DENDROCHELIDON KLECHO.
Klecho T re e Swift.
Hirundo Klecho, Horsf. in Trans. Linn. Soc., vol. xiii. p. 143.—Lath. Gen. Hist, vol. vii. p. 293.
Dendrochelidon Klecho, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 106.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 66, Dendrochelidon, sp. 2.—Ib.
Rivista Contemporanea, Feb. 1857, p. —Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind.
Comp., vol. i. p. 110.
Macropteryx Klecho, Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i. p. 54.—List of Birds in Brit. Mus., part ii. sect. 1. Fissi-
rostres, p. 17.—Blyth, Joum. of Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xiv. p. 212, vol. xv. p. 22, and vol. xxiv.
p. 479.—Ib. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 87.
Cypselus longipennis, Temm. PI. Col. 83.
Macropteryx longipennis, Swains. Zool. 111., 2nd ser., pi. 74.
Hirundo urhica, Raffles in Trans. Linn. Soc., vol. xiii. p. 315.
Apus (Pallestre) Klecho, Less. Compl. Buff., tom. viii. p. 490.
Cypselus Klecho, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiii. p. 81.
Samber-galeng of the Javanese, Horsfield.
T he Dendrochelidon Klecho of Jav a is distinguished from the D.coronatus of India and the D. Wallaces of
Macassar by the deep green colouring of its head, back, and shoulders; it is also somewhat smaller in size
than either o f those birds. Its true habitat is Java and Sum atra; but it is also said to inhabit the Indian
Archipelago and Malacca. I have now before me several specimens lent to me from the East India House
Museum, all of which present the same difference in colour that I have mentioned above, namely, the deep
green tint pervading the upper surface, which in D. coronatus is grey or greenish grey.
Dr. Horsfield, who observed this bird during his residence in Java, mentions that the male has a spot
o f chestnut below the ears, which mark is wanting in the female, confirming the accuracy o f Mr. Wallace’s
labels as to the sexes o f the specimens o f another species dissected by him.
The following is the description of an example of this bird which I consider to be fully ad u lt:
The male has the crown o f the head, back o f the neck, and back deep green, slightly tinged with umber-
brown; lower p art o f the back and rump greenish g rey ; throat and under surface deep greenish grey,
becoming much lighter on the centre o f the abdomen and under tail-coverts; shoulders g reen ; primaries
bluish g r e e n ; a patch o f greyish white on the tertiaries; tail g re e n ; a spot o f dark chestnut on the ear-
coverts; bill and feet b lack ; irides brown.
Total length, 8 inches; bill, wing, 6-j-; tail, 4 f ; tarsi, 1.
The female is similarly coloured, but has the ear-coverts green instead of chestnut.
A young male which had nearly completed his moulting has the white feathers of the centre o f the
abdomen and under tail-coverts strongly barred with brown, and the shining green o f the head, back, and
wings very clear and well-defined. I observe, too, that although the wings are as fully developed and
quite as long as in the adults, the tail is comparatively short, particularly the outer feathers, suggesting the
idea that, like those o f our own Common Swallow, these feathers do not attain their greatest length until
the bird is two o r three years old.
The figures are of the natural size.