lay the birds flew round and round it the whole time, evidently in a great state of excitement. " Several pairs have for some time past taken possession of an old bathing-house at Dobroyde, where every year they build on the lower beams, within a few inches of high- water mark : these nests are always composed of black pitchy mud, mixed with seaweed, obtained, I have no doubt, from the flats at low tide ; the lining consists of soft dry pieces of bleached seaweed." The description is from the British Museum ' Catalogue,' and the figure in the Plate has been drawn from a specimen in Mr. Seebohm's collection. C W W. del . Mmtern Bros irnp HIRUNDO ANGOLENSIS. HIRUNDO ANGOLENSIS, ^.c.,y. ANGOLA SWALLOW. Hinindo angolensis, Bocage, Joru. Lisb. ISGS, p. 17 ; Sharpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. IbOU, p. 567, pi. 43 ; Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1869, p. 339 ; Gray, IIand-1. B. i. p. 69, no. 791- (1869); Sbarpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 307 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 46 (1871) ; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 180 (1881) ; Sbarpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 364 (1883) ; id. Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. x. p. 145 (1885). H. tergo purpurascenti-cseruleo ; pileo dorso con colore ; froiite rufa ; al;\ 17, ultra caudam producta : recti'icibus intus albo notatis, maculis albis magnis, subcaudalibus fumosis. Hab. in provincia Angolensi Africfe occidentalis. Adult male. General colour above brilliant steel-blue, the \ving-coverts like the back ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts", and quills black, externally steel-blue, slightly glossed with greeu ; tail-feathers blue-black, with a lai'ge ovate mark of white on the inner web, somewhat decreasing in size towards the centre of the tail ; forehead chestnut ; lores and feathers in front of the eye velvety black ; ear-coverts steel-blue, like the crown ; cheeks, throat, and chest chestnut, the sides of the latter steel-blue, forming a crescent, which, however, does not meet across the chest ; remainder of under surface of body smoky brown, darker on the sides of the body, somewhat whiter on the centre of the abdomen ; vent washed with rufous ; thighs and under tail-coverts smoky brown, the latter tipped with reddish white, the long ones with a subtermiual bar of blue- black; axillaries and under wing-coverts dark smoky brown ; quills blackish below. Total Icngtli 6 inches, culmen 0'4, wing 3"9, tail 2'35, tarsus O'-i. Hub. Angola and Mossamedes. The range of tbis Swallow appears to be very limited, as it lias not been met with hitherto outside the limits of the Portuguese province of Angola in Western Africa. Ir was originally discovered by the well-knoAvn traveller Ancbicta at Pungo Audongo and Ambaea in Angola proper, and the late Mr. Monteiro also procured specimens at Aiuhriz in March and April 1869. Senhor Anchieta afterwards met wiih it at lluilla in .Mos-a- medes, but it has not been observed south of the river Cuik'hc. It is easily distinguished i'rom Uirundo nislicc, not only by tlu- dilTcrciit jn-oportions of the Avings and tail, but by tlic smoky-brown colour of the lower parts. In Inim ii very much resembles II. Iticida from Seneganil)ia, but is altogether of a dullrr hluc, ;iiiil is easily recognized from that species by the colour of the uiidir l;iil-covt its. Its real allies arc to be found in the Eastern species Ilirundu javunirit and //. ncu.veua ; l)ut IVom 8 these birds it may also be distinguished by the large size of the white markings on the inner web of the tail-feathers. The figure has been drawn from a specimen in the British Museum, procured by Senhor Anchieta at Pungo Andongo, and the description is taken from the same bird. HIRUNDO ARCTICiriCTA. MLrLbem. Bros imp. HIRUNDO ARCTICINCTA, MOUNT-ELGON SWALLOW. Ilirundo arcticincta, Sharpe, Ibis, 1891, p. 119, 1892, p. 305. H. similis H. angolensi, sed pectore medio abdomineque pure albis, et subcaudalibus brunncis late albo- marginatis distinguenda. Hab. ill monte "Elgou" dicto Africse orientalis centralis. Adult male. Glossy blue above, wifli a chestnut forehead and rufous throat ; sides of face and a narro^v line encirclius the throat blue like the back ; rest of under surface brown, with the centre of the breast and abdomen white ; under tail-coverts brown, tipped with white ; tail-feathers with a large white mark on all but the centre ones: ^' feet brown; ii'is brown" [F. J. Jackson). Total length 5'8 inches, cuhneu O'l, wing 4-75, tail 2'7, tarsus 0'4. Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length S^S inches, cubnen O'f, wing f'S, tail 2'4, tarsus 0"-t. Hab. ^louut Elgon, East Central Africa. It is very interestiag to iind in the present species a close ally of a Swallow which has hitherto only been known from Angola. It, indeed, very closely resembles //. angolensis, but has a whiter abdomen and also white-tipped under tail-coverts. Mr. Jackson tells us that he found the present species breeding in a large cave on tlic soutli side of Mount Elgon at an elevation of 6000 feet. He did not notice it elsewhere, but tliinks that it is not likely to be met with above that elevation. The description is taken from the type specimen in Mr. Jackson's collection, and tliis individual lias been figured in the Plate. c WW ad. HIRUNDO LUCIDA. Mintti-n Bras nni - HIRUNDO LUCIDA, /. Verr. SENEGAMBIAN CHIMNEY-SWALLOW. Hirundo lucida, J. Verr. J. f. O. 1858, p. 42; Hartl. J. f. O. ISGl, p. 103; Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 792 (1869) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 567 ; id. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 308 ; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 46 (1871) ; Boxivier, Cat. Ois. etc. coU. Marclie, p. 9 (1875) ; De Rocliebrune, Eaun. Seneg., Ois. p. 218 (1884) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds in Brit. Mus. s. p. 145 (1885). H. tergo caeruleo, uropygio dorso concolore; fronte rata; gutture ruf'o ; toi'qnc pcctorali cbalybeo inter- rupto ; abdomine et subcaudalibus pure albis. Hab. in prov. Gambensi Africfe occidentalis. Adult. Above most brilliant steel-blue, inclining to indigo ; wing-coverts dark blackish brown, glossed with steel-blue above, the innermost cubital feathers vrith a white spot on the inner web ; tail dce|) steel-blue, all the feathers except the two middle ones for the most jiart pure white on the innrr web, so that the tips and the part immediately edging the graduated extremity of the feather arc black J a distinct though narrow frontlet and the entire throat deep brick-red; a band across the breast, below the red throat, bright steel-blue, broad at the sides and narrow in the centre of the breast ; rest of the under surface of the body pure white, with a few dusky feathers on the flanks, and marked with narrow blue lines, more distinct in some specimens than in others ; bill and fort black. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0'35, wing 4'25, tail 2'9, tarsus 04-. Hab. Senegambia. The name of lucida is very appropriate for this Swallow, ou account of the intense brilliancy of the steel-blue of tlie upper surface. The pure wliitc breast and under tail- coverts, as well as its small size and the large amount of white ou the tail, are also characters which easily distinguish it from Hirundo rustica and the rest of the true Chimney-Swallows. It is a very rare species in collections, and nothing is known of its changes of plumage or of the coloration of the young. One bird in llic British Museum, and formerly in Mr. Sharpe's African collection, is not so brilliantly coloured, and lias a smoky-brown shade on the sides of the body. This has before been c-oiisidcrcd by us to be an immature bird, but it lacks the pale edgings to the secondary (luills wliicli generally accompany the plumage of a young Chimney-Swallow, and thus it may ultimately prove to be an adult female bird. Accompanv in-' the sninky-hidw n umler- parts there are traces of narrow dusky shai't-lines on the under lail-euvcrts, wliieh are 6 absent iu the full-plumaged specimens ; on the latter also can be distinguished some bluish streaks, which, if developed in all adult birds, would prove to be a strongly-marked character for the species. As far as is known at present this elegant little Chimney-Swallow is confined to Senegambia, whence came the four specimens in the British Museum. Dr. de Eoche- brune states that it is rare, the localities given by him being Gambia, Casamence, Melacoree, Sedhiou, and Bathurst; the native name is stated to be " N'Jargaigne.'" The description is taken from the British-Museum ' Catalogue.' The figure is drawn from a specimen in Capt. Shelley's collection from Senegambia. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTIO^ I ! — ► Migrator3'. •-/-* Bird of passage. -0^ Kemains locally during tlie winter. -A-* Transplanted. s-*-* ^^inter resident. A Acclinijcj Q Pennajii (X') ^^s. ■"^^^ Visitoi ^^ Accideal V 6. B. iahitica . . 7. H. javanica . . 8. //. namiijei. . 9. H. neoxena . . 10. H. mwjolensis . 11. H. arcticincta. 12. U. lucida . . Nearctic Region. Neotropical Region. 1 Palseatic Arctic Sub-Region. Cold Temperate Sub-Region. Warm Temperate Sub-Region. c" c C 'a <1 Central American Sub-Region. "tJD -2 o o c .2 '£c a 2 c "Sd C 1 1 d CD Eurasian Sub-Region. i ( ■ 1 1 o II s 1 'S § a o § 6 8 _c 'P 1 c S V Ah Humid Province. Arid Province. O c p CM c 1 3 il II 1, O C .11 § 1" si O 3 02 ■• •- •• •• •• ■• •• •• ■• •■ •• rHE GENUS HI RUN DO [continued). V t D ffl Guest Wanderer. Earelj ^ I Generally ^nesting. In colonies n jiatic 1. ■§> rt J3 Ethiopian Region. CO rt ^ Ul o Indian Region. « , ^ o Australian Region. o o o c H •>5'ifli'-'w-'''^*WSi- -^^>^^ CW.W del. I&ntern. Ercs - iii>p ■ HIRUNDO ALBIGULARIS HIRUNDO ALBIGULARIS, >^fm-R WH ITE-THEO ATED SWALLOW. Mlrniido rufifrons (nee VieilL), Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 208 (1831) ; Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 35 (1858). Uirundo alhigular'is, Strickl. CoD.tr. Orn. 1849, p. 17, pi. 15 ; Cass. Cat. Uinuid. Mus. Pbilad. Acad. p. 2 (1853) ; Shai-pe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 308 ; id. Cat. AtV. W. p. 46 (1871) ; Ayres, Ibis, 1873, p. 281 ; Eisclier & Pteiclieno^v, J. f. 0. Is7i), p. 344; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 185 (1881); Butler, Pcildeu, & lleid, Zool. 1882, p. 251 ; Salvin, Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 150 (1882) ; Sharpe, cd Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 361 (1882) ; id. Cat. Birds iu Brit. Mus. x. p. 116 (1885) ; Sjebolim, Ibis, 1887, p. 312. Hlrundo albigula, Bp. Consp. i. p. 338 (1850) ; Gurney, Ibis, 18(55, p. 2() t ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 55 (1867); Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 68, no. 787 (ISOO) ; Ayres. ll)is, 1876, p. 421, 1878, p. 285, 1880, p. 260. Uirundo ambigua, Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 186 (1880). II. urnpvgio pileoque clialybeo-nigris, ilorso concoloribus : froiite ca-