w itli a s lig h t ste e l-b lu e gloss o n th e o u te r w e b s ; foreliead deep c h e s tn u t; lores bli
cove rts dull s te e l-blue lik e th e h e ad ; cheeks, th ro a t, and fore n e ck deep ch e s tn u t, with a halfc
re sc ent of ste e l-b lu e de sc ending on th e sides of th e l a t t e r ; rem a in d e r o f u n d e r surface o f body
un ifo rm smoky b rown, w ith a few m o ttle d fe a th e rs in th e c e n tre o f th e b re a s t, some o f th e
fe a th e rs b e ing washed w ith s te e l-b lu e n e a r th e ir e n d s ; u n d e r ta il-co v e rts smoky brown, edged
w ith rufous, with a d is tin c t su b tc rm in a l sp o t o f s te e l-b lu e ; u n d e r wing-covcrts and axillaries
d a rk smoky b row n ; q uills dusky below, r a th e r lig h te r browu on th e in n e r webs : “ bill and legs
b la c k ; iris d a rk b row n ” {L a ya rd ). T o ta l len g th 5 inches, culmcu 0-35, wing 4 T 5 , ta il 2,
ta r su s 0 '3 .
I inches, culmcn O' lb AUuU female. Similar to tlie male in plumage. Total length , wing 4 ‘2, ta il 2,
tarsus 0 ’4.
Hah. Tahiti; Tonga gro u p ; Fiji Islands; New Hebrides; Solomon Islands; New B ritain ; New
Caledonia ?
The principal difference between this species and its ally H. javanica has hitherto been considered to
consist in the absence of whiie spots ou tbe tail-feathers, these being always a noticeable feature
in H. javanica. Mr. Seebohm has, however, recently pointed out to us that white spots ou the
tail are often present in i f . iaAtriVa, though in a reduced form; and a re-examination of the
.specimens in the British Museum, along with the series iu tlic collections of Mr. Lister aud
Mr. Seebohm, has convinced us that the latter gentleman is quite correct in hi,s statements.
As will be seen below, the presence or absence of white spots on the tail is not a character
which is accompanied by any coincident feature of peculiar geographical distribution, nor are
the spots on the tail-feathers always to be fouud equally developed on each side of tbe tail, as the
following list will show ;—
a. Specimens without any trace of white on the tail-feathers,
a. Ovalau (E. L. Layard).
b. g . Ovalau [E. L . Layard).
c. $ . Matuka {Voy. H.M.S. ‘Challenger’).
d. (J. Kandavu (E. Z/. Ea^iirri).
e. $ . Api, New Hebrides {Voy. H.M.S. ‘ Challenger'').
f . Ad. New Britain (Dr. Kleinschmidt).
g. ? . Guadalcanar, Solomon Islands (C. M. Woodford).
S- Specimens with faint spots of white on the iuiicr web of the tail-feathers.
a. ? . Ovalau {E. L . Layard).—Au indistinct spot on penultimate fcatlicr on both sides of tail.
b. Jjcvnka {E. L . Layard).—Wliite spot indistinct on right penultimate featlier, indistinct on
penultimate feather of left side, hut quite distinct on second aud third feathers of left side.
c. 2 . Matuka {Voy. H.M.S. ‘Challenger’).— distinct on right penultimate featlier of right
side, but scarcely visible on left penultimate feather.
d. ? . Kaiulavu {Voy. H.M.S. ‘Challenger’).—A small spot visible on riglit outer feather.
c. i . Moala {T. M. Ruyncr).—A tiny spot on outer feather.
/ . J . Nomuka-iki (.7. J. Lister).—A white spot faintly indicated on tbe three outermost feathers of
right side and ou the penultimate feather of left.
g. 2 . Nomuka-iki {J. J. Lister).—.-V white spot scarcely visible on the two outside feathers of riglit
side and on tbe penultimate feather of left.
h. J . N om u k a -ik i ( / .X 'L i» i< T ) .-S i> o tv c r j - plain on p en u ltim a te fe a tlie r o t r ig h t side and on
p en u ltim a te an d th ird fe a tlie r o f left.
i. N om u k a -ik i {J. J . Ei,v/er).— S p o t very p la in on p e n u ltim a te and th in l fe a th e rs o f b o th sides.
k. ¿ N om u k a -ik i (J . J . /* /« ■ ) .— S p o t d is tin c t on p e n u ltim a te fe a th e r o f bo th sides, ivith a fa in t
tra c e o f a white spot also on th e th ird fe a th e r o f th e left.
I. A n e itcum (J. M c c p lliv y c j) . ~ A „ ohsolete whitisl, sp o t on th e o u te r fe a tlie r o n bo th sides, a spot
also traeeahlo o n tl.e p e n u ltim a te and th ird fe a th e r o f tlic r ig h t side a u d on th e pcu i.lt,-
m a te fe a th e r o f th e le ft side.
m. ^ . Va te , New H eb rid e s (L . C. E a y a rri).—Ou ly a s lig h t in d ic a tio n o f a w hitish spot on th e th ird
fe a th e r o f th e le ft side.
-As its E n g lish name implies, th e p resen t species is a bird of tho Pacific Islands. I t avas
first recorded from th e Society group, is ividcly d istrib u ted in th e E iji Archipelago, the
Tonna group, and certainly occurs in th e New Hebrides, in th e Solomon Archipelago,
a m / i n New Britain . Erom a ll o f these localities we liave examined specimens; h u t it
is qu ite probable th a t in th e eastern lim it of th e bird ’s range it meets with its ally
I L ja m n ix a , an undoubted specimen of wbieh species we havo examined from Duke ot
York Island. T h a t th e specific ch aracters which separate th e two species are n o t ot the
most constant ch an icter will he seen by o ur notes on th e v ariatio n which occurs m the
p resent bird. ,
The occurrence o t th e species in tl.e Sandwich Islands, as recorded by Cassm, who
notes a specimen received from tb e Bivoli collection, requires confirmation, and tb e New
Caledonian record is n o t satisfactory. Mr. E . L. Lay ard and his son s.aw a bird m
th e la tte r island on th e 28th of November, 1879, which th ey believe to have been a
Pacific Swallow, b u t th ey were un ab le to procure it.
The p resent species was first discovered in th e “ m ountainous p a rts ot Otalicite, or
Tahiti, in th e Society Islands, d u rin g Captain Cook’s Voyage, and th e specimen descr.I.ed
hv Ixitham was said hy him to bo in tlie collection o t Sir .loseph Banks. I t was l.ro-
b lb ly th e actual specimen figured h y Fo rster in his ‘Drawings,’ and called by l.iin
I I m jr r lio lm n a in tho ‘ D escriptiones Anim alium.’
Mr. J . J . Lister has recen tly m et w ith tho species in th e T onga group a t Nomiika-iki.
I n th e Eiji Arclilpelago th o following islands a re given as th e abode of tho species by
M r E L Lavardi-Ovalan.AVakaia, Mokani.'Taviimi. Loma-Loma, Mango, V itu Levi,,
and Kandavu. I t was also obtained on J lo a la Is la n d by Dr. R aynor durrng th e voyage
of H.M.S. ‘Herald .’ Tho ‘C h a llen g e r’ Exp ed itio n likewise obtained specimens a t M a tu k a
and Kandavu.
M'riting from th e E iji Islands, Mr. E. L. Ikiyard s a y s .
“ Tills Swallow is very local, bu t, I th in k , widely spread th ro u g h o u t th e islands. I t
is said to n e st in ro ck s ; and I feel confident th a t a p a ir nested th is year in th e cracks
and crannies of ‘ Brower’s B o ck ,’ as th ey were visible almost every evening d u rin g inj
residence in my p resen t house, flittin g over the little point of lan d on th e o th er side ot