H I R U N D O A L B I G U L A R I S , / S i n m
■VVUITE-TnaOATED SWALLOW.
n i r u t t d o r u fifr o n s (n o e V ie ill.), Le s s . T r a i té d ’O m . p . 2GS (1.831) ; G r ill, Zool.
A n te c k n . p . 35 (18 5 8 ).
m r u n d o a lb ig u la r is , C o n tr. O rn . 1 8 1 9 , p. 1 7 . p l. 15 ; C ass. C a t. U i r u n d .
M u s . P h ila d . Ao ad . p. 2 (1 8 5 3 ) ; S h a rp o , P . Z. S. 1 8 7 0 , p . 3 08 ; id . C a t. A f r. B,
p. 4 6 ( 1 8 7 1 ) ; A y r e s , I b is , 1 8 7 3 , p . 2 8 1 ; P is c h e r & l l c io h e a ow , J . f. O. 1 8 7 9 ,
p . 3 4 4 ; B o c ag e , O rn . A n g o la , p . 1 85 ( 1 8 8 1 ) ; B u tl e r , P c ild e u , & l l c id , Zool.
1 8 8 2 , p . 251 ; S a lv in , C a t. S tr ic k l. C o ll. p . 1 5 0 (1 8 8 2 ) ; S h a rp o , ed L a y a r d ’s 15.
S. A f r. p . 3 0 4 (1 8 8 2 ) ; id . C a t. B ird s in B r i t . M u s . x . p . 1 1 6 (1 8 8 5 ) ; S e eb o hm , Ib is ,
18 8 7 , p . 312.
H m m d o a lb h ju la , B p . C onsp. i. p . 3 3 8 (1 8 3 0 ) ; G u rn o y , I b i s , 1 8 0 3 , p . 2 6 1 ; L a y a rd .
B. S. A t r . p . 53 (1 8 0 7 ) ; G r a y , U a n d -1 . B . i. p . 0 8 , n o . 787 (1S09) ; A y re s , Ib is ,
1 8 7 0 , p . 4 2 4 , 1 8 7 8 , p. 2 8 5 , 1 8 8 0 , p . 200.
H i r u n d o am b ig u a , B o c ag e , O rn . A n g o la , p . ISO (1880).
H . u ro pygio pilcoquc clia lylico-nigris, dorso coitcoloribus : fro n te c a s ta u c â ; g u là a lb à : to rq u e pnu-
pe c tora l! c lialybco-nigro.
Hab. in A fric â m e ridiona li.
AduU mate. Above glos,sy s te e l-b lu e ; q uills bla ck ish , with a b lu e gloss o n th o u p p e r su rfa c e ; tlio in n e r m
o st g re a te r coverts m a rk ed o n th o in te rio r web w ith a g rey ish -w h ite spot, wliich is gene ra lly
h idden l>y th e s c ap u la rs ; ta il blue -b la ck , tho two c e n tre fe a th e rs u n sp o tted , b u t a ll th e oth e rs
m a rk ed o n th e in n e r wob with a la rg e p a tch o t w hite ; forehead d e ep c h e s tn u t ; lores b la ck ;
sides o f face and e a r-eo v e rts s te e l-b lu e ; th ro a t, cliecks, a n d sides o f th e n e ck w h ite ; below tlie
tliro a t a broad ban d o f glossy s teo l-b lu c fe a th e rs , broad a t th e sides a u d na rrow in th e c en tre of
tlic breast ; tlio r e s t o f tlie u n d e r surfa c e o t th e bod y g rey ish a sh-colour, tiic u u d c r ta il-co v e rts
w h ite r a t th e ends, witli occasionally a tin y su b tc n iiiiia l black spot ; u u d c r wiug-coverts and
axilla rie s lik e th e b re a s t, th e la tte r w h ite r on th e ir m a rg in s ; bill b la ck ; fe e t d a rk browu.
To ta l len g th C'5 inclics, culmeu O 'io , w ing 5 '2 , ta il 3 0û, ta rsu s ü '4 ô .
T he a dult fem a le is sim ira r in p lum age to tb e m ale, a u d ha.s a lmost ex a c tly th e same dimensions.
T h e young b ird is u n k n ow n to us. T h e colla r o n th e fore n e ek is ve ry o ften so much b ro k en up iu th e
c en tre as to become a lm o st in te r ru p te d , and th e n th e species aiiproaches ve ry closely to 1!. æthio-
pica . As a rule, th e males have a b ro a d e r aud m o rc -p c rfc c t p n e p e c to ra l c o lla r; b u t eveu iu
some o f th e most b e autiful specimens tlic co lla r is as im p e rfe c t as iu most o f th e females. T h e
fine s te e l-blue gloss which c h a ra c te riz e s th e full-plum aged b ird s suffers m u ch d e te rio ra tio n d u riu g
th e hrc cdiiig-se a sou, a u d th e gloss hceoroes o f a d u ll p u rp lish shade.