i
A n aw kw a rd p ie c e o f ta n g le d s y n o n ym y lia s o c c u rre d w ith re g a rd to th e K am t-
s c h a tk a n Swallows, w h ic h h a s b e e n u n ra v e lle d b y D r . S te jn e g e r , iu h is “ l i c s u l ts o f
O rn ith o lo g ie a l E x p lo r a tio n s in th e C om m a n d e r I s la n d s a n d in K am t s c h a tk a (B u ll. XJ. S.
N a t. M u s . n o . 29, p . 3 3 0 ). D r . D y b ow sk i a n d th o l a te P ro fe s so r T a c z a n ow sk i h a v e
d e s c rib e d tw o Sw a llow s from K am t s c h a tk a a s H . k am ts c h a tic a a n d U . borealis. W e
lin d from th e p o s th um o u s w o rk o f D r . T a c z a n ow sk i t h a t th e fo rm e r is re fe r re d tc
11. ty t l e r i , a n d I I . b o rea lis to H . g u t tu r a l i s ; a n d M r. S to lzman n , k in d ly s e n t u s th e
“ ty p e s ” o f I I . k am ts c h a tic a fo r e x am in a tio n . T h e y a r e th e c h e s tn u t- b r e a s te d I I . ty tle r i,
a n d i t is q u i t e p o s s ib le t b a t D r . D y b ow sk i in te n d e d to n am e th e ru fo u s -c o lo u re d b ird
I I . k am ts c h a tic a , b u t in b is d e s c r ip tio n h e says, “ A b d om e n e t so u s -c a u d a lc s blancs.”
T h e r e c a n b e l i tt l e d o u b t b u t t h a t th e fo rm h e h e r e d iag n o sed w a s th e w h ite -b e llie d
I I . borealis, fo r w liic h a s im ila r d e s c rip tio n is p ro v id e d . I n th e w o rk o f D r. S te jn e g e r
a b o v e q u o te d , th e iv h o le s u b je c t is m o s t th o ro u g h ly tr e a te d , a u d we fu lly e n d o rs e a ll t h a t
h e say s. H ow e v e r u n f o r tu n a t e t h e m is ta k e in tlie o rig in a l d e s c rip tio n s , th e c h a ra c te rs
a s p u b lish e d m u s t b e h e ld to b e th e re sp o n s ib le ones, a n d thorefoi*e th e n am e o f H . k am t-
s e h a tic a m u s t b e a t ta c h e d to th e w h ite -b e llie d Swallow. A s b o th th i s n am e a n d t h a t o f
I I . b o rea lis w e re a f te rw a rd s a dm itte d b y T a c z a n ow sk i to b e sy n o n ym s o f U . g u ttu r a lis
a n d I I . t y tle r i, n o ra d ic a l c h a n g e in n om e n c la tu r e is in v o lv ed .
A n e x c e lle n t a c c o u n t o f th e d is tr ib u tio n o f th e p r e s e n t sp ec ie s in E a s te rn S ib e ria is
g iv e n b y T ac z a n ow sk i in th e w o rk p u b lish e d b y t h e Im p e r ia l A c a d em y o f S t. P e te r s b u r g
a f t e r h is d e a th ; a n d from th i s m a n y o f th e fo llow in g fa c ts h a v e b e e n com p iled .
D r . S te jn e g e r d id n o t m e e t w ith th e E a s t e r n C h im n e y -Sw a llow in K am ts c h a tk a , h u t
Dr. D y b ow sk i p ro c u re d a sp e c im e n a t P e tro p a u low s k i o n th e 4 th o f J u n e , 1 8 8 2 , a n d
o b se rv e d s e v e ra l p a s s in g n o r thw a rd in s p rin g . I n S ib e ria th e sp ec ie s a p p a r e n t ly does
n o t e x te n d to th e Y e n e se i, a s th e sp e c im e n s p ro c u re d b y M r. S e eb o hm in t h a t d is tr ic t
w e re t r u e I I . I'u stica , a n d th e in te rm e d ia te fo rm b e tw e e n th e l a t t e r a n d I I . g u ttu ra lis .
I n f a c t T a c z a n ow sk i d e c la re s t h a t a f te r e x am in in g a l a rg e se rie s o f SwalloAvs from
S ib e ria a n d N o r th - e a s te r n A s ia , h e fin d s th e w h ite -b r e a s te d b ird s o n ly from th e U s s u ri
c o u n try a n d A m o o r L a n d , b u t h e a dm its t h a t l i tt l e a t t e n t io n h a s b e e n p a id b y c o lle c to i’s
to th e d iffe re n t fo rm s , a n d th u s i t seems b e t t e r to re g a rd t l ie b u lk o f th e s ta tem e n ts
r e f e r r in g to E a s t e r n S ib e ria n Sw allow s a s r e f e r r in g to I I . g u ttu ra lis , m a k in g n o d is tin c tio n
b e tw e e n th e fo rm w i th p u r e w h ite b r e a s t a n d a b d om e n a n d t h a t in w h ic h th e s e p a r ts
a r e s lig h t ly t in g e d w ith ru fo u s . S e e in g t h a t in th e i r w in t e r h om e s b o th I I . r u s tic a a n d
I I . g n t tu r a l i s o fte n o c c u r sid e b y side i t w o u ld n o t b e s u rp r is in g t h a t th e y o fte n
in te rb r e d , a f te r t h e i r a r r iv a l in th e i r s u inm c r -q u a r tc r s .
A lth o u g h th e E u s s i a n travellci*s d id n o t c le a rly d is c r im in a te b e tw e e n tlie fo rm s of
C h im n e y -Sw a llow w liich th e y m e t w itli in E a s t e r n S ib e ria , y e t th e i r v a rio u s s ta tem e n ts
h a v e b e e n a p p o r tio n e d to th e d ilfe r e n t fo rm s to w h ic h th e y b e lo n g b y D r . S te jn e g e r a u d
D r . T a c z a n ow sk i. A c c o rd in g to th e l a t t e r , b o tli D y b ow sk i a n d G o d lew sk i re co g n iz e d
th e Sw a llow o f th e U s s u r i c o u n try a s d iifo re n t from t h e fo rm fo u n d iu D a u ria , th e
s o u lh em B a ik a l c o u n try , a n d th e n e ig h h o u i-h o o d o f I r k u ts k . T h e b ird o f th e l a t t e r
re g io n s was d o u b tle s s U . ty tle r i.
M id d e n d o rff fo u n d tb e Sw allow o n ly a n a c c id e n ta l v is ito r a t T o u ro u k h a n s k . S c lircn c k
s ta te s t h a t i t is com m o n a n d n um e ro u s in th e A m o o r c o u n try , a p p e a rin g a b o u t th e m id d le
o f M ay , a s th e y w e re b u ild in g p le n tifu lly o u th e 2 n d o f J u n e . T h e y a r e gi*eat fa v o u rite s
w ith t h e n a tiv e s a n d a r e p ro te c te d b y th em .
S p e a k in g o f th e w o rk o f M id d e n d o rff a u d S c lire n c k , D r . S te jn e g e r g iv e s th e fo llow in g
in te r e s tin g n o te o n th e d i s tr ib u tio n o f U ir u n d o g u t tu r a l i s a n d I I . t y t l e r i :—“ U s u a lly it
is n e a r ly im p o ss ib le to e x tr ic a te th e o b s e rv a tio n s b e lo n g in g to th e d iffe re n t fo rm s , b u t in
th is ca se th e d iffe ren c e b e tw e e n Chelidon g u ttu ra lis a n d C. ty t l e r i w a s to o g r e a t fo r e v e n
v o n S c b re n c k to ig n o re a lto g e th e r , th o u g h h e b y n o m e a n s su s p e c ts th em o f b e in g
s e p a ra b le , m u c h le s s u n d e r s ta n d s th e im p o rta n c e o f k e e p in g th em s e p a ra te . F o r tu n a t e ly
liis r em a rk s e n a b le u s to d e c id e w h ic h fo rm s h e a n d M id d e n d o rff coU ected a t tw o v e ry
im p o r t a n t lo c a litie s . S p e a k in g o f t h e ‘ U ir u n d o g u ttu ra lis , v a r . r u fa ,' w h ic h h e fo u n d
th ro u g h o u t th e A m u r V a lle y (E e is . A m u r-L a n d e , i. p. 3 8 7 ), h e o b s e rv e s t h a t i t w a s ‘ m u c h
p a le r th a n th e o ld m a le am o n g IM id d en d o rlfs sp e c im e n s from U d sk ij O s tro g , a n d o n ly
s lig h tly d a r k e r th a n th e o ld m a le o f th e E u ro p e a n B a rn -Sw a llow . . . T h e b la c k b a u d o f
t h e fo re n e c k is o n ly n a r row a n d c o n ta in s som e ru s ty -b row n sp o ts .’ T h is d e s c rip tio n is
q u ite su ffic ie n t to id e n tify th e A m u r V a lle y b ird a s C. g u t tu r a l i s , w h ile , o n t h e o tlie r
h a n d , th e r em a rk p la in ly shows t h a t th e b ird w h ic h ¡Middendorff c o lle c te d a t U d sk ij
Ostx-og, a t th e m o u th o f th e U d a V a lle y , is C h e lid o n ty tle r i. T h is d e te rm in a tio n is
e x trem e ly in te re s tin g , s in c e th e v a lle y s o f th e tw o r iv e r s A m u r a n d U d a a r e close
to g e th e r , o n ly b e in g s e p a ra te d b y th e Bui-eja M o u n t a in s ; b u t th e directioix o f t h e A im u '
a n d U s s u r i is so u tlie i’u , w h ile U d a com e s fr om th e w e s t. T h e 8 ta n o v o j M o u n ta in s ,
w h ic h u n t i l th is p o in t r u n close to th e sh o re o f th e O k o tsk Sea, m a k e l ie i'c a s u d d e n b e n d
to tlie w e s tw a rd , le a d in g o v e r to D a u r i a a n d T ra n s b a ik a lia . A c c o rd in g to M id d e iid o rif
(‘ I s e p ip t e s e n E u s s l .’ p . 1 2 5 ), V o s sn e s se n sk i m e t ‘U ir u n d o ru s tic a , \ wl'. r u fa , a t A ja n .’ W e
also k n ow t h a t Chclidon t y t l e r i i.s c om m o n o n th e westoim c o a s t o f K am ts c h a tk a . W e
k n ow t h a t i t does n o t t r a v e l s o u thw a r d o v e r th e K u r il I s la n d s a n d J a p a n . I t se em s,
th e n , a p r e tty safe c o n c lu s io n t h a t th e Sw allow a t le a s t crosses t h e O k o tsk S e a fr om
som e p o in t o n th e w e s te rn co a s t o f K am ts e h a tk a , a n d t h a t w lien a r r iv in g o n tlie o p p o s ite
c o a s t o f th e O k o tsk S e a i t m e e ts th e S ta n o v o j M o u n ta in s , a u d fo llows th o e a s te rn slo p e
o t t h a t r a n g e so u thw a rd s , tu r n in g w e s tw a rd s a t U d sk ij O s tro g , xvhere th e m o u n ta in s a lso
t u r n w e s tw a rd .”
M r. K a lin ow sk i m e t w i th th e p re s e n t spec ie s in th e C o rea , a n d p ro c u re d s ix sp ec im
e n s n e a r S eo u l. H e s a y s t h a t i t is c om m o n , b u t le a v e s d u r iu g th e w in te r.
M r. S e eb o hm s ta te s t h a t th e E a s t e r n C liim n ey -Sw a llow is c om m o n in a l l th e
J a p a n e s e i s la n d s ; a n d M r. J o u y g iv e s th e fo llow in g n o te o n th e sp e c ie s in t h a t c o u u t r y :—
“ T h e se b ird s a r e f am ilia r o b je c ts , fly in g th r o u g h th e s tr e e ts a n d d a r tin g in to th o n a tiv e
h o u se s th ro u g h o p e n d oors. A lm o s t e v e ry h o u s e in a J a p a n e s e tow n h a s o n e o r m o re
l i tt l e wo o d en shelves, p la c e d ju s t in s id e th e d o o r o n o n e o f th e ra f te r s o f th e c e ilin g , on
w h ic h th e Sw allow s b u ild th e i r n e s ts a n d r e a r th e i r y o u n g . N o r is th o i r co nfidence
m is p l a c e d ; th e y a r c a s s a c re d on th e i r s h e lf a s a n y o f th e h o u se h o ld gods, a u offer of
m o n e y fo r w h ic h is c o n s id e re d a n in s u lt. I b e lie v e th e s e Sw allow s ra i’e ly b u ild e ls ew h e re
4 a 2