H IR U ND O Æ T H IO P IC A .
H I R U N D O Æ T H I O P I C A , w . Blanf.
BLANFOllD’S SWALLOW.
H ir u n d o r u fifr o n s (n o n V.), De s M u r s in L e f e b v r. V o y . A liy ss. Zool. p. 78 (1 8 1 5 ) ;
U e u g l. J . f. O. 1 8 6 1 , p . 4 2 0 , 1 8 6 3 , p . 1 6 8 ; U a r tm . J . f. O. 1 8 6 4 , p . 152.
Cecropis r u fifr o n s {non V .), V ie r tb . N a um . 1 8 5 3 , p . 21 ; B rc bm , J . f. 0 . 1 8 5 3 , p. 4 5 3 ,
E x t r a b . p . 96 ; l l e u g l . S y s t. U e b e rs . p . 16 ; V ie r tb . N a um . 1 8 5 7 , p . 1 10 ; B re hm ,
lle i s . U a b e s c b , p. 2 09 (1863).
H ir u n d o a lh ig td a r is (nec S tr ic k l ), H e u g l. O r n . N .O .-A fr. i. p . 1 5 3 (18 6 9 ).
H ir u n d o cethiopica, B la n f. A n n . & i l a g . N a t. H i s t . iv . p . 3 2 9 (1 8 6 9 ) ; G r a y , H au d -1 .
B . i. p. 4 0 1 , n o . 794 « (1 8 6 9 ) ; B la n f. Geol. & Zool. A b y s s , p . 3 4 7 , p l. 2 (1 8 7 0 ) ;
E in s c h , T r. Z. S. v ii. p . 2 18 (1 8 7 0 ) ; S b a rp e , B. Z. S. 1 8 7 0 , p . 3 0 9 ; id . C a t. A f r. B.
p . 4 6 , n o . 4 3 2 (1 8 7 1 ) ; A n tin . & S a lv a d . V ia g g . Bogos, p . 72 (1 8 7 3 ) ; C ab . J . f. O.
1 8 7 8 , p . 22 3 ; F is c h e r & ll e i c h e n . t . c. p . 257 ; iid . op. c it. 1 8 7 9 , p . 3 4 i ; S h e lley ,
I b i s , 1 8 8 3 , p . 5 47 ; F is c h e r in M a d a ra s z , Z e its c h r . ges. O rn . i. p . 3 5 7 (1 8 8 1 ) ;
S b a rp e , C a t. B ir d s in B r i t . M u s . x . p. 1 4 6 (1885),
H . u ro pygio pileoqa e cæruleis, d o rso c o n co lo rib u s ; f ro n te e a s ta n c â ; gu h i a lb ic an te vcl p a llidè fulvà ;
to rq u e præ p e c to ra li in tc rriip tâ .
Hab. iu A fric â s ep tcn trio n aU -o rien ta li e t o rien ta li c t in Afric â occ identa li c is-eq u a to ria li.
Adult female ( ty p e o f species). Gen e ra l co lo u r above p u rp lish b lu e , slig h tly v a ried w ith g rey ish white
bases to th e fe a th e rs o f th e u p p e r m a n tle ; wing-covcrts lik e th e b a ck , with a g rey ish -w h ite spot
oil th e in n e r web o f th e in n e rm o s t g r e a te r cove rts ; b a s ta rd -w in g , p rim a ry -co v e rts , a n d quills
b lackish, ex te rn a lly glossed w ith s te c l-b lu c ; u p p e r ta il-co v c rts lik e th e b a c k ; ta il-fc a th c rs
b la ckish, glossed w ith ste e l-blue , all b u t th e c en tre fe a th e rs h aving a ro u n d ed w h ite spot o u th e ir
in n e r vrcb, ra tlie r more ovate on th e o u te rm o s t f e a th e r ; crown o f he ad lik e th e b a ck , w ith a b ro a d
fro n ta l b a u d of rufous ; lores b la ckish ; c a r-cove rts b la ck, glossed w ith blue ; cheeks a n d th ro a t
pale rufe sc ent b uff ; rem a in d e r o f tb e u n d e r surfa c e c re am y white , w ith a c re sc en tic m a rk o f
p urplish blue o n tlie sides o f th e clic st, fo rm in g a h a lf-co lla r ; sides o f b ody slig h tly shaded with
a s h y ; th ig h s a n d u n d e r ta il-co v e rts c re am y w hite ; u n d e r wing-cove rts and axilla rie s like th e
b re a s t ; quills below d usky, a l ittle m o re a.shy a lo n g th e in n e r edge : “ b ill aud f e e t black ; iris
b row u ” {Fischer). T o ta l len g th 5*2 iuche s, culmeu 0*35, iving 4 '3 , ta il 2 '2 , ta rsu s Ü’ L
Tlie adult male docs u o t differ in colour from th e female. T o ta l len g th 5-7 inche s, cu lm en 0 '3 5 , wing 1-1.
ta il T 55 (lo n g e st fe a th e r 2 '0 ), ta rsu s 0-4.
The y o u n g b ird differs from th e a d u lt in b e in g d u sk y blackisli, m e re ly glossed with p u rp lish b lu e , with
obsolete pale edges o f san d y hrown, th e quills an d ta il-fc a th c rs m a rg in ed w ith a shy w h itish a t th e
tip s ; base o f foreh e ad a n d a l i n e ov e r th e eye pa le rufous, b u t n o t fo rm in g a f ro n ta l b a n d ;