j]
j;
P . horhonica o f L a R e u n io n a n d M a u r itiu s , b u t tb o c o n s ta n c y o f tlie c b a rn c te rs on w b icb
i t lia s b e e n s e p a ra te d from t b a t l)ird c o n v in c e s u s t l ia t tb e s e tw o Sw allow s a r e re a lly
d i s tin c t sp e c ie s .
T b e a c c o u n ts o f th e h a b i t s o f P . m a d a g a sc a rie n s is v a r y l i tt l e from th o s e o f its
r e la t iv e in M a u r it iu s , c o n c e rn in g w h ic h m o re d e ta ils h a v e b e e n p u b lish e d b y tra v e lle rs .
¡M. G r a n d id ie r, in h is s p le n d id w o rk o u tlie N a tu r a l I l i s to r y o f ¡Mad ag asc ar, gives th e
fo llow in g n o te :— “ T h e P h e d in a o f M a d a g a s c a r, w h ic h is c om m o n th r o u g h o u t th e
w h o le is la n d , h a s th e s am e h a b i t s a s o th e r Swallows. I t is a s liv e ly a n d a s g ra c e fu l in
i ts m o v em e n ts a s o u r fam ilia r E u ro p e a n sp ec ie s, a n d , lik e t h a t b ird , i t co u rs e s u n c e a s in
g ly o v e r th e o p e n g ro u n d in p u r s u i t o f i t s in s e e t-p re y , b u t i t is n o t so f am ilia r a s o u r
U. r u s tic a is w i th m a n k in d . I t is n o t u n c om m o n ly se e n p e r c h e d o n th e b ra n c h e s o f a
t r e e , a s w e ll a s o n ro c k s . C o q u e re l sa y s t h a t in L a R é u n io n P h e d in a horhonica c o n s
t r u c t s i ts n e s t in c a v e rn s , th e n e s t b e in g o f p la s te r e d e a r th a t ta c h e d to th e fa c e o f th e
ro c k s . I t is p ro b a b le t h a t t h e M a d a g a s c a r ra c e n e s ts iu th e c a v e rn s w h ic h a r e fo u n d in
th e n o r th e r n p a r ts o f th e is la n d , o r in th e f r a c tu r e s in th e g r e a t b lo c k s o f g r a n it e w h ic h
a r e so f r e q u e n t in M a d a g a s c a r. T h e e g g s a r e w h ite , d o tte d w ith c le a r b row n , m o re
a b u n d a n t ly a t t h e la r g e r e n d .
“ T lie se b ird s a ro c a lle d b y th e s am e n am e a s t h e S w ifts : 2 Ia n a v ia n d ro (lit. ‘ B a ts
o f th e d a y ’) ; F itilia n d r o or Vo ro n a n d ro { lit. ‘ B ir d s o f th e d a y ’) ; ov S id in ts id in a (lit.
‘ S om e th in g w h ic h flies w ith o u t c e s s a tio n ’). T h e I lo v a s c a ll i t K ir io d a m tr a , th e Bct-
s ilc o a n d A n t a in io ro n a p e o p le F ir ir in g a ; th e B a r a a n d th e A n t a n a l a F ir io , words w h o se
ro o t se em s to b e r io n a o r r in g ito , w h ic h m e a n ‘ g a llo p in g th r o u g h th e s k y o r p a s s in g
r a p id ly b y w i th o u t s to p p in g .’ ”
N o te s o u th e o s te o lo g y o f P h e d in a , w ith e x c e lle n t fig u re s , a r c g iv e n b y P ro fe s so r
A lp h o n s e M iln e -E dw a rd s in th e w o rk a b o v e q u o te d .
M e s s rs . P o lle n a n d V a n D am r e m a r k :— “ T h e h a b i t s o f th e M a d a g a s c a r h ird a rc
t h e sam e a s th o s e o f t h e L a R é u n io n sp e e ie s . D u r iu g o u r s ta y a t A m b a s s u a n a o n th e
7 th o f O c to b e r, 1 8 6 4 , we w e re w itn e s s to tb e a s s em b ly o f a l a rg e b a u d o f th e s e Swallows
b e fo re t h e i r flig h t, w h e n th e y fo rm e d a fo rm id a b le crow d . T h e y m o u n te d in th e a ir,
c ro s s in g h itlie r a n d th i th e r , b e fo re g o in g off in a s o u th -w e s te rly d ire c tio n , a n d u t t e r in g
c o n tin u o u s c rie s . A m o n g th e S a k a la v a o f th e n o r th th i s Sw a llow is c a lle d M a n a tc rg .
■\Ve h a v e m e t w ith i t a lso in N o s s i-B o , n e a r th e la k e o f P om b y la h a .”
T h e R e v . D e a n s C ow a n in fo rm s m e t h a t h e p ro c u re d e g g s o f a Sw a llow in c a v e rn s ;
th e y a r e n ow in th e p o s se s s io n o f M r. S to a tc o f B u rn h am , w h o h a s id e n tifie d th em a s th e
e g g s o f t h e p r e s e n t sp ec ie s.
T h e d e s c rip tio n s a n d fig u re a r e ta k e n from sp e e im e u s in th e B r i t is h M u s e um .
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