o b se rv ed th e Sw a llow o n th e lO th o f O c to b e r. T h e y wo re “ m u c h m o re n um e ro u s d ow n
c o u n try , a n d l a rg e flo ck s w e re .seen b o th a t E i c hm o n d E o a d a n d D u r b a n .”
T h e l a te lE r. A n d e rs s o n b e lie v e d t h a t th e C om m o n Sw allow n e s te d iu D am a r a L a n d ,
a s s e v e ra l o th e r E u ro p e a n b ird s ave s im ila r ly s t a t e d to do d u r in g th e i r a b s e n c e from th e i r
n o r th e r n h a b i t a t . l i e g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o t e P r e t t y com m o n in D am a r a a n d
G r e a t N am a q u a L a n d d u r in g th e r a in y se a so n , a n d I h a v e fo u n d i t v e ry numcx'ous a t
W a lv isc h B a y a n d i n o th e r lo c a litie s n e a r th e c o a s t. I n u n c iv iliz e d p a r ts o f A f ric a
th e s e Sw allow s a ffix tb e i r n e s ts to som e p ro je c tio n o f a ro c k o r t r u n k o f a tre e , o r
o c c u p y c a v itie s in i*ocks o r h a n k s ." M r. S e e b o hm , h ow e v e r, d o u b ts th e id e n tific a tio n o f
t h e sp e c ie s , a n d b eliev e s t h a t th e b ird m e t w i th b y A n d e rs so n w a s I I . a lb ig u la r is . I t is,
liow e v e r, n o tew o r th y t h a t n o t a s in g le sp e c im e n o f th e l a t t e r sp e c ie s w a s e v e r n o tic e d in
¡Mr. A n d e rs so ii’s c o lle c tio n from D am a r a L a n d , w h e re a s I I . ru s tic a w a s o b ta in e d b v
h im , a n d M r. A n d e rs so n wa s f u r th e r w e ll a c q u a in te d w ith I I . a lb ig u la r is , o f w h ic h h e h a d
c o lle c te d s e v e ra l s p e c im e n s in th e C ap e C o lo n y . lE r. S e c b o hm ’s n o te is a s fo llows :—
“ A n d e rs so n , in h is ‘ B ird s o f D am a r a -L a n d ,’ r em a rk s o f U ir u n d o ru s tic a t h a t i t b re e d s
in t b a t c o u n t r y ; b u t th e r e c a n b e l i tt l e d o u b t t h a t t h e Sw a llow wliich h e su p p o sed to
b e o u r siiecie.s was th e IV h it e - th r o a t e d Sw allow {U ir u n d o a lb ig u la r is ), w h ic h h e does
u o t m e n tio n , a n d w h ic h h e p ro b a b ly m is to o k fo r th e f em a le o f o u r liird . H is f u r th e r
rem a rk t l ia t i n c o n s e q u e n c e o f th e s c a rc ity o f h o u s e s i t b re e d s in ro c k s a n d tre e s , a d d s
s t il l m o re d o u b t to th e a c c u ra c y o f h is o b s e rv a tio n s . I h a v e se e n th e Sw a llow b re e d in g
u n d e r o v e r h a n g in g cliffs in th e D o b ru d sc lia , b u t I n e v e r h e a rd o f i ts h a v in g b e e n fo u n d
n e s t in g in a t r e e .” T h e r e is, d o u b tle s s , som e m is ta k e a s to th e spec ie s in te n d e d b y
A n d e rs so n , a s o u r C om m o n Sw a llow s a r e to o m u c h o c c u p ie d w i th th e i r m o u l tin g d u r iu g
th e i r s ta y in S o u th A f ric a to fe e l in c lin e d to bre ed .
I n W e s t A f ric a tb e sp e c ie s is m e t w ith in S e n e g am b ia . M r. D e E o c lic b r u n e re co rd s
i t a s a m ig r a n t th r o u g h o u t th e w h o le o f t h e r e g io n ; b u t D r . E e n d a l l o n ly n o tic e d a
s in g le b i r d in O c to b e r, a u d w e o u rs e lv e s h a v e n e v e r se e n a s p e c im e n from a n y p a r t of
S e n e g am b ia . M r. B iittik o f e r h a s c o lle c te d a la rg e se rie s in L ib e r ia , m o s tly in c h a n g in g
p lum a g e . O n th e Go ld C o a s t i t is a lso p le n tifu l d u r in g o u r wintei*, a n d som e o f th e
sp e c im e n s k ille d b e fo re t h e r e tu r n jo u r n e y a r e p e c u lia rly r i c h in p lum a g e . I t h a s b e e n
s e n t from O ld C a la b a r a n d G a b o o n . A sp e c im e n fr om th e C am m a Eivei*, co lle c ted
b y D u C h a illu , is re c o rd e d b y C a s s in a s I I . ca h irica , b u t was d o u b tle s s o n ly a b r ig h tly
c o lo u re d U . ru s tic a . P ro fe s so r B a rb o z a d u B o c a g e s ta te s t h a t A n c h ie ta lias o b ta in e d th e
s p e c ie s a t N o v o E e d o n d o in A n g o la , a u d re fe rs to i ts o c c u rre n c e a t L a u d a u a a n d
C liin c h o n x o o n th e L ow e r C o n g o . A n c h ie ta h a s a lso m e t w ith i t a t Q u illo u g u e s a n d
C a co n d a , in B e n g u c la .
T h e fo llow in g e x c e lle n t n o tic e o f th e Sw a llow a u d its w a y s is g iv e n b y C o lo n e l
V in c e n t L o g g c in h is ‘ B ird s o f C e y lo n ’ :— “ M u c h m ig h t lie w r it t e n c o n c e rn in g th e
h a b i t s o f th o f a v o u rite h a r b in g e r o f o u r E n g l i s h s p r i n g ; h u t th e y a r e w e ll k n ow n to
t h e m o s t c a s u a l o b s e rv e r, a n d m y sp a c e w ill n o t p e rm i t o f a n y le n g tlio n e d d is s e rta tio n
o n th e e c o n om y o f th i s iu t e r c s tin g b ird . G f l a te y e a rs , s in c e th o c lim a te o f o ld E n g la n d
h a s u n d e r g o n e s u c h c h a n g e s , th e s a y in g t h a t ‘ o n e S w a llow does u o t m a k e a s u m m e r '
is d is a g re e a b ly t r u e ; b u t , n e v e rth e le s s , th e firs t w e lc om e s ig h t o f th e sw e e t b ird , its
s h in in g p lum a g e illum in e d b y th e fitfu l s u n b e am s o f a c h illy A p r il d a y , c o n d u c e s to th e
h o p e t h a t soon th e b i t t e r e a s t w in d w ill h a v e b low n it s e l f o u t, a n d t h a t N a tu r e m u s t
sptHidily a r r a y h e r s e lf in t h a t jo y o u s v e r d a n t a t t i r e w h ic h m a k e s th e w a rm E n g l i s h M a y d
a y so in e x p re s s ib ly lo v e ly . T o th e re s id e n t in C e y lo n th e Sw allow b r in g s n o s u c h
p le a s a n t p r o s p e c t ; i t a rriv e s in th e m id s t o f th e w in d a n d r a in w ith w h ic h th e s o u th w
e s t m o n so o n dies o u t, a n d fo r e te lls n o th in g h u t t h e u s u a l d ry C h ris tm a s w e a th e r o f th is
p a r t o f th e tro p ic s . Y e t i t s p re s e n c e o n th e G a lle E a c e a t C o lom b o , a s i t s k im s a lo n g
j u s t ab o v e th e t u r f o n a b r i g h t th o u g h w in d y m o rn in g , o r s i ts in row s o f a dozen o r
m o re tw i t te r in g its w in te r n o te s o n t h e te le g r a p h -w ir e s a t n o o n , is n o t w i th o u t a c h a rm ,
a n d r em in d s o n e o f th e h om e t h a t h a s b e e n l e f t b e h in d f a r b ey o n d th e w e s te rn h o riz o n .
T h e tim e a n d p la c e , h ow e v e r, in w h ic h to see th e Sw a llow to p e i'fe c tio n is w h e n i t is
c a re e rin g o v e r a b e a u t if u l E n g lis h law n o u a b r ig h t J u n e m o rn in g , sw e e p in g ro u n d th e
lum d som c c o n ife rs a n d b e n e a th th e s p re a d in g o a k s ; o r w h e n , g la n c in g o u t o f som e ru s tic
b a r n , i t d a r ts lik e a p o lish e d a r row d ow n th e t in y b ro o k o r ro u n d th e v illa g e g r e e n in
s e a rc h o f a m o u th fu l fo r t h e l i tt l e b ro o d so s n u g ly h o u s e d a g a in s t y o n d e r b e am . I n
C ey lo n w e m is s th e p r e tty l i t t l e c h a t te r in g so n g o f th e m a le in th e b re e d in g -s e a so n ,
a lth o u g h i t does c om m e n c e i t b efo re l e a v in g in M a r c h . S co re s o f th e s e b ird s m a y b e
s e e n p e r c h e d o n th e te le g r a p h -w ir e c ro s s in g th e ‘ L o tu s -p o n d ’ a t C o lom b o , a sp o t
w h ie li fu r n is h e s a n e v e r-f a ilin g s u p p ly o f i n s e c t s ; a n d th e y m a y fr e q u e n tly , a s in o th e r
c o u n trie s , h e o b s e rv e d s e a te d o n ro o fs o r o n som e l ittlo em in e n c e o n th e g i'o u n d . A s is
th e ea se in E n g la n d , b e fo re le a v in g th e is la n d th e y c o lle c t in flocks, h u t in m u c h few e r
n um b e rs , a s th e r e a r e u o y o u n g b ird s to c o n g r e g a te to g e th e r . F ew b ird s e n jo y s u c h a n
im m u n ity from ¡)e rs c c u tio n a s th e Sw a llow ; i t is r a r e ly s h o t e x c e p t h y th o s e wh o a r e
re a lly in w a n t o f sk in s fo r s c ie n tific p u rp o s e s .”
C o lo n e l L e g g e , wh o is n ow l iv in g in T a sm a n ia , from th e w o rd s o f h is la s t s e n te n c e ,
e v id e n tly does n o t k n ow o f th e c r u e l a n d sen se le s s w a r w h ic h h a s b e e n w a g e d o f re c e n t
y e a rs a g a in s t th e u n f o r tu n a t e Sw a llow s, fo r m illin e r y p u rp o s e s a n d th e d e c o ra tio n o f
In d ies’ h a ts , iu E u ro p e . L u c k i ly th e t id e o f p u b lic o p in io n h a s tu r n e d a g a in s t th o s e
th o u g h tle s s p e rso n s wh o c a u s e d th e d e a th o f th e s e in n o c e n t a n d u s e f u l in s c c t- e a tm g b ird s ,
a n d th e Sw a llow is n ow m o re fr e e from p e r s e c u tio n . T h e re a s o n o f th e p ro te c tio n o f th e
Swallow in m o s t c o u n trie s is d o u b tle s s d u e n o t o n ly to i t s co n fid in g d isp o s itio n , b u t a lso
to th e v a s t am o u n t o f goo d w h ic h th e h ird docs. “ I n M o ro c c o ,” M . E a v ie r s a y s , “ th e
lE o o rs b e lie v e t h a t i t offends Go d to k i l l tb e s e b ird s , in th e sam e w a y a s th e y b e lie v e i t
p le a se s o r so o th e s th e E v i l O n e to k i l l th e H a v e n {C o rvu s c o ra x ). T h e s to rie s o n w h ic h
th i s s u p e r s titio n is fo u n d e d a r e to o lo n g to r e l a t e ; b u t I w a s in fo rm e d b y o n e p e r so n
t h a t th e Sw allow s a n d IV h itc S to rk s w e re in s p ir e d b y A l l a h to p r o t e c t th e h a r v e s t a u d
th e c o u n try from n o x io u s in s e c ts a n d re p tile s , a n d t h a t th e b ird s th em s e lv e s (k n ow in g
th e b e u e lits th e y c o n f e r o n m a n ) a s k in r e tu r n p ro te c tio n f o r th e i r o ffsp rin g b y b u ild in g
t h e i r n e s ts o n th e w a lls o f tow n s a n d h o u se s , a n d t l ia t th e re fo re a n y o n e w h o k ills th em
m u s t b e a K a ffir, i. e., n o t a t r u e b e lie v e r o f th e P r o p h e t , c sp e e ia lly a s t h e b ird s w o u ld
o u ly b e k ille d fo r m isc h ie f, b e in g u s e le s s w h e n d e a d .”