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T h e r e a r e fo u r ra c e s o f th e s e d a r k ru fo u s -th ro a te c l R o c k -A Ia r tin s , o f w h ic h O. fu l ig u la
IS th e l a rg e s t, G. a n d e r s s o n i a p a le fo rm from S.AV. A fric a , O', rnfi-gula is a le s s e r E a s t-
A f r ic a n fo rm , a n d C. co n c o lo r a s t il l sm a lle r I n d i a n re p re s e n ta tiv e .
C o tile fu l ig u l a , fr om i t s h a b its a s g iv e n b y M r. L a y a rd , a n d from w h a t w e k n ow o f
i t s In d i a n c o u s in O. concolor, b e lo n g s to th e g ro u p o f R o c k -A Ia r tin s o f w h ic h O. r u p e s tr is
is th e ty p ic a l fo rm , a s d i s tin g u is h e d from th e S a n d -A la rtiu s, o f wh ic li G. r ip a r ia is th e
t y p e ; a n d s h o u ld c lia r a c te rs fo r t h e s e p a ra tio n o f th e g e n u s P ty o n o p ro g n e b e fo u n d , tlie
p r e s e n t sp e c ie s w o u ld c om e u n d e r t h a t h e a d in g , a u d b e k n ow n a s P . f u l ig u l a .
T h e firs t n o tic e o f tb i s sp e c ie s a p p e a rs to b e iu L e v a illa n t’s ‘ O is e a u x d ’A f riq u e ,’
wlie re i t is fig u re d , b u t n o s c ie n tific n am e s a p p e a r to h a v e b e e u lic stow ed u p o n i t t i ll
1841., w h e n L i c h t e n s t e in g a v e i t t h a t o f f u l ig u la , w h ich is in a ll p r o b a b ility a m i s p r in t
to r fu lo ig u la . F o r s t e r 's t i t l e o f h ie n iu lis w a s firs t p u b lish e d iu t h e sam e y e a r by
L ic h te n s te in , in h is e d itio n o f th e ‘ D e s c rip tio n e s A n im a lium .’
Air. E . L . L a y a rd , w r it in g from C ap e T ow n , s a y s “ T h is Sw a llow rem a in s w ith
u s a ll t h e y e a r ro u n d , m e re ly s h i f t in g i t s q u a r te r s from a tow n to a c o u n try re s id e n c e .
A s so o n a s o u r s um m e r v i s it a n ts a r e g o n e , th e s e c row d in to th e v illa g e s a n d t a k e th e i r
p la c e s . ^YG h a v e c o u n te d u pw a rd s o f o n e h u n d r e d s i tt in g to g e th e r o n th o c o rn ic e s o f
th e D u t c l i C h u r c h in C a p e T ow n o n a co ld d a y , b a s k iu g in th e su n . T h e y b re e d in th e
m o u n ta in s a n d se em g e n e r a l ly d i s tr ib u te d , a s we h a v e re c e iv e d sp e c im e n s from D am a r a
L a n d , Sw e lle n d am , B e a u fo rt, a n d C o lc s b e r g ; a n d V ic to r ia p ro c u re d i t a t th e K n y sn a .
W e h a v e a lso fo u n d th em n e s t in g u n d e r th e caves o f h o u se s iu N o v em b e r. T h e y la y
th r e e o r fo u r e g g s , o f a c r e am y w h ite , m u c h s p o tte d w i th b row n , w ith h e r e a n d th e r e a
g re y p a t c h ; in som e th e s e sp o ts se em to fo rm a c irc le a t th e o b tu s e e n d ; ax is 10'",
d iam e te r T h e f l ig h t o f th i s sp e c ie s is v e r y slow a u d s a ilin g , a u d th e y se e k t iie ir p re y
u s u a lly n e a r ro c k s , a n d a r e m o re c r e p u s c u la r in th e i r h a b i t s th a u a n y o f o u r o th e r
sp e c ie s , o f te n f ly in g so f a r in to th e d a r k e n in g tw ilig h t, t h a t th e y c a n s c a rc e ly b e d is tin
g u is h e d fr om th e B a ts w i th w h ic h th e y m in g le . Air. I I . J a c k s o n w r ite s from N e l’s
F o o r t, o n t h e 4 th o f J a n u a r y , 18G9 :— ‘ AVe h a v e ta k e n th e e g g s o f a p a ir o f B row n A la r tin s
liv e tim e s th i s se a so n . T h e y h a v e t h e i r n e s ts a g a in s t th e g a b le o f m y h o u s e a u d do n o t
fo r s a k e i t w h e n ro b b e d , a s do th e C h a ts a n d o th e r s .’ ”
A c c o rd in g to th e l a t e D r . B ra d s h aw , i t rem a in s th r o u g h o u t th e y e a r o n th e Oi’ano-e
R iv e r , w h e re i t is m o s t n um e ro u s n e a r ro c k y h ills , n e s t in g u n d e r o v e rh a n g in g ro c k s .
H e fo u u d a few p a irs also b r e e d in g n e a r R e n h a r d t . A la jo rs B u tle r a n d F e ild e n a u d
C a p t. R e id , iu t h e i r p a p e r o n t h e b ird s o f N a ta l, s t a t e t h a t i t is a fam ilia r sp e c ie s iu th e
u p p e r p a r t o f th e co lo n y , b re e d in g in O c to b e r a n d N o v em b e r. AA'e saw b e a u tif u l sp e c im
e n s c o lle c te d b y A la jo r B u tl e r in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N ew c a s tle , a u d we h a v e
re c e iv e d a s p e c im e n from o u r e x c c lle iit c o r re s p o n d e n t Air. T. L . A y re s , fr om F iu e tow u
in N a ta l , w h e re i t w o u ld a p p e a r to be d e c id e d ly r a r e .
A l th o u g h i t re a c h e s th e T r a n s v a a l, a n d h a s b e e n sh o t u e a r F o tc h e fs tro om in J a n u a r y
by Air. T. A y r e s , th e l a t t e r n a tu r a l is t c o n s id e rs i t to b e o n e o f th e s c a rc e s t o f th e Swallows
in th o s e p a r ts , a lth o u g h i t is m o re com m o n in th e R u s te n b e rg d is tr ic t o f th e e a s te rn
T ra n sv a a l.
T h e sp e c ie s h a s b e e n re c o rd e d from D am a r a L a n d ; b u t a f te r a c lo se r e x am in a tio n o f
th e sp e c im e n in t h e B r i t is h A lu s c um from t h a t c o u n ti’y we h a v e com e to th e c o n c lu sio n
t h a t th e E o c k -A Ia v tin o f S o u th -w e s te rn A f r i c a is d iffe re n t fr’om th e t r u e C. fu l ig u la of
t lie C a p e C olony, a n d wo h a v e d e s c rib e d i t a s d is tin c t.
T h e d e s c rip tio n is t a k e n from s p e c im e n s in C a p ta in S h e lle y ’s co lle c tio n , o b ta in e d
b y A lajo r B u tl e r n e a r N ew c a s tle , a n d from o n e o f th e s e th e fig u re in tlie F lu te h a s
b e e n d raw n .